Kwazulu Natal News Round-up (10 November 1998)

10 November 1998

Kwazulu Natal News Round-up

Ken Borland

Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener are likely to be added to the Natal cricket squad for the SuperSport Series match against Gauteng starting in Johannesburg on Friday.

While Pollock is almost certain to play, Klusener needs to get over a few niggles he has carried since returning to action last week after ankle surgery.

There will be one omission from the side that drew with Griqualand West over the weekend, with wicketkeeper/batsman Keith Forde touring Canada for two weeks having won the sales manager of the year award with a Durban insurance company. His gloves are likely to be handed to Errol Stewart.

Coach Frans Cronje was pleased with his team's performance on the final day of their match against Griquas when they scored over 300 to save the game, but said they were made to pay for their inept first-innings batting which saw them bowled out for just 133, 18 runs shy of the Griquas total of 151.

"The pitch was very good so it was most disappointing after we had bowled them out so cheaply. But we batted much better in the second innings and we came so close to winning in the end ... if only we had batted better in the first innings," Cronje said.

Captain Dale Benkenstein agreed the batting had been the cause of their problems. "We messed about in the first innings and threw wickets away. Unfortunately we no longer bat down to 10 or 11 any more, so we just cannot afford to bat like that. It was very frustrating after we were chuffed to bowl them out for 151 on a really good pitch."

Benkenstein, who took two outstanding catches in the Griquas second innings, also criticised the fielding, an area where Natal normally lead the way. "While the catching was good, we've got to pick up the ground fielding. We've really got to work hard on it."

While Griquas generally bowled a very good line and length, Benkenstein was not satisfied with the efforts of the Natal pacemen.

"We did bowl a bit short, but there was some big bounce in the pitch. Our line was really bad so we never managed to build pressure in the field. We either bowled too straight or there were too many balls down leg," Benkenstein said.

Natal can take heart from their second-innings batting though and Griquas captain Kepler Wessels rated the Natal batting line-up as one of the best in the country.

"They are a very good attacking batting side and the fact that they just about reached their target of 345 shows we would have been in trouble if we had set anything less."

Wessels, who battled on the final day with persistent knee problems and had to leave the field for blood to be drained off, praised West Indian paceman Ottis Gibson and former Natalian Pat Symcox, that prince of veteran cricketers, for their bowling efforts.

"Ottis did a great job even though he hurt his groin, but it was also important for Pat to tie up an end and maintain the pressure."

Gibson returned to the clubhouse with a five-wicket haul and Symcox delivered 42 overs of off-spin, taking one for 122 on a pitch that never really gave the bowlers much help.

Source :: Ken Borland