As much as the batters enjoyed their first-class season, several bowlers prospered, too. And it was quite a pleasant surprise to see spin dominate more frequently than expected.

Here are the top three wicket-takers in Division 1 of the CSA 4-Day Series, and two of them happened to make it to the Proteas Test squad for the series against India and New Zealand.

Simon Harmer
44 wickets in 7 games @ 19.29
5-wicket hauls: 3
10-wicket hauls: 1

Long story short, the experienced offspinner resumed from where he left off. Harmer already had a strong reputation for Essex in county cricket, with multiple successful seasons. Upon his return to first-class cricket back home, he was the kingpin for the Titans, regularly picking up clusters of wickets.

A 7-wicket haul against WP in November set up a rather straightforward innings victory, and another 15 wickets in 2 games two months later earned him a Test recall for the NZ tour. Despite ending up gameless, he continued to evoke reminders of his ability, rounding off a scintillating season with a match-winning 6-wicket haul against the Lions. The Titans would end up lifting the trophy at the close – it most definitely was a deserved victory, and Harmer was the driving force for their bowling unit.

Kyle Simmonds
33 wickets in 7 games @ 26
5-wicket hauls: 1
10-wicket hauls: 1

The left-arm spinning allrounder was central to WP’s progress, even though it was far from an optimal season from a team perspective. Without a doubt, the highlight for Simmonds was the aggregate 10-wicket haul against a very potent Lions side. Despite having the upper hand for most of that game, a solid rearguard with the bat from the Lions forestalled what could’ve been a well-earned victory.

Fortunately, he ended his season with 6 wickets against North West, which would end up as an innings win. Maintaining consistency has been an aspect to appreciate, as both facets of his game continued to gather momentum as the season progressed. Aside from his bowling exploits, Simmonds cracked a century against the Knights in January.

Duanne Olivier
29 wickets in 5 games @ 14.93
5-wicket hauls: 2

Out of the three, the Lions seamer boasts the best average of this season, but the last few months have been a bit of an enigma. Much like Harmer, Olivier was a solid performer in the county scene, as well, as Yorkshire benefited from his pace and agility.

He began this season with an unbelievable tally of 28 wickets in the opening four games, all of which were comfortable wins. All of a sudden, he elicited plenty of buzz about a potential Test recall. And to hardly anyone’s surprise, it happened.

Many anticipated a bowler that had enhanced his skills, but he noticeably seemed to have compromised his speed for line and length. While the home series against India went decently well for him, it probably could’ve gone better, since more was expected of him.

He often bowled a few too many loose deliveries before finally getting a wicket, and he was switched out for the second Test in New Zealand, with Lutho Sipamla making it to the XI. There understandably is plenty of competition in the fast-bowling department, and seizing the opportunities available at international will be crucial to Olivier’s success going forward.