Allan Donald has dismissed reports that he is again struggling for fitness ahead of South Africa's Test series against Australia which starts next week. Donald, who has been blighted by a string of injuries over the past year, recently missed the series against India after aggravating a stomach-muscle injury. But he told South Africa's Star newspaper that he would be ready for the first Test at Adelaide which starts on December 14. "I'm feeling really fine," he said. "Everything's been coming out quite sweetly and I feel remarkably fresh. It's just a matter of making steady improvements by the day." Donald, who came through a lengthy workout in the first serious net of the tour without any side-effects, said that he had been concentrating on building up his overall fitness. "I've been working really hard for the last six or seven weeks in strengthening and aerobic fitness drills and I don't feel it's going to be a worry trying to bowl a second or third spell in a day." Donald is expected to play in South Africa's match against Western Australia at the weekend. His previous attempted comeback, in a domestic match in October, ended with him again breaking down and missing the three Tests against India. But his frustration at being sidelined for so long was clear. "I've been stuck in it for a long time now," he reflected. "I just want to get out there and do well for South Africa again."

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