Natal boosted by the return of Jonty Rhodes

The Natal cricket team have been boosted ahead of their crunch Standard Bank Cup match against Gauteng at Kingsmead on Friday by the return of Jonty Rhodes, who was not available for last weekend's crucial game against Border, which the Dolphins lost.

Rhodes will strengthen a batting line-up which failed to do the job against Border, much to the disappointment of coach Phil Russell, who has been used to the rock-solid batsmen saving the side.

Rhodes replaces skipper Dale Benkenstein (who was one of the main culprits against Border, lofting his second delivery to mid-off), who is bound for India to play for South Africa in the limitedovers series.

The 12-man squad to meet Gauteng is otherwise the same, with Russell and stand-in captain Eldine Baptiste just needing to sit down on Friday and decide whether to play a second spinner (Kevin Pietersen) or maintain the pace duo of Ross Veenstra, Gary Gilder and Wade Wingfield. "I thought the bowlers did very well against Border, what with the wet ball," Russell said. "It was a game we should have won, but we needed someone to bat through.

"Having said that, Jon Kent batted brilliantly, but the rest of the top and middle-order didn't bat round him."

Russell has plenty of respect for a Gauteng outfit that is beginning to show signs of dominating local cricket like the great Transvaal sides of the recent past - the SuperSport Series champions having won seven day/night games on the trot and nine in all competitions.

"They're amazing," Russell said on Tuesday. "It doesn't seem to matter who they're missing, they keep winning.

"I'm happy Derek Crookes (also India bound) won't be playing against us, but even without Ken Rutherford, Kenny Benjamin and David Terbrugge, they've kept coming up trumps."

The final round-robin Standard Bank Cup fixtures this week are (home teams first) - Boland v WP, Easterns v Gauteng and Griquas v EP (all on Wednesday); on Friday, Free State v EP, Natal v Gauteng and Northerns v Griquas; and, finally, on Sunday, EP v Natal, North-West v Border, WP v Griquas.

The latest points positions are: Gauteng 30 (8), Easterns 30 (9), Boland 27 (9), Natal 22 (8), Northerns 20 (9), EP 19 (7), Free State 16 (9), Border 12 (8), WP 11 (7), Griquas 10 (7), North- West 8 (9).

Natal squad: Doug Watson, Mark Bruyns, Jon Kent, Andrew Hudson, Jonty Rhodes, Errol Stewart, Wade Wingfield, Eldine Baptiste (capt), Ross Veenstra, Gulam Bodi, Gary Gilder, Kevin Pietersen.