Peter Kirtsen on Titans success (2 February 1999)

2 February 1999

Peter Kirtsen on Titans success

Trevor Chesterfield

In an era when results are considered more important than team effort, trophies and the money they earn become the guidelines for future success.

A touch of rough justice perhaps, but as Peter Kirsten, Northerns new coach said the start of the season, it is all about winning trophies. Little wonder the former test player and veteran of the many successful sides sees Mark Davis as the best Northerns have had.

Two trophies in three seasons and leading a team which has won R120 000 in the limited-overs programme this summer, and a possible R10 000 extra next week, should they beat Natal at Kingsmead in Durban next week.

There is more to it than the money angle. Talk to Davis, the coach and the players, and watch them during their training sessions and you discover there is far more behind the success of the Titans than the upfront view the spectators have when the side walks on to the field.

It has not been an easy one for Davis either who gets to lead the one-day side but relinquished his duties as the A Team captain to Gerald Dros early in the summer. Davis has since been brought back as an all-rounder and had a measure of success in Kimberley last month where they beat Griqualand West. It was a victory which pushed them to second place on the A Section log.

Kirsten and Davis, however, say there is much more to winning this summer's Standard Bank League campagin than the legacy of the past three seasons. Months of hard slog and teamwork have gone into the success story. "The players must take the credit for what has gone on," Kirsten said.

"Davis has a fine record: 28 wins out of 33 games. There are not too many captains in South Africa with that sort of record.

"As it is the margin of error limited-overs match leaves so little room in which a captain can gamble.

"That he has won two trophies for Northerns has been overlooked by just about everyone. And there are still the knock out cup event to come," Kirsten said.

Yet when Kirsten talks about team work it is more than the Titans playing together in their efforts to win yet another game. It is the time spent working at their game to become better players which have had the desired results; deserving of the sort of recognition which the Northerns public have largely ignored.

The success of the side can, however, be traced to an incredible evening's batting performance in early October. Roy Pienaar and Mike Rindel scored a century apiece against Free State and enabled the duo to post a South African domestic record first wicket partnership of 240.

"I think we can trace a lot of our success this season to that incredible effort," Kisten said.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield, Pretoria News