THE DUEL

 

Image Credit- Wisden.

Venue- Trent Bridge, Nottingham [July, 1998].

In the summer of 1998, South African Cricket Team toured England to play 3 ODIs and 5 Tests. The Proteas won the ODI series 2-1 and after the end of 3 tests the visitors were also leading the test series 1-0. In the 4th test at Trent Bridge, England needed 247 runs to win the game and level the series. It was thus a must win game for the English to remain alive in the series. 

Furthermore, how will English batsmen handle the threat of Donald, Shaun Pollock, Steve Elworthy, and Jacques Kallis was the main focus of attention. A tough fighter and a stickier customer at the crease, Atherton guided England through a tough period in the 1990s. Although it is debatable if he was truly world-class, he did fit in the mold of a traditional Test opener who was never afraid of a fight.

As the English innings continued, Atherton remained unharmed despite Donald's continuing barrage of short pitches by dodging, weaving, and using soft hands to keep the ball on the ground while simultaneously sustaining many knocks to the body. When he finally had the chance, Atherton pulled forcefully to frustrate Hansie Cronje. However, when Atherton was in his 20s, Donald hit him with a scorching, rising ball, but the umpire did not signal out. This made Donald even more furious. The anger reached next level when Boucher dropped a catch of his bowling. However, he did apologize to his fellow mate after the end of over. 

After hours of struggle, Atherton led his team to victory. He maintained his perfect record of 98, and helped England remain in the series that they would eventually win with the assistance of an equally determined Nasser Hussain. Donald, who was disappointed with his performance, came in second place, while Atherton once again shown extraordinary concentration skills and took the initiative with bravery and tenacity. 

Michael Atherton stayed undefeated on 98 off 277 balls and held onto the crease for 353 minutes. The English won the match with 8 wickets and later the series 2-1. However, the conflict between Atherton and Donald resembled nothing less than a heavyweight fight between two boxers. Both players were at the height of their abilities and when Donald, also known as the "White Lightning," bowled a lightning-quick ball to Atherton, the crowd went wild. 

To watch the duel between Donald and Atherton, Click Here.