Date-stamped : 16 Nov95 - 06:36 Electronic Telegraph Thursday 16 November 1995 Test preview: Illingworth doubts threaten England`s fighting spirit By Christopher Martin-Jenkins in Pretoria THE great South African all-rounder, Aubrey Faulkner, once ob- served that whereas the average Australian cricketer tends to play a little above himself in a Test match, the Englishman tends to play a little below himself. Two generations have come and gone since he said it but the En- glish character has not changed. Particularly at the start of a Test series, too diffident an approach has tended in recent times to be fatal: in five of their last six series, England have lost the opening match. Against a South African side full of confidence and national pride, nothing but the Agincourt spirit will reverse the trend over the next five days at Centurion Park, on the outskirts of Pretoria. The reverse at Kimberley in their last match excepted, England have so far looked a fit and competent team and the gen- eral mood is positive, but familiar indecision about the make-up of the final XI yesterday hardly promoted the impression of a team standing `like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start`. Leaving out only the three Lancastrians, John Crawley, Peter Mar- tin and Mike Watkinson, selectors Ray Illingworth and Mike Ather- ton postponed a decision until shortly before the toss this morn- ing. As expected, Mark Ramprakash will bat at three and Robin Smith at six but Illingworth, who must finally take responsibili- ty, remains undecided about the right attack and the fact that the groundstaff were watering the pitch yesterday despite a thun- derstorm the previous evening hardly helped to clarify his mind. The chances are that he will include his namesake, Richard, and omit Devon Malcolm and Mark Ilott from the 13. The manager is ob- viously suspicious of the groundsman`s strategy and a little con- fused by a pitch which, paradoxically, looked yellower and drier from a distance yesterday than it had the day before. It was damp rather than wet and though Illingworth said, in contradiction to his counterpart, Peter Pollock, that "it`s difficult to get a good, firm pitch if you keep adding water", he was also diplomat- ic enough to concede that "they know their wickets and they know how to prepare them". Since losing the first Test of their home series against New Zea- land last November, South Africa have won five Tests in a row Two matches this season on other parts of a square used through the winter by the boys of Clive Rice`s Cricket Academy have been decided by the spinners, and though the groundsman, Hilbert Smit, was groundsman of the year last season, he has never prepared a five-day pitch before. It is hard to believe that there will not be some help for Richard Illingworth if he plays (or for Graeme Hick and Ramprakash, the part-time off-spinners, if he does not) in temperatures which turn the steering wheel of a car into an untouchable ring of fire after 15 minutes in the sun. Mark Ilott, who would be almost as unlucky as Crawley if he were omitted, might be included as one of four fast bowlers if it is humid to- day. The South Africans have no such uncertainty. Pollock said that the pitch was the "hard, fast, bouncy" one for which he had been hoping and unless there is an element of bluff in his statement the only spinner in the home 12, Clive Eksteen, is expected to be omitted, leaving five fast bowlers - Allan Donald, Brett Schultz, Craig Matthews, Brian McMillan and Shaun Pollock - and captain Hansie Cronje with every chance of being fined by referee Clive Lloyd for slow over-rates. Play is scheduled to run from 10.30am to 5.30pm (8.30 to 3.30 GMT) but 90 overs will be bowled and the light is playable until at least six. Atherton, in common with other Test captains, has been prepared to accept fines if the chances of winning a match demand long spells by fast bowlers. In temperatures expected to exceed 90F, it will be harder work for England with only four specialists. At least both sides can trust two of the best umpires in the world, Cyril Mitchley and Srini Venkataraghavan. Since losing the first Test of their home series against New Zea- land last November at Johannesburg by 137 runs, significantly without the help of Donald, South Africa have won five Tests in a row. They beat New Zealand in the other two games of that series by eight and seven wickets respectively, and then humiliated Salim Malik`s notorious touring team in January this year, beat- ing them at the Wanderers by 324 runs. Donald was back from his foot injury by then and New Zealand were defeated again in a one-off Test in Auckland in March. Man for man there is little to choose between the sides It was Donald, with 11 wickets in the match, who made sure that the sequence was completed against Zimbabwe in Harare while Eng- land were packing their coffins to come here. (Coffin is the name given to the top-of-the-range cricket bags and this impressive recent form does not necessarily mean that England`s chances of winning the series are about to be consigned to one). It is only on a form-line through Australia, with whom South Africa drew both at home and away, that they have logically been made favour- ites on their home grounds now. Man for man there is little to choose between the sides. England`s batting is stronger, with three players averaging over 40 - Smith, Graham Thorpe and Atherton - (and Alec Stewart, due for a good series, hovering on 39), compared to South Africa`s McMillan and Cronje. South Africa have the best bowler on either side in Donald, but England can counter with the reliable Angus Fraser and the trump card, Dominic Cork. At their best, England will upset the odds and win. In view of Jack Russell`s outstanding form, two specialist bets might appeal: IG Index offer a spread of 65 to 70 points for Russell in this match at one point for every run, five for a catch and 10 for a stumping. Sporting Index suggest a spread of 350-370 for Russell for the series at one point for every run and 10 for either a catch or a stumping. Source :: Electronic Telegraph Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)