CENTURION (South Africa) - Peter Kirsten knows more than most about the gambles involved and the efforts needed to win titles or reach a final. He travelled down this road often enough in his playing days, which is why he sets realistic targets.

It is his experience which tells him that should Northerns collect 36 points from their next two SuperSport series matches they have a chance of heading off the efforts by Eastern Province and Western Province to reach the A Section final now barely three weeks away.

What it comes down to in the Northerns batsmen putting together as many batting points in two games as they have managed to collect in the previous six games, which throws the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the batsmen for the games against Natal and Free State, both home matches. It means Northerns need to shrug off the inferiority complex of earlier this season and score 300 plus totals in their first innings.

It means, no doubt, the pitch is going to help the batsmen and not the bowler, and Hilbert Smit and his groundstaff will be preparing a surface where the bowlers have to work thatt little much harder for their rewards. After all, it can be done. Quentin Ferreira heads the A Section bowling averages after his efforts against Griqualand West last month and Steve Elworthy knocked over five in the second innings on the sort of pitch to make any member of the flat earthy society smile with pride.

Apart from confirming Mark Davis resuming the captaincy role, Kirsten feels that Gerald Dros, who took over the position in early November, needs to relax a little more and make a few runs to boost Northerns^Ò bonus points tally.

Davis also collected five wickets in the game against Griquas in Kimberley five weeks ago and has been steady and competitive.

``It's going to a be a tougher job that I would have liked,'' Kirsten said yesterday. ``But I feel we have the players capable of pulling it off. It is not going be easy, either and they are going to have to work for their runs.''

Which indicates the Titans coach is hoping the hard work being put in at the nets is going to result in the sort of success Northerns need to overcome the disappointing start to the A Section season when they collected only two batting points in the opening three matches.

``They have some catching up to do in the two matches, but I am confident and remain positive,'' he said.

He also pointed out that from the position they have risen since beating Province at Newlands for a historic first time, even finishing in the top three ``is a bonus''. He has, however, not discarded putting together the points needed to beat off challenges from Gauteng, Province and Eastern Province. It will give them 95 log points and the question is whether it is going to be enough.

Apart from Martin van Jaarsveld and Mike Rindel, who are well-placed in the batting averages, the possiblity of opening the innings with Quentin Still and Deon Jordaan is a fairly straight-forward choice for the game against Natal.

``I shall be working on the batsmen over the next couple of days and I feel that given the right preparation it might do the job needed,'' Kirsten added.

Northerns Squad: Deon Jordaan, Quentin Still, Gerald Dros, Martin van Jaarsveld, Mike Rindel, Dirkie de Vos, Grant Morgan, Mark Davis (capt), Quentin Ferreira, Greg Smith, David Townsend.