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Day 1:Swing puts England in charge
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

First day of five: South Africa 139-5. Bad light stopped play

Swing and spin were once the primary weapons of any bowling attack. For a time they faded before the trendy view that the only way to win Test matches is by brute force and bouncers. That idea in turn is starting to lose favour on the predominantly slow pitches on which most first-class cricket is played round the world and England's performance on the first day of the Kingsmead Test can only have accelerated the swing back to guile.

The change, if change it genuinely is, is still in its infancy so England's choice of three swing bowlers and an orthodox slow left-armer before yesterday's 9.35am start was both uncoventional and brave. A South African total of 139 for five was ample reward for the apparently curious decision to leave out two bowlers, Devon Malcolm and Angus Fraser, who have taken 231 Test wickets and to replace them with two, Peter Martin and Mark Ilott, whose combined total from six previous matches was 10 wickets, at an average of 50 each.

The early surprise was by no means the last. South Africa proceeded to reach 50 for no wicket off 89 balls, whereupon they collapsed to 89 for five against Martin and Richard Illingworth, whose accuracy could easily have produced even better figures than his two for 33 off 22 overs.

A restorative sixth-wicket partnership of 50 between Jonty Rhodes and Brian McMillan, two men who would die for South Africa, had brought the contest back to some sort of equilibrium when Steve Bucknor, somewhat prematurely in view of a large and mainly youthful crowd of 15,000, took the initiative in leading the players off for bad light.

Play ended perhaps 30 minutes earlier than it should have done, at 2.45pm, two overs after tea

Bucknor, the lean, conscientious and scrupulously fair Jamaican umpire, has only one serious professional failing, his tendency to put the imagined danger to batsmen whenever clouds approach ahead of the need to give crowds value for money.

Play ended perhaps 30 minutes earlier than it should have done, at 2.45pm, two overs after tea, but rain eventually settled all argument and vindicated the decision to start the match at 9.35am. Finishes at 3pm in Natal are commonplace, though daylight officially lasts at least until six.

It was a frustrating end to a day of 64 overs after which both sides could reflect that things had turned out worse than they had hoped and a good deal better than they had at one time feared. Certainly this was true of England after Hansie Cronje had won the toss and taken the sensible decision to bat first on the brown, evenly-grassed pitch. It played very much as anticipated: true and, so far at least, comfortable in pace.

South Africa's selectors could claim to have made the right decision in dropping McMillan, their Johannesburg centurion, one place further down the order. It was an illogicality if ever there was one, but the rot stopped when he joined Rhodes, who seemed to me - and apparently to the majority of South Africans fortunate to hold on to his place.

He has proved his fighting qualities once more but by retaining Rhodes and allowing Jacques Kallis his first Test cap, South Africa have omitted their sole spinner, Clive Eksteen: if the weather only allows, England ought to be able to make them pay for that.

Already England start the second day remarkably well placed for a team which had conceded 51 runs against the South African openers in the first hour before Illingworth came on for the 16th over. He changed the pace of the day completely but not before Andrew Hudson had gone some way towards improving his dismal record against England with a series of flowing strokes.

Martin, coming on at the Umgeni End, suffered a nightmarish start to his fourth Test

Hudson and Gary Kirsten had shown proper care against Dominic Cork who, despite an ideal wind blowing off the sea, could not recapture his formidable Wanderers rhythm. Mark Ilott, admirably determined, like Martin, not to bowl too short with the new ball, varied his pace intelligently but he had twice been driven though extra cover by Hudson when Martin, coming on at the Umgeni End, suffered a nightmarish start to his fourth Test. Three times off the last three balls of his first over, and again off the first ball of his second, he was driven through the covers by Hudson.

They were pleasing strokes to watch from Hudson, cleanly struck from a lazy swing of the bat, but two of them were hit in the air and from Martin's viewpoint it was not as bad as it looked. Switched to the City End, Martin got a ball to bounce and Kirsten, hitherto a model of self-denial, edged his attempted backfoot force high to Graeme Hick's left at second slip.

In the next over, the 22nd, Hudson pressed forward against Illingworth's hanging flight and the ball bounced up off his pad and glove to silly point, giving John Crawley a comfortable catch and Dave Orchard, the bearded former Natal cricketer, an easy first decision in Test cricket.

By lunch, Illingworth's flight had claimed a second reward. Cronje, who hates to be constrained, especially by spinners, came down to drive, failed to reach the pitch and, instead of abandoning his mission, plonked the ball neatly into Martin's hands at mid-on.

Daryll Cullinan, like his captain, does not relish a grafting game and, having survived what seemed a very good shout for lbw from Illingworth and cut Cork with some panache for two fours, he drove loosely at a swinging ball from Martin and hit it straight to cover.

Suddenly it was a different game and the circumstances of Kallis's first Test innings were not at all the ones he would have chosen. He had been in the middle only for four overs when he attracted the ball of the day from Martin: it left him late and took the outside edge. Rhodes had already been at the wicket for an hour, and 12 runs, when the electronic scoreboard at Durban's transformed ground confirmed that South Africa, replete with batsmen on a true pitch, had lost five wickets for 35 runs in 22 overs.

It was an unreal situation: Illingworth was turning it only the merest fraction and the ball's swing could never have been described as extravagant, but Rhodes and McMillan still needed the benefit of more than one moment of doubt from both umpires before, gradually, they began to put things into better perspective, finishing on 139 for five.

Day 2: England's control loosened by Donald's all-round show
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Second day of five: England are 123-5 in reply to S Africa's 225 all out

It Would be a great shame if the cold front hits Durban this morning as the weather forecasters predict, because the Kingsmead Test is turning into a tight, Headingley-like tussle, with the bowlers in control.

If only the weather will allow, one great innings by a player from either side could decide it. England, 123 for five, are 102 behind South Africa.

The necessary innings is unlikely, alas, to be played by John Crawley, though he will bat today with a runner after suffering a serious hamstring injury five overs before lunch on the second day.

Wayne Morton, England's physiotherapist, was unable to assess the full extent of the injury until this morning, but he thought it unlikely that Crawley would be properly fit for a fortnight. That rules him out of the fourth Test in Port Elizabeth and, with only one spare batsman, Mark Ramprakash, The Management will have to decide today whether to seek a replacement.

If they make the call, he should arrive in time to play against the Universities in Pietermaritzburg next Wednesday, in case he is needed for the Port Elizabeth Test, starting on Boxing Day.

Neil Fairbrother is already due in South Africa immediately after Christmas, travelling with Neil Smith and Dermot Reeve for the one-day internationals with which this tour concludes.

Either Fairbrother's journey could be put forward or one of the batting successes from the A tour in Pakistan - Nasser Hussain, Jason Gallian or Nick Knight - might be sent for, but it is more likely that England will stick with the players already here.

Crawley's cruel injury, suffered as he ran round the leg-side boundary, was only one of the unexpected twists in a match which has got curiouser and curiouser.

South Africa found themselves in serious trouble 12 overs into the second day at 153 for nine, but Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald contrived one of those last-wicket partnerships which deflate the fielding side when their job seems done. Simultaneously, of course, their stand of 72, the highest of the innings, gave their bowlers a timely boost and they made the most of it.

Who could have predicted that all South Africa's first innings wickets would be taken by bowlers who took no part in the second Test?

Mike Atherton's fall to Donald in the first over and Crawley's injury jointly disrupted England's batting plans, and they were happy to come off in light which was perfectly playable.

South Africa's fielding was sharp and sure, Jonty Rhodes leading the way with the keenness of a schoolboy at the start of his Christmas holiday, and Hudson, Cullinan and McMillan each in turn picked up close catches inches from the ground.

The South Africans bowled well too, none better than Craig Matthews, but it was still hard to fathom why batting was so difficult. Steep bounce and, in England's case, swing, rather than significant lateral movement, perhaps explains the modest scoring so far, along with a reluctance on the part of all the batsmen to work the ball into gaps rather than to belt it or block it.

Who could have predicted that all South Africa's first innings wickets would be taken by bowlers who took no part in the second Test?

Peter Martin again hit the seam on the right length and swung it away from the off stump yesterday, picking up his fourth wicket when Brian McMillan, obliged to play, edged low towards first slip. Jack Russell plunged and the gate was open.

Dominic Cork was given every chance to follow up, but it was Mark Ilott who now justified his selection by taking three wickets in his first two overs. The admirably obdurate Rhodes, then Craig Matthews, first ball, were out to balls swinging back into the pads. In between, Dave Richardson fell to one angled across him.

It was classic left-arm-over bowling, but Ilott tried a little too hard to finish the job quickly, and the ball began to fly into inviting gaps as Donald and Pollock warmed to their work.

Donald has never looked to me the complete rabbit he is supposed to be, and Pollock is a genuine all-rounder.

Atherton did all the logical things to break their partnership, but neither the taking of the second new ball after 83 overs, nor the early introduction of Richard Illingworth when things began to look dangerous, worked.

An hour after tea Matthews had further reward for his disciplined line and his ability to get the occasional ball to lift.

By lunch the two tall, loose-limbed fast bowlers had added 58 and when Illingworth's arm-ball finally darted between Donald's bat and pads, they had reached the third-highest last-wicket stand in South Africa's Test history.

Donald, ignoring a slight hamstring strain, found the thick edge of Atherton's bat with the sixth ball of the England innings and Hudson, the finer of two gullies, held a well-judged low catch.

Graham Thorpe replaced Crawley at three, only to edge a ball angled across him low to first slip in Donald's third over, thus presenting Robin Smith with a premature chance to mark his return to Kingsmead with a major innings.

Watched by his parents on their 40th wedding aniversary, Smith sliced his first ball from Donald over the slips for four and with Alec Stewart embarked upon a second-wicket partnership of 70 in 96 minutes, which never looked truly secure.

Stewart, going so far back that he often came close to treading on his stumps, dealt stoutly with the occasional snorter, none meaner than the one which Matthews, running in aggressively from the City End, produced out of the blue, but Smith's foot movement was the sharper and it was a surprise when, going forward on off stump to Matthews, he edged low to second slip.

An hour after tea Matthews had further reward for his disciplined line and his ability to get the occasional ball to lift.

Stewart was caught in the gully, and 40 minutes later Russell, aiming to clip backward of point, only steered the ball to cover, but no-one looked more secure than Graeme Hick.

Day 3 Report
By Scyld Berry

Third day of five: England are 152-5 in reply to S Africa's first innings total of 225. Only 30 minutes play possible due to rain

England's Test at Kingsmead in 1938-39 was abandoned after 10 days of play, when England had to make a three-day train journey to catch the ship home from Cape Town. This Third Test against South Africa looks as if it is going to be

As England have been on the wrong end of this game since South Africa's last-wicket stand - as influential perhaps as that between Mike Atherton and Jack Russell in the second Test - they were not regretful that yesterday's play was limited to two bursts of 18 and 13 minutes. Last weekend England were in Paarl; today they are in a slightly less parlous state after the addition by Graeme Hick and Dominic Cork of 29 more runs.

If there had been more cricket yesterday, instead of persistent drizzle, and either Hick or Cork had got out, John Crawley would have batted next with a torn left hamstring and a runner. However, should the cold front continue to linger over Durban today, as forecast, the match will be so far gone towards a third consecutive draw that he need not risk further damage.

Jason Gallian, meanwhile, is making his way from Peshawar via Karachi and Dubai to Pietermaritzburg to play in the three-day game against South African Universities starting on Wednesday. He will then go straight into the Test side.

Of the two No 3s England have brought on this tour, Crawley is ailing in body and Mark Ramprakash in mind; the manager Ray Illingworth even said yesterday that Ramprakash ``will not be considered at No 3 on this tour again [in the Tests].''

Gallian, 24, was recommended by the 'A' tour manager, John Emburey, for his sound form in Pakistan - he is the leading scorer with 376 first-class runs. England's need for a top-order batsman ruled out Nasser Hussain, but the decision to go for Gallian ahead of Nick Knight is questionable.

Gallian has the soundness of mind and technique that you would expect from a former captain of Young Australia

There seems to be little profit in sending for Gallian, or anybody else inexperienced, to drop him into the black hole that is No 3 in England's order. It is the position so jinxed that, aside from one-off centuries by Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, the highest score in a first innings since August 1993 has been Crawley's 50 against West Indies at the Oval last summer.

Gallian has the soundness of mind and technique that you would expect from a former captain of Young Australia; he can also bowl medium-pace just well enough to get through half a dozen overs in a Test to help England's four specialist bowlers fulfil the prescribed 90 in a day. But he already has the burden of a poor record, after four Test innings for 32 runs, and the simultaneous tasks of establishing himself in the England side and of securing the No 3 position will surely be too much for Gallian as well.

The selection of Gallian ahead of Knight or anyone else will only be justified if Atherton proves to have a cunning plan; namely to make Gallian, his Lancashire partner, into his England opening partner and to drop Alec Stewart to three. Stewart is an esta- blished batsman who could make a fist of the post.

England's captain and vice-captain appear to be unable to hit it off together as openers. Stewart has not hit a Test fifty since the home series against South Africa last year, partly because of injury to his fingers and partly because of his feet. He is not getting away with moving one pace half-back and one half-forward.

Knight's left-handedness and his phlegmatic display at Trent Bridge last summer are qualifications Gallian cannot boast in support of his application to be Atherton's new partner. In the fifth Test against West Indies, albeit on a batting pitch, Atherton and Knight put on 148 in 253 minutes of calm-headedness; Atherton and Stewart have only ever had two century opening partnerships in Test cricket.

It is natural for any captain to prefer those with whom he is most familiar but the process can go too far. Gallian's arrival will make him the fifth Lancashire player in this party and four of them could be regarded as marginal choices. Neil Fairbrother is to come for the one-day internationals.

Ultimately, though, Gallian is right-handed and the value of a left-hander in troubling opening bowlers is one of the game's eternal maxims.

The delayed resumption yesterday helped England by dampening the South African passion. There was none of the clapping and banging of the boundary boards

which heralded the start of the England innings and which fired up Donald to complete his country's rally with the wickets of Atherton and Graham Thorpe.

In this excitingly error-strewn match, the South Africans have shown as much understanding of Test match batting and its tempo as they have in general about cuisine. But fast bowling, and fast food, that's another matter. Instant gratification to be enjoyed there. Ja!

As at Johannesburg, England have wilted here under the passionate attack of the home pace bowlers. Denying them an early wicket is all the more important in such circumstances so as not to rouse the patriotic crowd.

Either side of one o'clock yesterday afternoon the crowd was sparse and the damp got into the ball's seams if not the bones of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock. The nearest to a dismissal came when Hick's offdrive at Donald flew through the gap at third slip.

Cork's upper-cut off Donald went for four off the bat and for a moment it seemed he might do the same with his gloved fist. He has scored more fluently than any batsman in this match since Andrew Hudson in that first deceptive hour. Cork may even be a candidate to succeed Atherton one distant day provided he can control his fire in the meantime.

For the president of the United Cricket Board, Kris Mackerdhuj, the subsequent rain made for sad anti-climax. As an Indian boy in bare feet, made permanently deaf in his right ear in an assault by a policeman, he came to support England here in 1948 from the stand where non-whites had to go. Another spectator that day was Nelson Mandela.

Non-whites in Natal used to cheer the opposition. Not any longer, says Mackerdhuj, especially if South Africa try to break the deadlock at Port Elizabeth by picking Paul Adams.

Day 4 Report
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Fourth day of five: No play due to rain. England are 152-5 in reply to S Africa's first innings total of 225

A Sleek white cruise ship sailed out of Durban's port into the grey Indian Ocean yesterday afternoon, apparently having abandoned hope that it would stop raining. Shortly before, at 12.15, the umpires had decided that there was no chance of any play on the fourth day of the third Test at Kingsmead.

Since they took the players off for what was deemed to be bad light on Friday afternoon, only seven overs and four balls have been possible. It is against common sense not to use floodlights on Test grounds which possess them when the light is poor but, until stadiums have retractable roofs, there is no solution to the problem of continuous rain.

Dominic Cork, with much confidence, and Graeme Hick, with impressive control, added a further 29 runs in sessions of 19 and 13 minutes on Saturday but the cold front which followed a thunderstorm on Friday night has ruined this match as it did the first at Centurion Park. The excellence of the drawn second Test at the Wanderers only underlines what everyone has been missing. If play is possible today, England will resume their second innings at 152 for five, 73 runs behind South Africa.

John Crawley was padded up on Saturday, ready to bat with a runner and hopeful that he would do no further damage to the hamstring he tore in the field on the second morning, but it may not be deemed necessary for him to bat with only a day left. His place in the fourth Test, starting in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday week, Boxing Day, will probably go to Jason Gallian, his Lancashire colleague and captain of Oxford when Crawley was in command at Cambridge.

Crawley's rotten luck will surely turn, whether or not he is fit to play in the last Test at Cape Town, which the medical men judge to be an outside possibility. By then, however, Gallian may have won his third Test cap because Mark Ramprakash will only play again in this series if a batsman lower than No 3 in the order is injured.

Come the Newlands Test, England might have plucked up courage to play only five specialist batsmen, with Jack Russell at No 6. Cork suggested again, during his 23 not out, that No 7 is not too high for him in a Test order and if he underlines that impression on the final day of a moribund match today, it would increase the chances of a bold attempt to break the stalemate in the series by picking five bowlers. Mike Atherton said over the weekend that the selection of Peter Martin, Mark Ilott and Richard Illingworth had given him a tactical flexibility he has seldom enjoyed before as England captain and that a genuinely fast bowler (Devon Malcolm) would have been the last link in the chain of a genuinely balanced attack, if only he could feel

Crawley, at 24, is three months younger than Gallian and has enhanced his reputation on this tour

Gallian is due to arrive in South Africa tomorrow in time for the three-day match against South African Universities. He is flying from Pakistan, where his form on the A tour helped to earn his call-up ahead of Nasser Hussain and Nick Knight. A strong case could have been made for either of the other two and suggestions that Gallian's ability as a capable medium-pace change bowler was a serious factor in the preference for him are wide of the mark.

The essential reason is that both Atherton and Ray Illingworth are looking for an England No 3 batsman to whom the long, grafting innings comes easily. Gallian's 153 in the second of the five-day games on the A tour was recent evidence of his powers of concentration and perhaps also of a more watertight technique than that of his two main rivals. He managed only 32 from his four Test innings against the West Indies last season, but he broke a finger at Edgbaston and produced a solid 25 in the second innings at the Oval.

Crawley's injury has disrupted Gallian's plans to trek through South-East Asia in the new year, but naturally he relishes the chance to resurrect his Test career. ``It's obviously very disappointing for John, but I'm looking forward to a very interesting adventure,'' he said in Pakistan yesterday. ``I feel I'm seeing the ball well, and I've learned a lot from playing in the different conditions here, so that should stand me in good stead.''

Crawley, at 24, is three months younger than Gallian and has enhanced his reputation on this tour. He is not the only disappointed person in Durban at the moment. More than 1,000 spectators from England paid #20 a day in advance for their seats and neither they nor the locals, 9,000 of whom bought tickets in advance, will receive compensation, although Cassim Docra, Natal's chief executive, said that free tickets for a future provincial match may be offered to the latter. He added that advance sales and a total crowd of 28,000 on the first two days of the Test had ensured a profitable match, but that the rain would cost the Natal Cricket Union #45,000 in lost revenue.

Day 5 Report
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Final day of five: No play due to rain. England were 152-5 in reply to S Africa's first innings total of 225

It never did stop raining for long and the third Test in Durban, like the first in Pretoria, was duly abandoned as a draw yesterday, a wretched outcome. Only in Guyana, perhaps, have England teams of recent vintage found themselves in as futile a position as they do now, with the forecast still uncertain; an infinitely promising series in a position of stalemate after three games on the pitches which were most likely to produce lively cricket; and no immediate prospect of match practice.

That, at least, was the official word early yesterday and officials from both camps were feverishly considering the prospect of moving England's three-day match against the South African Universities, due to begin tomorrow, from its scheduled ground at Pietermaritzburg, just under an hour's drive north of Durban. Having initially said that there was no hope whatsoever of play on the first day, and that the road to Maritzburg was under water, local officials subsequently reported that the pitch was ``bone dry'' and that an attempt would be made to start the game on time.

This was a little odd, since the local weather bureau were warning of more heavy rain last night and only a possibility of its ``easing off'' today. There was more than a little in all this of local politics and, given that England would have preferred to play on what they knew to be a decent pitch at Durban, just a suggestion of muscle-flexing by their South African hosts. They had already forced the pace on the public relations front by confirming that Paul Adams, the cheerful and stocky little 18-yearold bowler of left-arm googlies from Cape Town, would be the latest chimera to ignite the series. He is an original talent, as we have already seen, and that, at least, is good news.

England's immediate problem was who to play against the South African students

It was hardly a shock when Peter Pollock named Adams, who is in the side on merit, having taken 32 wickets in his five first first-class games. He is the first visible proof of the success of the development programme in 'under-privileged' areas. The surprise in the chosen party of 13 for the last two Tests in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town was more the preference for Nicky Boje, who is 22, as the orthodox spinner ahead of Clive Eksteen, whom Pollock had singled out for special praise after the Wanderers Test. The 11 who played at Durban have all been retained.

England, having failed to arrange a change of venue for the Universities match, countered with a call-up of their own which does not have quite the same dramatic impact. Phillip DeFreitas, who has already had 14 incarnations as a Test player, will join the team on Jan 1 to participate in some of the seven one-day internationals with which this tour will conclude, presumably because Darren Gough is still troubled by a muscle strain and lack of form.

DeFreitas merely has a muscle strain. It has kept him out of the latest match for the province for whom he had been playing with some success this winter, Boland. His succession of eight maiden overs against England, albeit on the flattest and lowest of all the flat and low pitches so far encountered in provincial games, has reminded Ray Illingworth and Mike Atherton of his generally very reliable record in limited-overs cricket.

In 91 internationals, DeFreitas has taken 104 wickets at 31.57, with an economy rate of 3.8 runs per over. To put that in perspective, Angus Fraser's is 3.7, and, before this winter, Gavin Larsen's was 3.7, Paul Reiffel's 3.6, Craig McDermott's 4.0. On the other hand, McDermott's 190 wickets had cost only 24 runs each and he takes about 1.5 wickets per match compared to DeFreitas's 1.1. Suffice to say that 'Daffy' has seldom let England down in one-day cricket, that he still fields exceptionally well and that he will probably make it to the final World Cup 14.

That competition is still some way down the list of priorities. England's immediate problem, as Illingworth said yesterday before going off to do some shopping in typical Christmas weather, was who to play against the South African students, if indeed they play at all. Jason Gallian is due to arrive from Pakistan this morning and he is sure to get a game, probably as Atherton's opening partner with Alec Stewart dropping to number three. Gallian has had rather more recent cricket than the 16 men he joins, one of whom, John Crawley, remains in pain whenever the physiotherapist goes anywhere near his left hamstring.

Illingworth suggested that his dilemma was: ``Do we play our Test side or not?'' They have little option but to do so. The harder question is guessing what the Test side should be on a ground which has not yet been visited, St George's Park in Port Elizabeth. South Africa's selection confirms that the pitch there is likely to help spinners if it helps any bowlers at all, so Mike Watkinson may get a game in Maritzburg and Richard Illingworth may not, having had a good bowl on Thursday and Friday and proved himself England's first-choice spinner.

Whether Angus Fraser and Devon Malcolm will get the match this week which they were expecting to have in the Durban Test, we shall see. Presumably they will, to keep all bowling options open.