It may have been wishful thinking on behalf of those running the show at Willowmoore Park in Benoni but Greg Smith was hard at work in the nets at Centurion yesterday despite rumours the Northerns left-arm fast bowler was "carrying an injury". Faster, leaner and more aggressive than he has been in the last five years, Smith is waging a battle to earn a place in either the South African test side or the A team this season and possibly a place in the team to tour India later in the summer. And despite suggestions to the contrary Smith's form in the first three SuperSport Series matches is going to be closely monitored by Rushdie Majiet and the rest of the national selectors.

The season opens tomorrow with Northerns facing neighbours Easterns in Benoni. What with Allan Donald's fitness in doubt until later next month, uncertainty about David Terbrugge's ankle standing up to the hard work demanded of a bowler of his type, the fast bowling ranks are slightly depleted in terms of class at this early stage of the season. With the opening Test of a long summer barely a month away and selection being made somewhere around October 22 or 23, Smith, with his left-arm variety could be an important factor when Majiet and Co decide on who they want in the side for the two Tests against Zimbabwe. This of course will come after the six selectors have consulted the national captain, Hansie Cronje and new coach Graham Ford. Steve Elworthy is another Northerns fast bowler likely to attract the attention of the selectors as a Test candidate as Ford indicated the tall seam and swing bowler had impressed all by his work rate at the nets during the LG Cup tournament in Nairobi.

For Easterns their biggest worry is whether Phil Simons, their West Indies signing is going to be able to play in the opening A Section match of the season at Willowmoore Park. While Ray Jennings, the Easterns coach was looking for a heavy roller to squeeze as much juice as possible out of a green looking pitch, Simons was in London organising his flight to South Africa. He arrives today but the decision on whether he will play is still tied up in red tape and government departments. The Easterns squad has a Northerns "old boys" look about it with as many as five former Northerns players in their ranks. Not surprising, or is it, but Ivan Pistorius is not in the provisional line up announced yesterday.

Easterns: Deon Jordaan, Phil Hearle, Hoosain Mannack, Shakeel Ahmed, Anthony Pollock, Pierre de Bruyn, Anthony Botha, Dennis Smith, Andre Nel, Albie Morkel, Aldo van den Berg.