England on song as Atherton strikes initiative

The new broom, helped by the bristly old thing, beat as it swept as it cleaned yesterday as Alec Stewart's England seized the initiative on the first day of the first Test.

In the sort of conditions over which seam bowlers drool - the kind that only a year ago saw Australia hustled out here for 118 - England, inevitably put in to bat when Hansie Cronje won the first toss of the series, not only survived but humbled the South Africa attack, Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, the lot of them.

Leading the way was Mike Atherton, free from the shackles of captaincy, who 10 minutes before the close of play edged Pollock, armed with the second new ball, to the third-man boundary to reach the 12th Test century of his career and his first in 13 matches since his match-winning effort in Christchurch almost 16 months ago.

Times really have changed. England will resume today at 249 for one, with Atherton on 103. It took him eight overs of acclimatisation before he angled Pollock to the third-man boundary to get off the mark. Only four of his runs came in the classic V between extra cover and midwicket, compared with more than 60 behind square on either side of the wicket, so it was an innings which was workmanlike and functional rather than exuberant. Only when he reached the eighties did his runs overtake overs bowled.

Yet that, in these conditions, is what opening batsmen are for, and there were still typical Atherton attacking shots to remember: the precise elbow-high cover-drive before lunch, and the one off Lance Klusener that took him to 96; a hook off Jacques Kallis and another when Cronje dropped short. Luck may have played its part but rarely has he played better.

Until Atherton and Stewart (28 not out) spent the last 1 1/2 hours adding 70 - the captain had intended to come in at four but Nasser Hussain was stretching his legs when the wicket fell so he thought what the hell - Atherton had had Mark Butcher for company. They not only survived the crucial first hour and the first session, but the second session as well and 32 minutes of the third before they were parted.

By that time they had scored 179, England's highest opening partnership for seven years and their fifth highest against South Africa.

Butcher was finally out, his concentration wavering after more than 4 1/2 hours at the crease: He had made 77, 10 short of his highest Test score, and well though he played he knows that over-ambition cost him a century.

As the catch went in Atherton threw back his head and cursed. Butcher had played excellently, though, straight in defence and attacking the bad ball early on without showing concern later when he went 35 overs without finding the boundary. Only when his impulse got the better of him and three times he launched injudicious attempts at square cuts did he seem vulnerable.

At face value Cronje might be accused of a cock-up with the coin. Eight years ago John Wright made the same choice for New Zealand only to see Richard Hadlee's first delivery bounce twice before it reached the keeper; Wright was happy to concede that he had got it totally wrong. But Cronje was let down by bowlers who were unable to control a seaming ball which swung extravagantly all day.

Donald was a shadow of his best, unable to find rhythm, direction or consistent length on a ground he knows so well, and Pollock, although the most dangerous and the likeliest to take wickets as he beat the bat time and again, likewise strained too hard.