Natal eager for full points

If Natal captain Dale Benkenstein calls correctly at the toss on Friday morning, there is every chance he will ask Eastern Province to bat first in their Super Eights SuperSport Series match at Kingsmead.

Natal, currently second on the log, have to hit the road after this weekend's fixture and play the other two main contenders for a place in the final - Gauteng and Border - away from home, before completing their Super Eights fixtures with a home match against Northerns.

So Natal will be very eager to gather a full helping of points from this weekend's match and, with Kingsmead pitches showing the most life early on and then flattening out, Natal's pace-based attack would like to get a shot at the Eastern Province batsmen first up.

The visitors are missing their two star players - fast bowler Mornantau Hayward and all-rounder Justin Kemp. The fast and furious Hayward has enjoyed such a successful season for Eastern Province that he has returned to the national team for the second Test against England in Port Elizabeth, while Kemp is still having treatment on a foot injury that first flared up when he played for the SA A team in Pietermaritzburg last month.

If Natal are to continue their fine form in the four-day game, then they will need to bounce back from their rather disastrous outing in Paarl on Wednesday night. On a pitch that certainly did not facilitate an even contest between bat and ball, Natal failed to reach their target of 186 and were bundled out for 110 by Boland.

But coach Phil Russell, himself a groundsman of great repute, said Natal would have needed a lot more luck if they were going to win their opening Standard Bank Cup match.

"On that pitch it was always going to be a struggle to reach 180. It was very difficult in the evening with the ball swinging around, two new balls and the uneven bounce. Ninety percent of teams batting first there end up winning," Russell said yesterday.

"We gave them 15 or 20 runs too many and Williams and Willoughby bowled very well, as did the debutant Carter. We needed someone to get a 70 for us to have hope."

The 39-year-old Eldine Baptiste could only bowl five overs against Boland before leaving the field with calf cramps, but Russell said the senior pro would be ready for this weekend's four-dayer.

Russell said he has no doubts the Natal batsmen will be back to their best against Eastern Province on home turf.

Successful SA A openers Mark Bruyns and Doug Watson are furthering their claims for higher honours, as is inspirational captain Dale Benkenstein, while Errol Stewart and Jon Kent are also in top form. Natal also have very good batting depth, with Kevin Pietersen, Baptiste and Ross Veenstra all capable of swinging the bat to great effect.

Eastern Province, who are still very much in the final mix of the SuperSport Series competition, will give Natal a good scrap though, and some intriguing action is on the cards at Kingsmead over the next four days.

If the likes of James Bryant, who has already scored four centuries this season, Dave Callaghan and Meyrick Pringle all play to their potential, Natal could have a problem and will need to call on all their resources to close the gap on Border - who have already opened their second-phase campaign - at the top of the Super Eights log.

The squads: Natal: Doug Watson, Mark Bruyns, Andrew Hudson, Dale Benkenstein (capt), Errol Stewart, Ahmed Amla, Jon Kent, Kevin Pietersen, Eldine Baptiste, Ross Veenstra, Gary Gilder.

Eastern Province: Carl Bradfield, Mark Benfield, James Bryant, Dave Callaghan, Mark Rushmere (capt), Murray Creed, Wayne Murray, Shafiek Abrahams, Meyrick Pringle, Robin Peterson, Garnett Kruger, Mfuneko Ngam.