Cricket: Sunny daze broken by Donald

at Worcester S Africans 287-4 and 219-6 dec Worcs 228-6 dec and 189 South Africans win by 89 runs

ALL was as tradition decrees at Worcester yesterday. On a sun- kissed day in front of the cathedral, the summer's tourists went languidly through their paces in the opening match of their English sojourn. It was played hard but not too hard and it was all pleasantly diverting.

Then, in the evening, cutting a swathe through this charming little scene, along came Allan Donald. In a sustained spell of fast, accurate and purposeful bowling on a gentle pitch, he dumbfounded Worcestershire's batsmen. He took 6 for 24 in 13 overs and when he was at last rested with thoughts in mind of the more significant battles to come, the match was all but over.

The thoughts Donald may already have placed in the collective minds of England and their followers are of the kind that hardly bear thinking about. South Africa won by 89 runs with four balls left of a match which was constantly engaging and eventually compelling.

Worcestershire had been set 279 to win in 62 overs and with pounds 11,000 at stake from the new sponsors, Vodafone (available for each match only to the counties, not to the tourists), their resolve in pursuing the target can only have been heightened. Donald, great fast bowler though he is, seemed almost nonchalant at first as Phil Weston and Vikram Solanki put him and everybody else to the sword. The South African yielded 32 runs in five overs. Early tour stuff, it was assumed. Donald would be content to have his day in the sun when matters of moment arrived.

The fall of Solanki, lbw to Hansie Cronje who had come on early to curb the runs deluge, ushered in Graeme Hick. He was circumspect at first, but after tea he cut loose. If his slaying of tourists' attacks is not as traditional as the fixture itself, it seems so. It is 10 years this month since he scored 1,000 runs in May, assisted by the small matter of 405 not out against Somerset and for a few overs he was in his pomp once more as he carved away through mid-wicket.

Could they steal a victory which, if it would not sap the South Africans' morale, would hardly raise it either? Donald re-entered the proceedings after tea. They tried to go after him at first but his short ball, even on this pitch, was up at Weston's throat before he could play his hook. Cronje took the catch running back at mid-wicket. Gavin Haynes was next, chipping hard to mid-wicket, David Leatherdale was also held there.

Hick resisted Donald but when he fell to what was a regulation catch at the wicket, a draw was all that was left for Worcestershire. Not for long. Donald had the scent of victory in his nostrils now and, if fire was not exactly coming from them and he was not quite pawing at the ground, it would have been impossible to take the ball from his hand. In rapid succession he tore through the inadequate defences of Steven Rhodes, Scott Ellis and Stuart Lampitt.

At last he came off. But Lance Klusener quickly took the ninth wicket and, though there was to be some belated last-wicket resistance, the final wicket arrived with four balls of the contest remaining. The smart catch taken by Daryll Cullinan deprived Worcestershire of pounds 2,500 for drawing the match.

Donald was, as usual, pleasantly unexcitable afterwards. He had, he said, felt awful in his first spell but then it had all come good for him. If only you could bottle what he has, you thought.

There may be several claimants to the world's best fast bowler, Ambrose, Walsh, McGrath, Wasim among them, but Donald has done it perpetually since encountering run-up difficulties in the last World Cup. With the help of videos the rhythm came back, he cut down the time of his approach to the crease. His action remains economical and his wickets come at a lower cost than anybody else around.

It could be some summer. Not that his was the only exhibition of high- calibre bowling yesterday. Phil Newport may have been less spectacular in the morning but, as the South African batsmen sought to assemble sufficient runs for a declaration in the morning, he gave them all a searching examination. The wickets of Cullinan to the inswinger and Jonty Rhodes, to the one which went the other way, were testimony to his accomplishment. There used to be, they say, a seamer like Newport in every county side. Well, there isn't any more.

Jacques Kallis completed his second half-century of the match, his 74 coming in 160 balls. He completed his education on English pitches last summer. Having already played league cricket in the Midlands, he enriched Middlesex's summer and, under Mike Gatting's expert guidance, honed his technique on English pitches. Given Gatting's status as a selector, it is to be hoped he might have thrown in a curve ball or two, so to speak. South Africa were already well prepared. They are beginning to look positively menacing.