Donald, Pollock rock Kiwis

Donald (3-54) and Pollock (4-34) relished the traditional pace and bounce after having struggled in two New Zealand innings at sticky Eden Park in Auckland.

The controversially glued Eden Park pitch produced a high-scoring draw after becoming a graveyard for the bowlers.

Donald, who over-strained in the first Test and damaged his stomach muscles, suffered a recurrence of it and was forced to leave the field during his 18th over today. “It was a precautionary measure,” manager Goolam Rajah said. “It was coming to the end of the innings and we thought it was best for Allan to leave the field.”

“Hopefully with two days of resting we think he will be able to bowl in the second innings,” added South African physiotherapist Craig Smith.

Donald, 32, the country’s leading wicket-taker in Tests, has not competed in all of his last three Tests due to injuries.

Also carrying an injury is Jacques Kallis, who aggravated a toe injury which restricted him to just five overs.

To add to New Zealand’s misery on the first day, new-ball bowler Simon Doull was forced to leave the field during his first spell.

Doull sprained his left ankle and team physiotherapist Mark Harrison said it was too early to determine whether the seamer will be able to bowl again in the South African innings.

New Zealand did well to recover from an ordinary start to post 104 for three at lunch. But soon after it lost three wickets in 13 balls as the innings sunk to further trouble against Donald and Pollock.

It was the second time Nash’s decision after winning the toss had backfired on New Zealand. In the first Test he sent South Africa in and watched them score 621 for five in 200 overs over two days.

More than good bowling, it was the self-destructive batting that undid the home side on what appears to be a good batting pitch.

Earlier in the innings, opener Matthew Horne hit 36 runs in 77 minutes and helped Nathan Astle add 42 runs for the third wicket.

Astle, who had the benefit of a doubt in whether an edge carried to Daryll Cullinan at first slip, hit eight boundaries in his two-hour stay at the crease off 83 balls.

Scoreboard

New Zealand (1st innings): Matthew Horne c Kirsten b Kallis 36, Bryan Young b Donald 5, Roger Twose c Cullinan b Pollock 0, Nathan Astle c Klusener b Donald 44, Gary Stead c Boucher b Donald 27, Chris Harris c Adams b Pollock 0, Adam Parore c sub (Dale Benkenstein) b Pollock 14, Dion Nash lbw b Adams 14, Daniel Vettori lbw b Adams 18, Simon Doull c Boucher b Pollock 0, Geoff Allott not out 1; Extras: (4lb, 5nb) 9, Total: (all out in 63.4 overs) 168

Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-18, 3-60, 4-112, 5-115, 6-115, 7-138, 8-157, 9-157

Bowling: Donald 17.5-4-54-3, Pollock 17-5-34-4 (5nb), Klusener 12-3-37-0, Kallis 5-1-21-1, Cronje 6.1-4-9-0, Adams 5.4-2-9-2

South Africa (1st innings): Gary Kirsten batting 35, Herschelle Gibbs batting 15; Extras: (2lb, 2nb) 4. Total: (for no loss in 24 overs) 54

To bat: Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje, Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, Allan Donald, Paul Adams

Bowling: Doull 5.5-2-6-0 (1nb), Allott 9-2-29-0, Nash 4-0-15-0 (1nb), Astle 0.1-0-0-0, Vettori 4-3-1-0, Stead 1-0-1-0