Donald to get a crack at the 300 test wickets in Bloemfontein

Allan Donald will have the benefit of home-ground support when he takes a crack at the 300 wicket mark during South Africa's first home Test match against New Zealand this summer.

Donald, who has 297 Test wickets to his credit, but who will miss South Africa's three-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August because of his commitments with Warwickshire, will be able to aim at 300 at Bloemfontein's Goodyear Park, according to the tour itineraries for the South African season released by the United Cricket Board on Monday.

South Africa will host six home Tests during the 2000/2001 season, three against New Zealand and three against Sri Lanka, and UCB managing director Ali Bacher said that Donald's proximity to three 300 mark had been a major consideration in allocating the first Test to Bloemfontein.

"Always assuming Allan is fit and is selected, it makes perfect marketing sense for him to aim at those three wickets in front of his home crowd," said Bacher.

New Zealand's two other Tests in South Africa will be played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth and at the Wanderers in Johannesburg while Sri Lanka's three Tests will be staged in Durban, Cape Town and at Supersport Park in Centurion.

Both New Zealand and Sri Lanka will each play six one-day internationals against South Africa. For the first time Kimberley, Paarl and Benoni will host the South African one-day team, while Potchefstroom has been awarded its first one-day international, featuring South Africa and New Zealand.

The tourists will each play two games in South Africa's previously disadvantaged areas. New Zealand will open their tour against Gauteng in a one-day game in Soweto and will play Border in Alice while Sri Lanka are marked down for matches at the PPC Oval in Port Eilzabeth and in the Durban suburb of Chatsworth.

Itineraries:

New Zealand in South Africa

October 18 - Gauteng (Soweto Cricket Oval)

October 20 - South Africa (Potchfstroom ODI, day/night)

October 22 - South Africa (Benoni ODI, day)

October 25 - South Africa (Centurion ODI, day/night)

October 28 - South Africa (Kimberley ODI, day)

November 1 - South Africa (Durban ODI, day/night)

November 4 - South Africa (Cape Town ODI, day)

November 7-9 - Boland (Paarl)

November 11-13 - North West (Potchefstroom)

November 17-21 - South Africa (Bloemfontein, first Test)

November 24 - Border (Alice)

November 25-27 - Border (East London)

November 30-December 4 - South Africa (Port Elizabeth, second Test)

December 8-12 - South Africa (Johannesburg, third Test)

Sri Lanka in South Africa

December 10 - Eastern Province (PPC Oval, Port Elizabeth)

December 12-14 - Eastern Province (Port Elizabeth)

December 17 - Kwa Zulu-Natal (Chatsworth)

December 19-21 - Kwa Zulu-Natal (Durban)

December 26-30 - South Africa (Durban, first Test)

January 2 - 6 - South Africa (Cape Town, second Test)

January 9 - South Africa (Paarl ODI, day/night)

January 12 - South Africa (Port Elizabeth ODI, day/night)

January 14 - South Africa (East London ODI, day)

January 19-23 - South Africa (Centurion, third Test)

January 26 - South Africa (Johannesburg ODI, day/night)

January 28 - South Africa (Bloemfontein ODI, day)

January 31 - South Africa (Cape Town ODI, day/night)