Date-stamped : 20 Jul94 - 18:26 South Africans end 29-year wait Returning outcasts of world cricket prepare for emotional scenes at start of the first Test at Lord's on Thursday Peter Pollock realised a schoolboy dream then endured the night- mare of isolation. Now the rehabilitation is almost complete It is the ultimate boyhood cricketing ambition - a Test match at Lord's. Some dream of merely getting there. Others are bolder, seeking a century or five wickets. It is not over-dramatisation or soppy sentimentalism to accord such status to Lord's. To many, it is the culmination of their cricketing aspirations. Certainly, as brother Graeme and I battled through many backyard England and win at Lord's. Those two boys could not have asked for more. I well recall my first visit to watch a Test at this famous ground in 1961 when a Bill Lawry century spearheaded an Australian vic- tory. I fondly remember a young Graham McKenzie collecting five wickets in the one innings. How I hoped that one day I would do the same. The opportunity came in 1965, in the first Test of a three-match series. The 'Golden Eagle', Colin Bland, marked that encounter with two brilliant run-outs that turned the match and had England struggling to avoid defeat at 145 for seven in a drawn match. Five wickets did not come my way, but a turning point involved me hitting John Edrich on the head with a bumper. He had a run-spree in the earlier Tests against New Zealand but after being carried from the pitch, he never batted against South Africa again. It was an unforgettable match. England, who had a 58-run first-innings lead thanks largely to Ken Barrington's 91, were set 191 to win just before lunch on the final day but that target receded steadily. The second Test at Trent Bridge has been constantly relived by South Africans. Indeed, in isolation all you have are the memories. From a personal viewpoint, the fact that it still represents one of the most notable fraternal contributions to a Test triumph enhances its memory. South Africa won by 94 runs with Graeme scoring 125 in the first innings and 59 in the second. My first-innings haul of five wickets for 53 was followed by five for 34 in the second. It was one of our greatest moments. We drew the third Test at the Oval to win the series. A timely thunderstorm put that match to rest. Set to score 399 in their second innings, England were 91 short, six wickets in hand and 70 minutes to play when the deluge struck. The pundits argued, the critics lamented but we were happy, the series safely tucked away. A dream had come true - we had beaten England in England. The only aspect missing was that the victory had not been achieved at Lord's. But as the South Africans returned to Johan- nesburg, triumphant and satisfied, how were they to know it would be 29 years before the two countries would meet again? The dark clouds had been looming. The world was beginning to express its disgust at apartheid but while pressure was mounting, cricketers remained naively optimistic. Then came the rejection of Basil D'Oliveira. A few of us were in England at the time, playing in a series of Rothmans World XI matches. We were stunned. Perhaps for the first time, the seriousness of it all hit home. England re- fused to come to South Africa because of the treatment of D'Oliveira, then came the cancellation of the 1970 tour to Eng- land and finally the 1971-72 visit to Australia. South African cricket, at the time boasting arguably the best team in the world, had been banished to the wilderness. Earlier this year I reminded a large gathering at a Taverners banquet in Melbourne that they should beware taking things for granted. I spoke specifically of the game of cricket and how we had got so caught up with our own indulgences that we had forgotten the simple blessing of participation in Test cricket. It was emotional to be in Australia for the 1992 World Cup. It was a similarly moving experience watching Kepler Wessels lead the team out at Melbourne on New Year's Day last year for the return to battle with Aus- tralia. But it is going to be the ultimate at Lord's, for that represents the true homecoming of South African cricket. As I sat with two former Australian cricket presidents at lunch during the Melbourne Test last December, the subject of how quickly the team had adapted to world cricket was raised. Yes, I agreed, it had been little short of miraculous. I wonder how many other coun- tries could be isolated for 21 years and return so resolutely. It says much for the courage, determination and sheer guts of Wessels and his team that since returning from isolation they have beaten India and Sri Lanka 1-0 and drawn 2-2 with Australia in the three series they have played. In one-day internationals, they are 8-8 with Australia, 4-4 with the West Indies and 7-6 up on India. One thing you do not gain in isolation is experience. South Africans are desperately short of that and do not have any illusions concerning short cuts. Only Wessels has played a Test at Lord's. That is frightening in terms of the lack of experience but there is a competitiveness and fighting spirit that belies this dearth of experience. One can talk of Andrew Hudson and the fact that he has already got himself a rating in the top 10 of world batsmen, or of Allan Donald, who is similarly recognised as a bowler. Wessels needs no introduction, and Peter Kirsten and Brian McMillan have done county duty but when it comes to Hansie Cronje, Jonty Rhodes, Fanie de Villiers and Craig Matthews, they may have been read about and enthused over, but have not played enough matches to enjoy any real rating. Perhaps that is part of the excitement of it all. It is not a young country emerging, rather it is an old giant that was knocked out and banished. The structures and interest were still there and, more importantly, there were the likes of Dr Ali Bacher working on a dream. Yes, it is great to be back. And please forgive us if there are tears in our eyes and a lump in our throats as we watch the South Africans take the field at Lord's. Emotional? Sure. But 29 years is a long, long time. Peter Pollock appeared in 28 Tests for South Africa between 1961-69. He took 116 wickets at an average of 24.18. (Extracted from The Daily Telegraph) Contributed by Vicky (VIGNESWA@*umass.edu)