July 10, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 6, 1429

LONDON, July 9: South Africa will display bowling firepower reminiscent of the great the West Indies side of the 1980s at Lord’s on Thursday when they start their campaign to win a series in England for the first time in the post-apartheid era.

There is a steely confidence in the South African ranks before the teams clash on Thursday in the first of four Tests.

Graeme Smith, still only 27, is the most experienced captain in world cricket and he believes he is at last fielding a side comprising the best cricketers in a multi-racial South Africa.

The batting combines the flair of A.B. de Villiers with the solidity of Hashim Amla batting around the supreme accumulator Jacques Kallis and backed up by veteran wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.

But it is the pace attack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini that excites South Africa and their supporters.

Coach Mickey Arthur was asked on Tuesday to compare his attack to the raw pace of unremitting hostility and remorseless accuracy bowled by the masters of their craft that propelled the West Indies to an era of unparalleled success in the 1980s.

He sounded an obligatory note of caution when he told a news conference: “They have got a long way to go to be there but these guys are hugely exciting. It really is going to be a treat to watch them bowl this summer.

“I said at the start of our summer in South Africa that in two years’ time we would have number one and two in the world in Steyn and Morkel in the bowling rankings,” Arthur stated.“I still believe in two years time we will have number one and two in the world that’s how excited I am about these two.”

Each of the three strike bowlers reaches speeds in excess of 145km an hour, the difference between fast and seriously quick.

Steyn, the speediest of the trio, has had a phenomenal start to his Test career, capturing 120 wickets from 23 Tests at an average of 21.60 with a strike rate of 35.8, the best by some distance for South Africans who have taken 100 wickets or more.

Morkel is tall, only marginally slower and extracts threatening bounce. Ntini, the veteran of the attack with 344 Test wickets, angles the ball awkwardly into the right-handers.

“We wanted three guys who can bowl over 140. We wanted one that could swing it in which Steyn does, he’s slightly fuller, slightly skiddier,” Arthur said. “We’ve got Makhaya, who bowls from a wider angle taking it across the left-handers especially.

“And then you’ve got big Morne Morkel, who gets unbelievable bounce and also bowls it right up there.”

England are set to find out just how good a Test match side they are during their series with South Africa according to captain Michael Vaughan, who announced an unchanged team here on Wednesday.

Vaughan, speaking at Lord’s, said South Africa would represent a huge step up in class from New Zealand, who England beat 2-0 last month.

“South Africa are obviously a different proposition in terms of their bowling attack. They are a lot more pacey and come at you from different angles,” Vaughan explained.

“They have had a wonderful year. They are a settled team with a good mix of experience and youth,” added Vaughan, who singled out in-form Steyn.

“Steyn is No 2 in the world and will be a big threat. In terms of their batting, that’s going to challenge all our bowlers. But we swing the ball and it should swing here over the next few days.”

England batting has been inconsistent and middle-order batsmen Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood face the axe if they fail to deliver.

The bowlers have the shadow of Andrew Flintoff hovering in the background with the Lancashire all-rounder certain to be recalled once the selectors are satisfied he can last five days.

England opener Andrew Strauss, who will be playing his 50th Test, told a news conference the fast bowling would be a challenge.

“More pace on the ball provides opportunities as well, if they bowl well it’s going to be hard work, if they bowl slightly off line there may well be more opportunities to score,” he said.

“Both teams are using the series as a launch pad to be the number one side in the world and that’s going to make it very competitive.”

Teams:

ENGLAND: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (captain), Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Tim Ambrose (wicket-keeper), Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Monty Panesar.

SOUTH AFRICA (probable): Graeme Smith (captain), Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher (wicket-keeper), Paul Harris, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn.

Umpires: Daryl Harper (Australia) and Billy Bowden (New Zealand).

TV umpire: Nigel Llong (England).

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).

—Agencies