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Out of the top drawer
Wisden CricInfo staff - February 25, 2002
Not many people take 300 Test wickets. Only 18 people have done it, only seven of them white fast bowlers and only one of them a South African. That man is Allan Donald, and here we look at the statistical highlights of the career of a great fast bowler.
After 72 Tests, Donald finished with 330 wickets at an average of 22.25. He took a wicket every 47 balls, and conceded his runs at 2.83 per over. Among the top 20 wicket-takers of all time, only Malcolm Marshall (20.95), Curtly Ambrose (20.99) and Glenn McGrath (21.68) have a lower average.
Donald's best figures were 8 for 71, against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1995-96. His best in South Africa were 7 for 84, against India at Port Elizabeth in 1992-93 - a haul which set up their first Test victory since returning to international cricket earlier that year. He took 5 for 55 in the first innings of that match, and his match figures of 12 for 139 are his best. In all he took 20 five-fors and three ten-fors.
On November 19, 2000, Donald became the first South African to take 300 Test wickets when he pinned New Zealand's Shayne O'Connor lbw. He achieved the feat in his home town of Bloemfontein, with the feat commemorated by a gun salute.
Like so many of his team-mates, Donald struggled against Australia. Whereas his average against every other Test-playing nation was below 24, against Australia he took 53 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 31.07. Just as significantly, his strike rate against Australia was a wicket every 61.6 balls. Against everyone else it was below 50, except New Zealand (50.5).
Just like some other great fast bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath, Donald's most frequent victim was Mike Atherton. Donald dismissed him 11 times, although the time he didn't, at Trent Bridge in 1998, is the most famous of all. Donald's top four victims were Atherton (11), Mark Waugh (10), Alec Stewart (9) and Saeed Anwar (7). He also dismissed Brian Lara six times, including five in five Tests in 1998-99.
Donald's first wicket was Jimmy Adams, bowled for 11 in Barbados on April 18, 1992. His last was another left-hander: Justin Langer, lbw for 28 at The Wanderers on February 22, 2002.
South Africa lost all of Donald's last four Tests. In all his record was: W33, D24, L15. Chasteningly for Donald, eight of these 15 defeats came against the boys in the Baggy Green.
Discounting the one-off Test against West Indies in 1991-92, South Africa only lost five series in which Donald played: three to Australia, and one each in India (1996-97) and England (1998).
Among post-war bowlers with 50 Test wickets or more, Donald's career strike rate of 47 puts him behind only Waqar Younis (42.41), Brett Lee (44.83), Frank Tyson (45.42) and Malcolm Marshall (46.77)
In the 33 Tests that South Africa won, Donald took 189 wickets at an average of 16.79, with 14 five-fors, three ten-fors and a strike rate of 35.
Donald's record in matches that South Africa lost is predictably less impressive: 59 wickets at 30.01. But the breakdown of those wickets is notable: six at 48.16 in matches they lost by an innings; 16 at 49.93 in matches they lost chasing a target; 37 at 18.45 in matches they lost defending a target.
Donald was at his best in the second innings of a match, when he took 130 wickets at 19.53, as against 200 at 24.22 in the first.
He made more appearances (17), took more wickets (86) and conceded more runs (1982) against England than against any other country.
Donald was in his pomp between 1996 and 2000. In those five calendar years, his record was: 26 wickets at 11.15 (1996), 38 at 24.97 (1997), 80 at 19.63 (1998), 33 at 19.66 (1999) and 24 at 17.16 (2000).
His record was almost as good overseas as it was at home: 153 wickets at 22.96 away, 177 at 21.64 at home
Only once throughout his Test career did Donald fail to bowl the first ball of an innings in which he bowled - in the second innings against Sri Lanka at Centurion in 2000-01, when he came on first change after Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis.
Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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