Northerns give Easterns a grilling

Benoni - Peter Kirsten agreed that 18 points would have looked better on the log than 17 but the Northerns coach is not one to quibble about a log point after such a comprehensive victory at Willowmoore Park on Saturday. It was just the start to the SuperSport Series season Kirsten had wanted as Easterns were given a harsh lesson in the realities of competing in the A Section for the first time. And the 222-runs margin which Northerns beat their neighbours was about as good as you are going to get at this level when the opposition was so out-classed that there is some argument to worry about the 11-team format.

Sure it may be early days and Easterns may improve, but it requires a major facelift in their overall performance if they are to escape similar harsh treatment in their remaining A Pool games. Perhaps their West Indies connection, all-rounder Phil Simmons, will add the extra dimension needed to lift their bruised egos after their at times temperamental and emotional outbursts, which it should be noted came from several of the former Northerns players. About the only frown Kirsten was wearing yesterday concerned how the side missed scoring a fourth batting point. It is a subject close to his batsman?s heart as well as his coaching strategy.

``It was a great win, and a win is what counts. It was a great team effort,'' he said. ``The top six batted well and all scored half centuries. What I was not happy with was that no one went on to score that big hundred which makes the difference in scoring the extra batting point. I know they can do better. It was the first game of the season so we should consider that as well, but they also need to make maximum use of their potential,'' he said. Which means they should be exercise a little more of the batting flair although there were problems when the left-arm spinners, Ant Botha and Ralph Coetzee were bowling wide of the leg-stump. Botha gave away 23 no balls in the Northerns first innings of 352 for eight declared, and how a spinner can be called so often for a foot fault infringement should be a matter of concern to the Easterns coach, Ray Jennings.

A careful analysis of Northerns decision to bat a second time and for a further 10 minutes after lunch on Saturday proved to be the right one. The bowling attack came back fresh and fast as well and despite some solid rearguard batting from Deon Jordaan, the Easterns captain, waiting for the end to the second innings was more of a question of whether they had the ability the stretch the match into the fourth day. Any side whose openers have been twice ripped out without contributing to the total places them at a decided disadvantage: Philip Hearle, in particular, has an unhappy A Section record. Six innings without a run to his name is not the sort of item to include on a CV when looking for another province.

With Easterns at a serious psychological disadvantage at the start of both innings and chasing a victory target of 403 was always going to be tough act to match. Jordaan did what he could to patch together a creditable response but the rest were largely out of their depth. Greg Smith was awarded the man of the match and Johan Myburgh, on his A Section debut, earned the recruit of the match prize.