With no one prepared to put their hand to solve Northerns top-order batting proble, coach Peter Kiersten has sought a remedy which might just work as Mike Rindel suddenly finds himself promoted to three in the batting order.
It also makes a lot of sense as Rindel, long regarded as the most consistent opener in the limited-overs bash finds himsel part of a restructured policy for the SuperSport Series match against Boland in Paarl starting on Friday.
The right and left hand baitting combinations are difficult to handle with the bowlers having to rethinkg their bowling strategies and with both Deon Onjordaan and Rindel in the top three, Kirsten is no doubt hoping that the change in the batting formul might do the trick at A Section level. Because of this the elegance of Roy Pienaar has been overlooked for the four day game.
He seemed to be in trouble against Vasbert Drakes and with the form the way it is, although he scored a fine half century against Eastern Province, Pienaar, like Mark Davis, may be looked on as part of limited-overs scenario.
Although Jordaan for Pienaar is the only change to the Northens side which lost so heavily to Border at Centurion on Monday morning, Kirsten is looking for a larger imput from the batsman with Rindel playing one of the key roles in the order at three.
Some may regard it as a gamble, but it is one which is worth the risk as Rindle has played some find innings in the top top four and hiding him away at five or six is not helping his image at all. Rindel had a bad four-day patch last season; the view now is that give him a new challenge and there is a good chance he will find the sort of strokeplay which has seen him rattle off some quality centuries.
During the Border match he became the first Northerns batsman to score 5,000 for the province in a first-class career and that requires a lot of leg-work.
Northerns are prepared to go into the game on a low, slow Boland surface with only two spinners; Jordaan and Dirkie de Vos which means that Quentin Still, who may have been considered, finds himself back in the B side for the three-day UCB Bowl Division 1 outing against North West at Centurion.
Mark Davis takes over the captaincy and the outing gives him a chance to strike some batting form and perhaps find himself in contention for the Titans squad. Northerns B have marshalled a competitive side with Rudi Bryson in the side and Qentin Ferreira, missing becasue of a groin injury, fit again and part of what is the third new-ball attack in as many games.
With Pierre Joubert on the injured list Victor Faul retains his place in the side while Johan Myburg, sitting an early exam on Friday, is back and joins his schoolboy teammate Jacques Rudolph.
Teams
Northerns (to play Boland): Rudolf Steyn, Deon Jordaan, Mike Rindel, Martin van Jaarsveld, Gerald Dros (capt), Dirkie de Vos, Steve Elworthy, Pierre de Bruyn, Grant Morgan, Greg Smith, David Townsend; (twelfth man to be announced).
Northerns B (to play North West): Johan Myburgh, Quentin Still, Gift Pedi, Dennis Smith, Mark Davis (capt), Jacques Rudolph, Aldin Smith, Quentin Ferreira, Rudi Bryson, Aldin Smith, Victor Faul, Nqaba Matoti. Twelfth man: Anthony Pollock