GLEN Hewitt’s undefeated 107 has seen him at the crease for 181 balls in which he has hit 19 fours – and upset a Natal team intent on making the most of their obvious advantage. Natal declared (504/3) at lunchtime on Friday after Doug Watson’s finest hour to date ended at 220, an innings of more than seven hours struck off 352 deliveries with 31 fours and a six. That nipped in the bud a third-wicket stand of 56 with Dale Benkenstein, and the captain added 66 in the company of Errol Stewart and scored an unbeaten 54 himself before calling off the hounds. North West’s reply began shakily as they dwindled to 42-3. But Arno Jacobs and Hewitt kept their heads to share 96 for the fourth wicket, an innings-saving partnership if ever there was one. The fiesty Mark Lavine then helped Hewitt add 56 for the sixth, and Ezra Poole is well enough equipped to continue in similar vein on Saturday. However, whether North West have the batsmen – other than Hewitt – to seriously challenge Natal’s total is, to put it kindly, debatable.