Proteas must start well in Tests

LEGENDARY South African fast bowler Allan Donald believes the team’s recent mauling in India gives England plenty of hope for the forthcoming Test showdown.

Alastair Cook’s team are in the country preparing for the four-Test series against the world’s topranked nation, which gets under way in Durban on Boxing Day.

And they would have been heartened to witness South Africa’s recent 3-0 series loss in India, where their highest total posted was a mere 214 amid a succession of embarrassing batting collapses.

Former paceman Donald, pictured above, who played 72 Tests for South Africa between 1992 and 2002, said: “South Africa will have a lack of confidence coming into this series. You always know it’s going to be tough in India but this was a different scenario. They have got some selection problems, especially in the top-order.

“But South Africa are not the No 1 Test team in the world for nothing and they know how to win in their backyard. They’ll make it very, very tough for England.”

As is often the case, England will rely on their frontline quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad – who have both enjoyed a profitable 2015 – to skittle the South African top-order and swing the balance in their favour.

Donald, who was a bowling consultant for England in 2007, added: “This is a rampant England side coming off the back of an Ashes win, so I reckon they would look at this whole thing and think they could turn South Africa over.

‘It’s going to be tight and it’s how South Africa start... if they don’t start well, it’s going to be a long series for them.”

Donald, 49, was speaking after walking alongside English cricket icon Sir Ian Botham on the third stage of his charity walk across South Africa.

Botham and his crew completed a tough 25km leg near Kayamandi, as his epic adventure continued.

The fundraisers have already walked two stages in the Cape Town region and now move east to Port Elizabeth for the next instalment.

Beefy Walks the Rainbow Nation is raising funds for four South African charities – Nazareth House Cape Town, Chipembere Rhino Foundation, the Waitrose Foundation and the Kliptown Youth Programme.

Donald added: “He [Botham] talked me into getting my running shoes on. You’re not going to think twice about doing something like this, something he’s been doing for years now.” – Daily Mail