Cricket: Donald heralds Zimbabwe's downfall
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Zimbabwe 102 & 141 South Africa 462-9 dec South Africa win by innings & 219 runs
SOUTH AFRICA warmed up for the tour of England in ominous style by inflicting on Zimbabwe their worst Test defeat. One of the most one- sided Test matches ended in Harare with South Africa winning by an innings and 219 runs.
After bowling Zimbabwe out for 102 in their first innings, South Africa replied with 462 for 9, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher making centuries, and then they repeated the feat by dispatching Zimbabwe a second time for 141.
It was South Africa's biggest victory, beating by 11 runs their innings and 208-run defeat of Sri Lanka in Colombo six years ago.
It was Zimbabwe's worst defeat since they became a Test nation in 1992 - also at Colombo - and it was their first defeat by an innings at home. Their first innings 102 was also the lowest total they have yet recorded.
South Africa, having won the first of this home-and-away Test series in Bloemfontein, again by an innings margin, took the series 2-0.
The day began with South Africa declaring on 462 for 9 overnight, leaving Zimbabwe a near impossible 360 runs to force them into batting again. It took two balls to shatter the most imaginative optimism. With his second ball of the day, Allan Donald uprooted Grant Flower's leg stump.
None of the other top order Zimbabwe batsmen offered any real resistance after that and although Alistair Campbell and Gavin Rennie lower down showed some defiance, it all added up to another in a succession of batting collapses.
Shaun Pollock took his wickets haul from the match to seven but South Africa will be more pleased to see a return to form by Allan Donald ahead of their forthcoming challenge against England.
(Fourth day; South Africa won toss)
ZIMBABWE - First Innings 102
SOUTH AFRICA - First Innings 462 for 9 dec at overnight total (J H Kallis 115, W J Cronje 58, M V Boucher 125, S M Pollock 61).
ZIMBABWE - Second Innings
G W Flower b Donald 0
T R Gripper c Kallis b Cronje 18
M W Goodwin lbw b Pollock 7
N C Johnson c Boucher b Klusener 9
*A Flower b Donald 14
A D R Campbell c Rhodes b Adams 25
G J Rennie c Donald b Adams 34
G J Whittall c Dippenaar b Pollock 17
B C Strang lbw b Pollock 0
H K Olonga not out 4
M Mbangwa lbw b Adams 3
Extras (4lb 2w 4nb) 10
Total (50.5 overs) 141
Fall: 1-0 2-17 3-33 4-37 5-73 6-83 7-128 8-128 9-132.
Bowling: Donald 9-2-25-2; Pollock 16-9-23-3; Klusener 9-1-29-1; Cronje 6-1-20-1; Adams 10.5-0-40-3.
Umpires: R B Tiffin (Zim) and D B Hair (Aus).
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