Former Western Province Colts batsman Matthew de Villiers captained the Warriors to the 2025-26 T20 Challenge title last week.
The Warriors beat Boland in the T20 Challenge final in Paarl. De Villiers was the leading run-scorer in the tournament overall with 394 in eight innings. This included five half-centuries and a highest score of 96 not out.
“Last year was a pinch-me moment. I’ve worked hard to get to this point,” de Villiers, who left Western Province for the Warriors in 2024, told SportsBoom.
“Who knows where I would be if it wasn’t for Warriors head coach Robin Peterson? I would probably be banging centuries in club cricket in Cape Town.”
Western Province had not yet appointed head coach Rory Kleinveldt at the time of de Villiers’ exit to the Warriors. Kleinveldt has since debuted multiple players in the T20 Challenge, including:
- Claremont Cricket Club’s Josh Breed;
- Rylands Cricket Club’s Mbulelo Dube; and
- and University of the Western Cape Cricket Club pair Asakhe Tsaka and Liyema Waqu.
“With Rory Kleinveldt trying to change things at Western Province and bringing in more local guys, there is just so much talent in the Western Cape that has been overlooked,” added de Villiers, who is also a member of Claremont Cricket Club.
“Robin brought me to the Warriors, and I learned a lot from him. I just had to go out and do what I do best.”
De Villiers has been signed by the Joburg Super Kings for the fourth season of the SA20.