Date-stamped : 26 Jul94 - 18:27 South Africa in full bloom Lord's Test De Villiers' dynamism highlights extensive gap between the two countries in first meeting since 1965. England disintegrate to- wards painful defeat by Scyld Berry In keeping with their new emblem the protea, South African crick- et has burst into bloom over the last three days, and so agree- able is this new flower that not for a long time has the world of Test cricket seen such a joyful sight. These new South Africans have been like prodigal sons who have decided at last to come home and go straight. For a paternal crowd it has been even more heartening to see their development than it has been dishearten- ing to watch England's latest stumble, which will surely lead to their fall by Monday evening. By the close last night the South Africans had built a lead of 372 with them finishing at 195 for four in their second innings. In spite of this success, their game-plan executed with astonishing efficiency and enthusiasm cannot be considered complete before it finds some place for spin bowling. But after the surge forward they have made here - not to mention in their homeland - the neutral observer can endorse the South African belief, that, given all their resources they will become the premier cricket power at some time in the 21st centu- ry. There remains a certain inhibition in the tourists' batting - yesterday they were not able to increase their first innings lead of 177 by as much as three runs an over - but again what is im- portant is that they are moving in the right direction. The well- documented Afrikaner virtues of discipline and togetherness have made a sturdy platform. Above all, perhaps, it has been the sheer energy of South African cricket which has impressed England most, such as when Gary Kirsten brought off a run-out which was perfection of its kind, but obvious too on many other occasions, as in every ball that Fanie de Villiers has bowled. Since the opening day of this first Cornhill Test, England's cricketers have not begun to match that dynamism, and it has showed, pain- fully, so that their performance here has been their most discouraging since the Trinidad 46 debacle. No doubt several members of this South African party will now be sought by English counties for next summer, at least as short-term replacements for West Indian tourists. Here in may lie the biggest threat to South Africa's growth: the exhaustion of their top players by constant cricket, so that they become no more zealous than England's. But for the moment, the vigorious motivation of these returnees threatens to sweep England aside this summer. In their respective first innings, the visitors also bowled far more intelligently to a fuller length. England's seamers yesterday made some amends and kept the break on South Africa's second innings, along with Graeme Hick, but by then the Springbok had bolted. So long as they do not delay their declaration too long today, they need not bat beyond lunchtime. The visiting seamers have only to keep landing the ball in the right place, enthusiastically. As the pitch dries further in the prevailing heat, speeds up and cracks, Allan Donald can be relied on to add to his five wickets, and he wears the paint of someone on the warpath. His opening partner, as one so new to Lord's and the slope, has adapted remarkably to use the crease for his outswingers. De Villiers was not even needed yesterday, since England's last three wickets were rounded up for 39 more runs in as many minutes. Setting off like a train, Phillip DeFreitas knocked up 20 off 10 balls to avert a follow-on which would not have been enforced in any event, only to find there was no one to man the signals. Darren Gough slashed away at Donald, who gave his utmost to the Yorkshire tailender before having him caught and bowled. Horizontal on the ground, Donald threw the ball up high with startling athleticism, but it was eclipsed by Gary Kirsten shortly afterwards. Running from short leg to deep mid-on, Kirsten picked up and threw down the bowler's stumps as Angus Fraser went for a third. He had only a preparato- ry look-round a few strides before picking up to guide him. DeFreitas was demoted from the new ball when South Africa began to increase their lead, perhaps as punishment for the wayward spell on Friday morning when Craig Matthews sliced and slashed him and the game went away from England. Instead, Fraser took it and bowled his best, trapping Andrew Hudson with one keeping low and sending the danger sign that England's toughest times today and tomorrow will be against the new ball because whatever it does, it does at greater speed. England continue to ignore left- handed batsmen to their cost, now they are treating Graham Thorpe like David Gower whereas South Africa's two have been their bulwark. Gary Kirsten put the impetus into South Africa's first innings and their second with his square cutting and cover driv- ing, until England switched to bowling into, not across him. He scraped four runs in the space of 13 overs, drove two boundaries off Hick and then gave Steve Rhodes his first Test stumping. Scoring became slow once Hansie Cronje had gone after his hand- some front-foot driving shot. This was largely thanks to Hick, who put unwonted body into his action. Kepler Wessels's left- handedness blunted Ian Salisbury - his decision might have been unlucky and all England could do was hold their line. Not the way Graham Gooch would have chosen to spend his 41st birthday. When Hick tired he gave way to the faster bowlers and Peter Kirsten and Jonty Rhodes put together a partnership which took South Africa's lead past 350. Everything had seemed to be in place for an England recovery, yet, as with the economy it never actually comes. England's record of three wins in their last 16 Tests at Lord's - two of them over Sri Lanka - is not going to improve, nourishing the belief in a jinx over England at Lord's. Over the years, it can be said, most English batsmen have performed less well at Lord's than in Tests elsewhere. The exceptions have been Denis Compton, as one might have expected, Tom Graveney, Kent's pair of Frank Woolley and Les Ames and Gooch together with two born overseas, Allan Lamb and Robin Smith. Numerous visiting batsmen, on the other hand, have enjoyed themselves mightily, especially Australians like Allan Border, average 100, and West Indians like Sir Garfield Sobers (95). Overseas bowlers would ap- pear to need longer to adjust to the slope which makes De Vil- liers so outstanding (Donald has often played here). The fact is that while England's record here since 1984 has been lamentable, it has been the same on most Test grounds. They have not won at Old Trafford since 1981 and Headingley has been perceived as al- most as much of a hoodoo ground as Lord's. It would be convenient to blame headquarters for England's latest disintegration, but erroneous. (Extracted from a Sunday Telegraph article) Contributed by Vicky (VIGNESWA@*umass.edu)