THE banging and flying sparks emanating from the building site which currently occupies the Radcliffe Road end provided an appropriate accompaniment to the South Africans' batting, especially a violent innings from Shaun Pollock, in a 22-run victory over Nottinghamshire.

The din of drills, jack-hammers and power-saws is dictated by the need to complete a £7.2 million cricket centre at Trent Bridge for the fourth Test on July 23 and Pollock's mood was just as urgent as he blazed 87 off 59 balls to thrust South Africa to 284 for six yesterday.

The tourists, put in on a well-behaved pitch, hit 11 sixes with Pollock responsible for five of them and four fours in a fifth-wicket stand worth 109 in 15 overs with Brian McMillan to galvanise an innings slowed down by the grudging medium pace of Mathew Dowman.

Adam Bacher's early aggression ended with a miscued drive at Dowman's second delivery and Gerhardus Liebenberg and Hansie Cronje perished cheaply but Jacques Kallis's seventh half-century in 11 innings on this tour raised the tempo until he lunged at a flighted ball from Jimmy Hindson.

Pollock got going with a straight six off Hindson, moved up a gear with another off Usman Afzaal and engaged the turbo with three off Kevin Evans, after McMillan, whose 62 required 80 balls, wafted round a straight one from the persevering Paul Franks. Pollock fell in the last over.

Notts' ambitions soon dimmed as Dowman misread Pat Symcox's line and Guy Welton's off-stump was plucked out by Pollock with only 21 on the board.

Tim Robinson and Afzaal grafted out half-centuries in a stand of 129 in 25 overs but the canny Symcox lured both into misjudged drives. Paul Pollard, who made an unbeaten 56 off 50 balls, could find nobody to keep him company for a late challenge.