Kirsten prepares for second Boland clash

While the outing has been transferred to Centurion and the Titans were given some of the day off yesterday, all-rounder Quentin Still today finds himself in the squad for the replay of the abandoned match in Paarl 10 days ago.

His inclusion does not quite come as a surprise as he could have played in the first SuperSport Series match in Port Elizabeth. At least with his orthodox left-arm finger spin he will add some variety to the attack, and he has as lo shown some promise with his batting as well.

``Our batting is starting to show positive signs and they are building totals, which is what is needed to remain competitive,'' Kirsten said last night.

Kirsten, not the sort to allow irritations such as a replay gains Boland upset the team rebuilding process, felt Northerns had been in with a chance of beating Gauteng in the A Section game on Sunday. Only the rain at a crucial stage of the innings disrupted the plan.

``We lost 10 overs and that made it so much harder for the batsmen to get in with it from where they left off,'' he said.

It is a fair comment as the rain after tea was long enough to wipe out 10 overs and disrupt the fluency of the opening partnership between Mike Rindel and Rudolf Steyn.

But Kirsten shrugged the events of the Gauteng game aside and is now focusing on the replay against Boland. It is a key game in that in Paarl Northerns were well placed to win the match. And the question needs to be asked whether Steve Elworthy and Greg Smith did not suffer as a result of not being able to bowl.

While others were showing off their form to Peter Pollock and the rest of the national selectors, the Northerns pairing had little else to do but put their back into a couple of net practices.

Now Smith, and Martin van Jaarsveld, get a chance to bid for a place in the South African A side to play the West Indians in a four-day game Pietermaritzburg next month. With Sven Koenig already guaranteed one place as an opening batsman, and no doubt Gerhardus Liebenberg the second, van Jaarsveld should find himself in a middle-order spot.

As for Smith, his bowling against Gauteng, should see him back in the A Side along with Herman Bakkes and Gary Gilder.

The side for that game is likely to be announced in Port Elizabeth after or during the second test against the West Indies.