Northerns need to replace Rindel/Elworthy

One of the immediate problems facing Peter Kirsten and Northerns captain Mark Davis is the reshaping of the side for two limited-overs games next week in the absence of Mike Rindel and Steve Elworthy.

While the South Africa selectors pulled a surprise on Monday when they named both in the quad of 17 for the one-day series against the West Indies and starting on Friday, Kirsten and Co are likely to make known the replacements later today when the squad has a middle net practice at L C de Villiers.

Pierre Joubert, injured for much of the latter part of November and December, has come back quite strong and bowled with some success to the South African test squad at SuperSport Centurion last Thursday. At least it gave him a solid workout.

As his batting skills are also improving, chances are he will fill in for Elworthy for Standard Bank League games against Gauteng at the Wanderers on Friday week and Griqualand West at Centurion Park two days later on January 31.

Just who is likely to take over from Rindel is another matter. Perhaps Nico Martin may get a look in, especially as the promising Johan Myburgh is on tour of Pakistan with the South African under/19 side. There are other candidates and with Rudolf Steyn back from the injury which kept him out of the A Section match against Griqualand West at Kimberley last weekend where Northerns won and increased their chances of playing Border in the four-day final in early March.

Kirsten and Davis look on the two matches at the end of the month as most important for the make up of the final charge for the League Trophy title.

While it is all about finding the right balance for both games a win over Gauteng will just about sew up the crown for the second time in three seasons. And with Rindel and Elworthy missing it should also be a test of the team's depth of strength with a squad of 13 or 14 being named today as part of the training focus.

``We have to back ourselves and our instincts on this one,'' Davis said yesterday while Kirsten felt both matches were part of a larger scenario which included home A Section games against Free State and Natal and a place in the final.

As Kepler Wessels said, Northerns are so close to reaching two finals and taking at least one of the three trophies on offer that ``you have to admire how they have come back with a new coach in charge. It was a compliment with a sneaking hint of envy.