Natal restrict Eastern Province

Natal enjoyed the benefits of winning a very good toss as their pacemen reduced Eastern Province to 239 for nine on the first day of their SuperSport Series match at Kingsmead on Friday.

And but for a very lethargic middle session and the perpetual problem of bad light cutting 15.1 overs off the day's play despite the use of floodlights, the Natal innings could have been well under way.

Natal won the toss and predictably sent Eastern Province in to bat in overcast conditions, which were exploited by their pacemen to the extent that the visitors went into lunch on 78 for four.

But the home side rather let things slide between lunch and tea, failing to push home their advantage as EP rallied to 166 for five. James Bryant, their leading batsman this season, and Murray Creed were at the forefront, each scoring half-centuries in largely untroubled fashion.

Bryant, technically perfect and an efficient despatcher of the off-side half-volley, top-scored with 62, to go with his four centuries in the competition already this season, while Creed (61) and Shafiek Abrahams (40) also came up with vital knocks for the visitors.

Ross Veenstra (three for 39) and Jon Kent (three for 58) were the main wicket-takers for Natal on a day when, by their own high standards, the home side were poor in the field. The worst lapse came from Veenstra shortly after lunch when he failed to hold on to a top-edged hook from Bryant off fellow new-ball bowler Gary Gilder. Bryant had 35 at the time, with Eastern Province on 82 for four, and dismissing the 23-year-old Maritzburg College Old Boy then could have opened the way for Natal to have bowled out the visitors very cheaply.

Veenstra kept his head up, though, and had the impressive Abrahams caught behind as EP lost four wickets for 73 runs in the final session. On a day when Natal produced plenty of poor deliveries, 28 boundaries being scored, Veenstra was the one bowler skipper Dale Benkenstein was able to rely on to keep things tight throughout, conceding just 39 runs in his 19 overs.

Kent showed just how effective he can be with the ball when he puts his mind to it, sending Dave Callaghan (2), the dangerous Creed and Wayne Murray (6) packing, having previously never taken more than one wicket in a first-class innings.

In the light of Lance Klusener's heroics in Port Elizabeth, it was hardly a memorable day's cricket at Kingsmead on Friday, but Natal will want to wrap up the EP innings quickly on Saturday morning and then produce a big batting effort to put themselves in line for a win that could return them to the top of the Super Eights log.