MICHAEL FINCH, Wanderers | Thursday 8.30pm.
By Michael Finch ALLAN Donald wrecked England with one of his finest fast bowling performances to put South Africa on top on the opening day of the first test at the Wanderers on Thursday.
Donald captured six for 53, the third best figures of his test career, and fellow paceman Shaun Pollock took four for 16 as England were shot out for 122. South Africa were 64 for one in reply when bad light stopped play 16 overs before the scheduled close.
Donald, who had to pass a fitness test on a side strain on Tuesday, broke the back of England’s innings by seizing three wickets in 11 deliveries in a dramatic start to the five-test series.
With Pollock offering potent support after the touring team had been put in on a damp pitch, the first four wickets crashed for two runs — England’s worst start in test history. Donald began his destruction when he bowled Michael Atherton with the last ball of his first over with a delivery that simply beat the former England captain for pace.
The first round of the duel between Donald and Atherton, which had been a compelling feature of the previous test series between the two teams in England in 1998, had been conclusively won by the South African. An over later, Pollock had England captain Nasser Hussain caught in the gully by Lance Klusener for a duck.
When Donald had Mark Butcher caught behind and Alec Stewart trapped lbw with successive balls, England looked in danger of failing to pass their worst test total of 45 compiled 113 years ago against Australia. Donald’s initial burst had rewarded him with three wickets without conceeding a run in two overs, while Pollock had picked up one for one in two overs. After the initial onslaught, Chris Adams and fellow debutant Michael Vaughan put on 32 for the fifth wicket.
Adams then became Donald’s fourth wicket, gloving down a legside catch to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. It was a sixth wicket stand of 56 betweeen Vaughan and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff which enabled England to reach three figures. Vaughan showed a good technique and fluent strokes in his 33 while the burly Flintoff struck the ball with characteristic power as he made 38 off 48 balls. However, any hopes of an extended English revival after rain delayed the start of the second session were ended when Vaughan fell to Pollock two overs after the restart.
Pollock then wrapped up the innings with Donald, who beat his previous best against England of six for 88. South Africa made a tentative start to their reply, putting on 37 for the first wicket before Gary Kirsten was trapped lbw by Alan Mullally for 13. By the enforced early close, opener Herschelle Gibbs, with 28 not out, and Jacques Kallis had put the innings on a firmer footing. — Reuters
Scoreboard
England first innings
M. Butcher c Boucher b Donald 1
M. Atherton b Donald 0
N. Hussain c Klusener b Pollock 0
M. Vaughan c Bacher b Pollock 33
A. Stewart lbw b Donald 0
C. Adams c Boucher b Donald 16
A. Flintoff c Boucher b Pollock 38
G. Hamilton c Pollock b Donald 0
A. Caddick c Boucher b Donald 4
D. Gough not out 15
A. Mullally lbw b Pollock 10
Extras (lb-3 w-2) 5
Total 122
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-1 3-2 4-2 5-34 6-90 7-91 8-91 9-103
Bowling: Donald 15-3-53-6 (2w), Pollock 14.1-6-16-4, Cronje 5-2-15-0, Klusener 6-0-30-0, Adams 1-0-5-0.