Allan Donald - Leathal weapon (12 March 1999)
Geoff Longley stopped South African speedster Allan Donald long enough to talk about life in the fast lane
12-Mar-1999
12 March 1999
Allan Donald - Leathal weapon
The Christchurch Press
Geoff Longley stopped South African speedster Allan Donald
long enough to talk about life in the fast lane.
A common thread runs through every cricketing country that dominates
the world scene for a period - great bowlers, usually of the quick
variety.
I gave it everything I had for eight overs or so and people have said
it was the most electrifying spell they have seen. -Allan Donald
In New Zealand's heyday it was Sir Richard Hadlee; the West Indies was
dominant with a four-pronged pace attack; Pakistan had Wasim Akram and
Waqar Younis.
Now South Africa has the mantle of the most lethal pace-bowling attack
at world level, headed by the new-ball pairing of Allan Donald and
Shaun Pollock.
Allan Donald: balls from his hand approach the batsmen at 150kmh. The
batsman gets about four-tenths of a second to react.
Donald is rated the world's No. 1 and he has the figures and speed
readings to prove it, approaching 150kmh at his quickest.
That, for the uninitiated, leaves a reaction time for the batsman of
about four-tenths of a second to perform as 51/2 ounces of leather
bear down.
Donald, nicknamed White Lightning, says he does not try to pit himself
against the speed gadget gimmicks. What matters is the man at the
other end and the best way of dismissing him - with a short-pitched
flyer, a yorker, or an outswinger.
However, he does admit to producing one of the fastest spells of his
life last year during the infamous Michael Atherton incident in a test
at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, against England.
Atherton was given not out by New Zealand umpire Steve Dunne after
gloving a ball behind. Another catch was dropped and Donald, with his
dander up, delivered one of the most hostile spells in the modern era.
"I had to try not to panic because when the adrenalin's rushing you
can lose it. But I gave it everything I had for eight overs or so and
people have said it was the most electrifying spell they have seen."
Atherton weathered the storm and led England to a test, and ultimately
series, victory, after the Proteas had been ahead, 1-0. Donald was
placed on a 12-month suspended sentence for comments made later about
the umpiring.
Donald poses a terrifying test for most batsmen but says he leaves the
game on the field and believes he is easy-going off it. "I'm usually
one of the first to go into the opposition dressing-room with a beer
afterwards - that's part of the game."
Donald's momentum is generated by his smooth acceleration to the
wicket, a style he says he owes to England speedster Devon Malcolm.
"I watched him a lot and his approach to the wicket and worked on
trying to capture the rhythm he had in his run-up. It was a bit of
trial and error but something developed from that which has been the
basis for how I bowl."
Donald started his English county career as a pacy, but erratic,
bowler with Warwickshire in 1987. Two years later, after adopting some
Malcolm habits, he achieved notable success, bagging 83 wickets.
Because of South Africa's sporting isolation and his Warwickshire
connection, he was contemplating changing his cricketing allegiance to
England.
"I'd seen what the likes of Allan Lamb, Chris and Robin Smith had done
and talked a bit with them. But Dr Ali Bacher (chief executive of
South Africa Cricket) said give it a couple of years and things would
change and he was right on the money."
Donald's entry to world cricket came in 1991-92. He was 24. It could
hardly have been timed better, given his grounding with Warwickshire.
The wickets soon started mounting, including a five-wicket haul
against India in his first season.
Donald concentrates on running on his toes to avoid being
flat-footed. He says he is then likely to reach the crease with the
right balance and timing to send the ball on its way.
Since his younger days he has reduced his run-up from 23 to 15 paces
and, with the economy of movement, has come greater wicket-taking
efficiency.
In the last two years so accurate has he become that he has bowled
just eight no-balls in hundreds of matches at all levels. "If I bowl
one nowadays it really pees me off. They can be quite crucial in
games, especially the one-dayers."
Donald also says a season in the Lancashire league in 1996 was
significant to his continuing development as a bowler.
There he developed an outswinger and got the wrist-action right for
that delivery. "I used to nip it back at right-hand batsmen and when
my wrist wasn't working right I'd send it swinging way down leg. Then
I started to get an outswinger going and it helped my game even more."
That year Donald had a season off from Warwickshire but acted as its
bowling and fitness coach, with Pollock the overseas player.
Fitness is a prime factor in Donald's remarkable record of having
played 54 of South Africa's 60 tests since the country's readmission
to the international arena.
"I do spend a lot of time stretching and find that's the key to
staying on the park. We play so much cricket you have to be strong and
supple." The only complete series he has missed is New Zealand's
three-test outing against South Africa in 1994-95 after a foot injury.
With 262 test wickets already, he is closing on his target of 300.
Among the best batsmen he has bowled to he rates India's Sachin
Tendulkar and Australian Steve Waugh. "Tendulkar picks the ball up so
early and is an amazing stroke-maker while Waugh is one of the
gutsiest and most disciplined players I've come across."
Before he contemplates leaving the game he faces another demanding
year. He has already been part of the 5-0 series whitewash of the West
Indies and, after the series against New Zealand, he has a benefit
season with Warwickshire and the World Cup.
He says early-season conditions in England in May and June could have
a bearing on the World Cup winner, but he believes South Africa, with
its 70-plus per cent one-day winning record, is as likely to win the
event as any country.
"But I wouldn't write the likes of New Zealand off," he adds. "They
will be a very good opponent and, with the likes of Gavin Larsen and
Chris Harris getting conditions to suit, could beat anybody."
During rare cricket-free periods Donald enjoys time with his wife,
Tina, and their young family, a four-year-old daughter and 11-month
old son.
Rugby also plays a part in his sporting life. "I never miss a game,"
said Donald, who excused himself from South Africa's match against New
Zealand A this week to watch the Hurricanes-Stormers Super 12
encounter. His home team is the Golden Cats.
While the Black Caps must face his thunderbolts, perhaps the All
Blacks are lucky Donald never seriously turned his sporting skills to
the oval ball game.
Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)