THE Chevrolet Warriors return to the scene of their most famous victory today as they begin a fresh quest for some more silverware.

A brand new trophy cabinet is being made to house the Warriors’ first trophy since the franchise system started almost six years ago.

The MTN40 final victory had been a long time coming for the Eastern Cape side and the deserved celebrations were massive.

But today is that start of a new competition for them – a very lucrative one at that with the two Standard Bank Pro20 finalists qualifying for the money-spinning Indian Champions League at the end of the year.

The season is already a massive success but they could make it even better. This is the series that every side wants to do well in and the Warriors start with a tricky fixture against a talented Diamond Eagles team.

The Eagles have been one of the most consistent franchise teams in recent times but they have been in somewhat of a slump this season.

Their drop in form seems to have coincided with the departure of coach Corrie van Zyl, first to the national academy, and then, more recently, to the Proteas.

But they still have a team that can be highly competitive and on the night they could upset the best of teams. They were finalists last season after beating the Warriors in a tense semi-final super over at Axxess DSL St George’s.

Over the last two years, the competition has produced four different finalists and there is no doubt it is going to be as volatile and unpredictable this time around.

The Warriors will be without six of the national players that helped them win the MTN40 title. But they have been able to recall experienced players like Jon-Jon Smuts, Arno Jacobs, Garnett Kruger and Craig Thyssen.

Jacobs has struggled for runs this season but nobody needs reminding of how much class he possesses. He seems to be low on confidence but that could all change with one good innings tonight.

Kruger, who will join an attack headed by the evergreen Makhaya Ntini and young fireball Rusty Theron, has bowled well at times this season but will be looking for more consistency when his side depends on it tonight.

Colin Ingram was the highest runs-scorer in the MTN40 series and produced some memorable innings along the way, as did Justin Kreusch.

Davy Jacobs will be hoping that the obvious depth the Warriors have in their structures can pull together when it matters tonight.

This weekend’s fixtures are:

Today (day/night): Cobras v Lions, Sahara Park Newlands; Warriors v Diamond Eagles, Buffalo Park.

Sunday (day): Dolphins v Warriors, Sahara Stadium Kingsmead; Titans v Cobras, SuperSport Park.