SA exact terrible revenge

Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock began to exact a terrible revenge on England in the evening sunlight at Lord's yesterday. Humiliated at Edgbaston with a display of bowling so off beam that sabotage to the guidance system might have been suspected, the pair steamed in, cranking the Speedster measuring device up to the 90 mph mark and beyond, and in 13 overs, ripping into the England batting.

By the close of the second day, Nasser Hussain and Dean Headley, who had been sent in as nightwatchman, were left clinging on by their fingernails to the superstructure of the England innings, much as the South African batsmen had done in the first session of the match.

In the space of three deliveries during a torrid opening, Pollock and Donald - the latter doubtless fired up by an ill-advised blow in the ribs from Headley - disposed of Mike Atherton without scoring, and his latest opening partner, Steve James, for nine. Pollock followed up by having Alec Stewart lbw for 14 in the penultimate over.

On a pitch that was essentially on the slow side - but now that the sun had been on it, already showing signs of erratic bounce - it was stirring, not to say ominous stuff.

Atherton, who had played marvellously well for his century in the first Test, even if he did ride his luck like a rodeo king, was undone by a delivery that stood up so startlingly that Mick Hunt must have watered the pitch with Viagra between innings.

James had already confirmed his reputation as a capable disposer of the half-volley by twice clipping Pollock to the onside boundary, but then underlined his fallibility against the ball that is straight and short of a length by gloving a catch down the legside to Mark Boucher.

Stewart and Hussain counter-attacked briefly, adding 25, but Stewart, on the back foot, received the scuttling antithesis to Atherton's delivery and departed shaking his head at the injustice of it all.

The early part of the day had been dominated by Jonty Rhodes and Hansie Cronje, who took their fifth-wicket partnership to 184.

Cronje made 81, but Rhodes, out for 95 in the first Test, went on to reach 117, his second Test century, before he was caught behind by Stewart off the inside edge, just as he had been in Birmingham.

There was further inconvenience from Mark Boucher (35) and Lance Klusener (34), who added 67 for the eighth wicket before Dominic Cork finished the innings by having Paul Adams caught behind, giving Stewart his fifth catch of the innings and Cork figures of six for 119, further evidence of his re-emergence as a strike bowler of true international quality.

Rhodes has been a revelation. Whizz-bang fielder he may be - arguably the finest and certainly the most gymnastic the game has seen - but it would not be doing him an injustice to say that as an international batsman he has been a terrific hockey player.

The figures tell their own story: since he first played for his country in 1992, he has played 52 innings in 33 Tests, and a further 124 innings in 135 one-day internationals as well as umpteen knocks in extraneous tour matches.

Instead, an innings against Gloucestershire elevated him to the status of major player and now his name will be stencilled onto the honours board in the visitors' dressingroom at Lord's.