Standard Bank League: Natal/Northerns preview (9 February 1999)

9 February 1999

Standard Bank League: Natal/Northerns preview

Ken Borland

The Natal cricket team are yet to win a day/night league match at Kingsmead this season but it is essential they do so on Wednesday night, against Northerns in their final round-robin fixture, if they are to have any hope of qualifying automatically for the Standard Bank Cup.

It will be a mammoth task against the already-crowned champions for a Natal team short of confidence and with many fresh faces, but caretaker coach Ian Tayfield will be hoping his youngsters can rise to the occasion in the big league.

If Natal win Wednesday night they would finish on 11 points, which would leave them on the fringes of the top five on the final log, depending on other results in Wednesday's final round of fixtures. The top five automatically go through to the quarter-finals of the Standard Bank Cup, with teams six to 11 then playing off for the last three berths.

Tayfield said he was looking for a more positive approach after the humbling loss to Western Province on January 31, with particular emphasis on doing better at the start of the innings. Doug Watson has been one of the form openers in the competition this season, but when the bowling is not catering to his strength on the leg-side he can get bogged down and needs to look to push the singles more.

A better platform from the experienced top four of Watson, Andrew Hudson, Errol Stewart and Mark Bruyns will allow the juniors - Jon Kent, Wade Wingfield and Grant Rowley - more freedom to play their own games. Kent and Wingfield have already batted with aplomb on occasion this season and have shown they will be part of Natal's long-term limited-overs plans.

Natal will also need to improve on their showing in the field against Western Province, where lacklustre fielding and some poor bowling at the death played a major role in the Dolphins chasing more than they should of. Gary Gilder's second spell was pretty senseless stuff and another poor display from the left-arm quickie could bring the curtain down on his season.

Northerns will rely on a quick start from Mike Rindel and Roy Pienaar, both middle-order batsmen whose fortunes have risen since being promoted to openers, while Rudolf Steyn, Martin van Jaarsveld and Dirkie de Vos have all made some match-winning contributions with the bat.

Northerns are, of course, without their paceman Steve Elworthy, who left for New Zealand on Tuesday with the Natal members of the national squad - Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Dale Benkenstein.

In Wednesday's other matches, Natal will be hoping Western Province beat Border in East London, Easterns upset hosts Eastern Province and Free State triumph over their visitors, Griqualand West.

That may well be asking for too much, but one can only hope Natal fulfil their side of the equation and do not produce another home capitulation.

Natal team: Doug Watson, Andrew Hudson, Errol Stewart (capt), Mark Bruyns, Jon Kent, Wade Wingfield, Grant Rowley, Kevin Pieterson, Keith Storey, Gary Gilder, Jannie Dreyer, Anthony Botha.

TV: CSN 4pm.

P W L T NR Pts RR Northerns 9 7 1 0 1 15 0.44 Gauteng 10 6 3 0 1 13 0.49 Western Province 9 5 3 0 1 11 0.47 North West 10 4 3 1 2 11 0.05 Border 9 4 3 0 2 10 0.61 Eastern Province 9 5 4 0 0 10 0.53 Griqualand West 9 5 4 0 0 10 0.03 Natal 9 4 4 0 1 9 0.03 Free State 9 2 4 0 3 7 -0.63 Easterns 9 1 7 0 1 3 -1.33 Boland 10 1 8 1 0 2 -0.82

Boland had 1 point deducted for an unsatisfactory pitch.

Source :: Ken Borland