ALL those dark clouds settling gloomily around the fitness of West Indian fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose were blown away as the sun shone in on Nixon McLean at Springbok Park yesterday.

His first delivery of the tour brought him a wicket and he went on to torment Free State, South Africa's first-class champions, in a surge of hostile, accurate attacking that yielded seven for 28 in 10 overs.

With the First Test in Johannesburg just five days away, the tourists were bouncing around like jackpot winners, especially when South African captain Hansie Cronje fell to McLean in his team's grim 67 all out in 24 overs.

The West Indies had been worried about Walsh and Ambrose. Walsh has been absent because of an ankle injury while Ambrose, suffering with a painful toe, had not turned an arm over since long before those infamous Heathrow debates that put the tour in jeopardy.

Yesterday Ambrose bowled 12 overs and took a wicket without touching top gear while Walsh was jogging his way back to fitness. However, McLean provided the best news of the day.

There is more than fast bowling to his name. His father named him after the late American president. His brothers are called Kissinger and Reagan and his sister is Golda, after the former Israeli leader, Golda Meir.

Dad was a student of politics, perhaps? ``No, he used to listen to the radio every morning and called the kids after the names he heard and liked,'' was the answer.

McLean opened the bowling with Ambrose after making a sound impression with the bat, scoring 46 of West Indies 316 all out, with three fours and a six.

If that knock announced his presence, his use of the new ball surely established him as a member of the Test side to play at The Wanderers, Johannesburg, starting on Thursday.

Three of his victims, Gerry Liebenberg, Cronje and Nicky Boje, were snapped up with viper reactions at short-leg by Philo Wallace as McLean dug the ball into the pitch and up towards the batsmen's rib-cage.

At one point Free State were 32 for eight and McLean had seven of them for 18. Only the 20-year-old future Test prospect Mornie Van Wyk showed any resilience or imagination against the assault and he compiled most of his 32 not out when McLean and Ambrose were tiring.

Brian Lara looked at his lead of 249 runs and instead of enforcing the follow-on and a possible win inside two days, decided to give his batsmen more time in the middle. In his own case the plan misfired. He was bowled for nought.

As for Walsh and Ambrose, clearly the twin spearhead of the Test attack despite the emergence of McLean who improved during his English season with Hampshire earlier this year, Lara said: ``These guys are professionals. They know what's expected of them and they'll be there.''

Day 3: Recovery inspired by Cronje

By Nelson Clare in Bloemfontein

SOUTH African Test captain Hansie Cronje made an unbeaten century as Free State moved to the brink of an extraordinary victory over the West Indies at Springbok Park in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Set 438 to win, Free State, bowled out for 67 in their first innings, ended the third of four days on 412 for eight, just 26 runs from victory. Cronje was on 147 not out, made off 141 balls.

Yesterday's play, extended for half-an-hour after rain on the first day, saw 487 runs scored and 16 wickets fall.

Cronje, who hit 13 fours and six sixes, was superbly backed up by 20-year-old fast bowler Johan van der Wath.

Van der Wath took five for 26 while Cronje claimed three for 23 as the tourists, with a 249-run lead on the first innings, tumbled to 188 all out in their second.

West Indies captain Brian Lara had decided not to enforce the follow on because he wanted his batsmen to spend time at the crease before the first Test against South Africa, starting in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The South African selectors, meanwhile, have recalled veteran off-spinner Pat Symcox and picked uncapped fast bowler David Terbrugge in a 12-man squad for the first Test.

Day 4: Cronje leads the way to victory over West Indies

HANSIE CRONJE, South Africa's captain, handed down a warning to the West Indies just three days ahead of the first cricket Test starting in Johannesburg on Monday when he led his Free State side to a two-wicket win over the tourists in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Cronje, unbeaten on 158, and the fast bowler Johan van der Wath shared a provincial record of 135 for the ninth wicket as Free State reached a target of 438 in the final innings after being bowled out for 67 in the first innings.

With Free State needing 26 on the final day, the West Indies claimed the second new ball at the start of play but Cronje and van der Wath scored the runs off 40 balls.