Natal cricket's efforts to bolster their squad for next season have already borne fruit with one player almost certain to join the province from Gauteng and another overseas professional mulling over an offer.

Twenty-year-old Goolam Bodi, a left-arm chinaman spinner in the mould of Paul Adams and part of the Plascon Academy intake for the last two years, looks certain to join the Dolphins.

Bodi, a leading member of South Africa's U19 World Cup squad last year, has battled to break into the Gauteng senior team ahead of experienced spinners Clive Eksteen and Derek Crookes, but should have a role to play in a Natal side needing a wicket-taking spinner.

KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU) chief executive Cassim Docrat said yesterday that ``Goolam Bodi is just about a certainty to play for us next season.

``He is a very talented youngster and the Gauteng Cricket Board have no objection to him moving to us for next season.''

Apart from being unusual in that he is a left-arm chinaman bowler, Bodi has the added advantage of being a genuine turner of the ball, and his presence will also give Natal more options when they are forced to choose players of colour for the senior side.

Although questions have been raised over Bodi's temperament, Docrat believes a move to Natal could do the Indian-born cricketer a world of good and the KZNCU are just waiting for him to sign a contract.

Bodi could be joined in the Natal team by another overseas-born player of colour - the well-travelled Eldine Baptiste, Eastern Province's highly-reliable West Indian professional for the last eight seasons.

The 39-year-old seamer and very capable lower-order batsman has been a key member of the Port Elizabeth team for some time, but whether his Eastern Province contract is renewed remains to be seen.

Age is not on his side, but Docrat said ``We could do with his experience, especially when we lose all our senior players to national call-ups. We have offered him a two-year contract because he could contribute on the playing side, but also help in moulding our youngsters and get involved in the coaching.''

Although no longer a strike bowler, Baptiste's nagging accuracy has been a vital component in the strong Eastern Province attack, and his ability to build up pressure would be very useful to a Natal bowling line-up that battled with the basics of line and length in the recent campaign.

Unfortunately, Baptiste was meant to get back to Natal by the end of last week but there has been no progress on his possible move. ``The ball is in his court, we offered him a two-year contract, but I think Eastern Province might have decided to renew his contract after all,'' Docrat said. Docrat confirmed that all Natal's contracted players for 1998/99 have agreed to re-sign.