Domestic first class cricket, no matter what the country, long ago ceased being a marketable product.
Seeing matches being watched by the proverbial "four men and a dog" (in some cases literally) has been common place not only in South Africa, but also in Australia, India and England among the big Test playing nations.
Nevertheless, three or four-day first class cricket remains a vital nursery for the game, in all its formats and in all nations where it is played.
The 20-over game may be all the rage right now, but without the foundation provided by playing first class cricket, even swinging and swatting in the 20-over format would be difficult.
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Which makes this season's SuperSport Series so important and, in fact, has made the competition so crucial over the years. Without it, where would selection convener Mike Procter be able to send Morne Morkel every time he spots something wrong with his action?
How would Ashwell Prince be able to adapt to becoming an opening batsman for the first time at any stage of his career? Where would Paul Harris go to bowl the overs he needs going into the international season?
This season's SuperSport Series kicks off on Thursday when the Cape Cobras travel to Bloemfontein to play the Diamond Eagles.
Those two sides actually start the competition a week earlier than the other four franchises due to their commitments in the 20-over Champions League tournament that takes place in India from October 5.
This season's SuperSport Series should attract far greater attention than competitions of recent seasons given that the national players will be available for their franchises for up to three rounds at the start of the tournament.
Players like Prince, who is exclusively a Test player these days, could get up to six matches under their belts before the first Test against England that starts on December 16.
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