GAUTENG found themselves staring down the barrel of their first defeat of the 1999/200 season after the second day of their four-day Supersport Series match against the Northerns Titans at Centurion Park on Friday. By the close, Gauteng were still 35 runs short of the follow-on target of 247 after the Titans had laid down the gauntlet with an imposing first innings of 396, thanks to Neil McKenzie’s 175 and Gerald Dros’ innings of 94 on Friday. After their victory over Griquas last week, the Gautengers now face the prospect of holding out for a draw. Northerns, on the other hand, will be hoping to make it two wins in a row after their 22-run trouncing of Easterns in Benoni last week.