Place in semi-finals beckons Natal

With their batsmen in red-hot form and a place in the semi-finals beckoning, Natal will be looking to dispose of Border Sunday in their Standard Bank Cup match at Kingsmead.

Even without Jonty Rhodes, who has been given the weekend off to be with his new-born daughter, and the rest of their internationals, Natal will be confident of recording a hat-trick of wins as their batsmen hit peak form and the bowlers find their consistency in the final push for the knockout stages of the competition.

Natal fans would have prayed for Border, beaten in three domestic finals in the last two years and already dead and buried in this year's limited-overs competition, to have beaten fifth-placed Eastern Province in last night's match at St George's Park, even though that will bring tomorrow's visitors to Durban a muchneeded confidence-boost.

Despite Kingsmead's historical favouritism towards the seamers, especially in the evening, canny Natal coach and long-time Derbyshire pro Phil Russell says he is seriously considering playing wrist-spinner Gulam Bodi Sunday. Although Bodi has a reputation for being loose, the much-improved control he displayed for the Natal B team means the A side selectors are sympathetic to the former Gautenger and, seeing as though Ahmed Amla is not scoring any runs, Bodi may as well fill the player of colour spot.

Natal squad: Doug Watson, Mark Bruyns, Andrew Hudson, Dale Benkenstein (capt), Errol Stewart, Jon Kent, Wade Wingfield, Eldine Baptiste, Ross Veenstra, Gulam Bodi, Gary Gilder, Kevin Pietersen, Ahmed Amla, Keith Storey.

Start of play: 11am.