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Day1: Donald breathes fire and brimstone as England labour

Cape Town - No one can accuse Allan Donald of shirking his responsibilities in South Africa's time of need and, in the first Test of the new century yesterday, he breathed enough fire and brimstone to singe more than just the Newlands pitch.

It was the Donald South Africa know best: fiery, fast and furious as England's plans were blasted apart after lunch. In an extended day's play it was Donald 4, England 0 on day one of the fourth Test as the tourists reached 215 for five.

Having worn with the typical chagrin expected of a fast bowler with Donald's deadly ability, the "has been" label in the second and third Tests of this Millennium Series he waited until his second spell of the day to bring out the big guns. The result was four wickets in 13 overs to take his career haul to 298 and in the process and leave England floundering.

Up until lunch it had been a predictable procession of runs flowing from the bat as England's captain, Nasser Hussain, having won the toss looked on as Michael Atherton and Mark Butcher carve up the attack. Atherton, in particular, was unusually selective and aggressive in his strokeplay. Cover drive, cuts and the odd straight drive were played with precision and timing.

Butcher was the anchorman and must have wondered what role he was going to play when Atherton, with a rare wristy cut almost found himself walking off in disgust. But Jonty Rhodes, back in the side after the furore of his axing in Durban a week ago, misjudged the chance and spilled it.

Donald was the bowler at the time, working his way in from the Wynberg End: Atherton had 15 and the score was 23 in the third ball of the South African fast bowler's third over. There was the impression that Rhodes did not pick up the flight of the ball, perhaps losing it in the mottled background of multi-coloured clothing. A wicket at this stage would have generated the sort of electricity an early breakthrough generates.

It is hard to think what the effect would have been on Donald. Hansie Cronje captaining his 50th Test and a packed Newlands. How Donald suffered for the let-off. A drive through the covers.

Jacques Kallis was not treated lightly either and there was the classical pivotal pull shot, Butcher cover-driving and then cutting the fourth and fifth balls of the all-rounder's second over. It made you wonder whether it was right for Kallis to bowl from the same end as White Lightning.

The way Atherton went for his shots was a revelation for those who remember Wanderers four summers ago and the painstaking century in Port Elizabeth three weeks ago. Free flowing Atherton was something new and startling and, in a sense, quite frightening had he been allowed to flow unchecked.

Lunch came and went with Atherton's 50 before the break scored off 77 balls when he punished a loose one from Paul Adams.

For some in the crowd it was almost time for an early afternoon nap; England had reached 115 and Donald was back on at the Wynberg End. The field was moved into place and Donald charged as he delivered ball three of his eighth over and Atherton, that canny old fox, was trapped: he had fallen for the bait and Donald, with the help of Gary Kirsten, grabbed wicket No 1. It was the first of what is a rare hat-trick of dismissals. For Atherton, Kirsten had been lurking deep backward square leg. He first back-peddled until Donald, fearful of yet another fielding lapse, yelled to Kirsten who also realised his error, put on a spurt and grasped the ball.

Five overs and two balls later Butcher was lured into the sort of cut outside the off-stump which had Kirsten judging well at third man to get rid of the England left-hander. For Donald it was strike No2 and he sniffed the scent of success as with the crowd behind him you could almost see the smoke emerging from his ears.

If Donald's pace had increased and the England batsmen and began to fidget nervously, Shaun Pollock also fired in an over or two of venom, yet it was the wrist spin of Paul Adams, which enabled Mark Boucher to take his 100th Test catch. Hussain, with solid good sense gloved a ball to the wicket-keeper.

Immediate reaction was one of gut feel: umpire Cyril Mitchley, in his 26th Test, gave a good decision and England were struggling as their skipper departed for laborious 15 in the 66th over.

Then came the late, late show drama. After a remarkable second spell of 7-6-2-2 Donald back on with the new ball.

He tested Alec Stewart, probing for a chink in his defences. He gave as good as Donald was dishing it out: dispatching the ball with aggressive style through the covers, a square cut for four; a square drive too which left them standing.

Then the trap was baited and Stewart fell. It was almost identical to the Atherton dismissal. When seven balls later night watchman Andrew Caddick departed without a run, South Africa had wrested the initiative from England late in the afternoon. For Donald it was a haul of four for 42 in 20 overs. For England their cardboad house was caving in.

Day2: Kirsten rubs it in at Newlands

Cape Town - It does not matter what century we are in Gary Kirsten continues to torment England's bowlers as the tourists saw their hopes of saving the Millennium Series slowly disappear at Newlands yesterday.

Kirsten swiftly moved into his Kingsmead batting mode in his first innings as his contribution so far this series was four short of 400 runs as he reached 80 not out in South Africa's 200 for one at the close - 59 runs short of establishing a lead on the second day of the fourth Test.

So far Kirsten has batted 19 hours and 30 minutes for 355 runs in his last two innings, which makes him a ripe candidate for a timeless Test should the ICC decide, in their wisdom, of course, to revive the classic film epics on the big screen.

It is coincidental that his partner, Jacques Kallis was also undefeated on 80 at the close in what is their fourth century partnership in their Test careers.

This one is so far worth 152 runs for the second wicket in a partnership which has earned England more brickbats than bouquets. Having collapsed in alarming fashion before lunch to a dismal 258 all out, England seem to be doing a steady holding job, getting rid of Herschelle Gibbs for a flashy 29 at which point Kallis joined Kirsten.

Kallis was a mite fortunate when he edged a delivery from Chris Silverwood which flew low to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart's right; it spilled out of his glove and some of the fight seemed to go out of the England attack. Kallis had 11 and South Africa were 55 for one. Not quite the scenario Stewart and his skipper Nasser Hussain would have liked.

What was more galling for the tourists was the way the incident was repeated often during the two afternoon sessions.

There was some fight from Andrew Caddick and a bit from Darren Gough and Silverwood, but for the rest it was a repeat of Christmas at Kingsmead: battling to rescue their side from further possible humiliation. Kallis was also lucky not to be run out at a time the Western Province pair was trying to consolidate their partnership and the young all-rounder was barely into the 20s. They were more settled after tea and moved with more understanding between wickets. They went to the 100 in 148 minutes and the 150 in 217 minutes, the slower pace more to consolidate South Africa's position and work towards establishing a sizeable first innings lead.

At least South Africa made the most of the batting conditions, unlike England who have a habit of starting off well and then seriously falling apart. Little wonder England need seven batsmen to prop up the tail: the old stout-hearted resistance, once a byword among their sides, is these days represented only by names in a record books recalling past glory.

Any side which manages to reach 213 for three by the time the new ball is taken on the opening days of the Test, and on a pitch which should be worth 400 plus, and is then bowled out for under 300 is the sort of despairing depths they find themselves. They lost seven wickets for 45 runs in 26.1 overs with a batting performance of which any junior fourth XI would feel embarrassed.

There was more bad news when it emerged that Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's tour may be over. He has what has been described as a stress fracture and is out of the remainder of this Test and the one in Centurion. Whether he remains depends on his fitness.

As it is, Flintoff, labouring under the label of the "new Ian Botham" played a shot even Eddie the Eagle from any school thirds would feel ashamed to have played. From the time he arrived he was a candidate for an early dismissal. There were a couple of brave strokes: one drive Shaun Pollock attempted to catch but felt it wiser to keep his fingers intact. It earned him one of his three fours and some Barmy Army cheers.

He then he tried to slog Klusener over long-on only the shot ended up going back over his head for Jonty Rhodes, running from point, to pull off one of those fancy diving catches closer to the third man position.

Michael Vaughan was picked up by Kirsten in one of those remarkable reflex catches which shows just how alert the fieldsman has to be to all opportunities. It was a tidy bit of fielding which earned his catch No 4 and sees him join a number of most catches in a Test innings.

The list too long to repeat here but googly bowler Ernie Vogler started the tradition in 1909/10 at Lord's in Durban in a series against England. The last name on the list of what is now eight was Herschelle Gibbs, at Kingsmead in Durban last season.

Before Flintoff departed we had the sight of Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, throwing it all away. Having batted and battled for 78 minutes for a frugal score of 10 he drove wildly without too much thought of what he was attempting. It was so unnecessary.

He had seen Vaughan depart, the victim of his own fate and seemed to feel the best way out of the pickle was to smash his way out of trouble. All he managed to achieve was giving Pollock a straight forward catch off Kallis. Klusener, whose last Test wicket was against Zimbabwe in Harare, was brought on to start the 112th over of the innings, collected Flintoff and Darren Gough within four balls to at least start the New Year on a bight enough note.

For England, though, it is back to the drawing board as their technique is as tardy as was their bowling rate yesterday when at one stage it was 13 overs to the hour.

Day3: Cullinan leads SA charge with a century

Cape Town - Four summer's ago Paul Adams arrived with as much hype as you would find surrounding his vaunted senior peers Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, and helped South Africa win the series as a tailend batsman.

Today he has a chance to write a new, exciting chapter in his Test career at Newlands in the fourth game of this Millennium Series and help South Africa take a 2-0 lead with the Centurion match still to play.

This time Adams' left-arm wrist spin could become highly useful on what is becoming a dusty, turning pitch which may take as much bite on day four as it did to aide the England seamers.

Yet South Africa owed as much to the batting talents of their centurions Jacques Kallis and Daryll Cullinan which saw them to a total of 421, a first innings lead of 163, which England had reduced by four runs at the close, courtesy of a boundary from Mark Butcher in the only over of their innings.

Although Kallis departed before lunch after completing his sixth Test century, he left the innings in the capable care of Cullinan, whose mix of flawed genius and technical expertise to help South Africa, with a succession of partners who battled to survive and yet build a lead with a fairly well-structured innings of 120.

Cullinan arrived as early as the third ball of the day's after Gary Kirsten's hasty departure. At one stage four wickets fell for 54 runs. Which is where his genius comes in. His timing may not have been the best and there were also occasions when he almost lost his wicket on 99, even earlier for that matter.

Fortunately for South Africa, Darren Maddy fielding in place of the injured Andy Flintoff, bungled a fairly simple straight-forward catch with Cullinan on 89, the score 367 for seven and a freely perspiring England bowling attack distraught at the sight of the blunder. The luckless Darren Gough must have been mortified, Nasser Hussain "cheesed off" and the lead at that stage 109.

Cullinan though batted on carefully before steering Phil Tufnell past wicketkeeper Alec Stewart's left leg for a single to bring him three figures off 229 balls with seven fours and a six.

England's bowlers gave as good as they got in what was a heartening day's performance. Chris Silverwood ended with career best figures of five for 91 while Gough and Andrew Caddick often looked the part even if they battled to tame Cullinan during his crucial 90 run eighth wicket partnership which tipped the balance in South Africa's favour.

Initially there had been a touch of arrogance before the day's play of how South Africa would grind the tourists into submission and the game would be over by tea today. The weather was as hot and stifling as it had been at Kingsmead but without the humidity and the England bowlers were going to suffer.

It would be their fourth day in the field out of the last five in such enervating conditions: not at all an enticing prospect. Hussain doing his bit to rally the troops at the thought of temperatures in the middle approaching 40, two batsmen fairly well set. As Noel Coward sang all those years ago, "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out into the midday sun."

Jacques Kallis tucked Silverwood for a single the second ball of the day and up stepped Gary Kirsten to continue his marathon performance only to be undone by a combination of Silverwood slanting the ball across the left-hander and failing to move his feet did not advance his cause at all.

Early success for England was as good for morale as Hussain's urging as they went on to the field. While Cullinan arrived and with good sense batted his way with care and skill as he judged the pace of the pitch. His partner, Kallis, looked far more at ease, placing the ball into the gaps and gathering his runs.

There was a moment of concern when, on 99, he prodded forward but the edge eluded Hussain at silly point. Eventually he squeezed a ball backward of square to take the single which earned him his sixth century and his second against England, adding to the 132 scored at Old Trafford in 1998. No one could complain too much about the pace as it was off the 200th ball and both sixes among his 11 boundaries were off Tufnell.

It was the new ball, however, which undid whatever plans South Africa had of swiftly racing into an impressive lead. For some reason better known to Hussain he delayed taking the new ball until the 89th over at which point he tossed it to Gough and five ball later, the Yorkshireman showed his typical spirit by firing one in. The ball kicked through and Kallis, fending it off saw Mike Atherton take the catch in the slips.

When an out of form Hansie Cronje came and went for a duck and Jonty Rhodes depart for 16 after lunch, followed by Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock, Cullinan must have wondered if anyone would stay with him to set England some sort of lead.

In the end it was left to Mark Boucher to push South Africa well in front when it seemed the lead would not be much more than the 49 they had squeezed together when they came together at the end of the 112th over.

Day4: Hussain presides over another England defeat

Cape Town - England captain, Nasser Hussain, is still supporting his top six batsmen for the fifth and last Test of the series in Centurion, starting Friday week, despite their general lack of success.

If the support is as flimsy as England's batting was at Newlands yesterday Hussain may be wishing he had agreed to Mark Ramprakash staying on instead of flying home to a chilly winter welcome.

Yet there is a suspicion that Graeme Hick, who arrives in the country tomorrow as part of the six players for the limited overs international series starting later in the month, might be recalled for the game at SuperSport Park where he made a century on his last appearance in the rain ruined first game of that series in November 1995.

Hussain, asked about the pending departure of Ramprakash, called out from England as cover, said he was convinced England had the best top six batsmen available for this series.

He stopped short though of outright criticism of the ICC panel umpire for this match, Sri Lanka's B C Cooray, who haunted England on the fourth day of this fourth Test when the tourists crashed to defeat by an innings and 37 runs with four sessions to spare. Umpires are not responsible for a list of batting failures.

Apart from giving Hussain out lbw to Lance Klusener when the England captain had hit the ball with his bat, Cooray got three other decisions wrong, one of them the catch given by Michael Atherton, scooped up by Garry Kirsten, fielding at forward short leg. Cooray remained unmoved.

There were also lbw decisions he got wrong as the ghost of Pakistan's Javed Akhtar, since removed from the ICC panel, returned to haunt England. It was Akhtar who helped England's cause at Headingley in Leeds in 1998 when he gave a number of questionable decisions.

Hussain, who scored 94 in England's second innings in Leeds, raised a laugh on Wednesday with his comment that "when you hit the ball and set off for a run and find you have been given out, you start to wonder ... "

He was also a touch generous when suggesting that South Africa might "perhaps be a little better than Australia" at present. But for England it was the same old story and as always the masters of their fate they are also grand purveyors of spectacular: in this case yet another collapses. Lance Klusener may have been fortunate with Hussain's wicket, but he should have also had Vaughan lbw in the same over. This was the old aggressive Klusener who knows a thing or two about slicing the ball off the seam and through the air, ripping in the odd cutter.

From the time Hussain departed though it was a question of time and how long. Even the lunch score of 60 for three told little of the dramatic collapse after lunch as Paul Adams began to cause a few problems with top-spin, wong'uns and a touch of orthodoxy.

Before lunch he was on for Klusener at the Kelvin Grove and Klusener was switched to the Wynberg End. In the over he should have bagged Atherton's wicket he beat the former England captain with a couple of nifty deliveries. The hours spent with Terry Jenner had started to pay off. It is all a matter of getting the angle right and Adams seems to be doing it quite nicely.

Atherton, watchful as ever, and Stewart at least tried to look the part and after B C Cooray turned down an umpteenth legitimate appeal South Africa's captain Cronje had to move in to spread a little calm and console his spinner. It was the least he could do.

They had faced a lead of 163 to save the game and the way they went about it they turned it in to a task tougher than hauling their way up Table Mountain with a compass and a guide dog as helping aids. The Sri Lanka umpire, Cooray, did what he could to delay matters, but as his radar was blinded by a fog of his own indecision, England were perhaps fortunate to bat as long as the 60.5 overs they were at the crease.

It was the departures of Atherton for 35 after a typical and stoic stay of 139 minutes, the fourth wicket falling at 62 in the 34th over and Stewart for five with the scoreboard reading 66 five overs later which spelled England's alarming plight.

Stewart tried to charge Adams, lost sight of the top-spin and was bowled. Chris Adams was less fortunate when giving the wrist spinner the charge as well, the ball hitting his pad before he was bowled for 31. It was an innings where the Sussex man mixed caution and aggression, yet summed up his tour: 109 Test runs at an average you would not want to whisper too loudly from the pavilion steps at Hove.

Once he had gone, and with Andy Flintoff likely to bat only in an emergency, as if this was not another crisis in the making, the lack of backbone and the sorry-looking score of 126 just about summed up their inability to bat their way into the game. It was a sorry sight after the way the bowlers had performed the day before.

Yet the incongruous sight of Flintoff hobbling out, foot in plaster, with plenty of leg-byes in the offing, might have been a little too much for the ECB chairman, Lord MacLaurin, for whom the new century began as the old one had ended, presiding over yet another series defeat.