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It's the morning of the first Test against England at Lord's and I and my team-mates cannot wait to get on the hallowed pitch and get our pursuit of a series win underway.
For us this is a massive challenge.
Along with several team-mates I have played in two series in England. And although on both occasions we have looked good for overall victory we just haven't been able to cross the finishing line. And that, as much as anything, shows that any side that comes to England is going to find it pretty tough.
We know that we are going to have to work extremely hard for any win we can get.
But believe you me we feel this time we can get it right. We have a more balanced side than before and we have been working towards this for two years. We got the better half of a draw in India a few months ago and after our tour here in England we are away in Australia.
But for us this is a huge series and we are going to try and pull out all the stops to beat England in their own backyard.
We're quietly confident, have a prepared and settled side and those of us who have played here before know how to adapt to the English conditions.
And this time around we have an extra incentive to get the series win we crave. Back in 2003 we got off to a great start but we just took our foot off the gas and the memory of that horrible series draw will spur us on to try and go one better this time. It hurt us to be nearly 400 for four in the first innings of the last Test and then a few days later be looking at each other despondently after England had beaten us by nine wickets.
So we hope to avenge that defeat by being able to celebrate an all important series victory come the final day of the Oval Test.
EXPERIENCE AND PACE WILL COUNT
A lot has been said about Dale (Steyn) and Morne (Morkel) trying to bounce the English out. While they are undoubtedly an exciting and pacy pair to keep wicket to, too much hype has surrounded the young guys. They know that they are going to have to do more than simply bowl fast and pitch it short to get wickets in England. Here, more than anywhere, you have to put the ball in the right areas to get batsmen out. Although having said that I do expect a few of the England players to be jumping around the crease if those guys are bowling around the 145 km/ph mark!
But if we are to win in England then we need more than just Dale and Morne to come up trumps.
And we have the perfect back-up to our pace pair to put England under pressure. In Makhaya (Ntini) Andre (Nel) and Jacques (Kallis) we have guys that can both send wickets tumbling at one end and tie-up the other.
It's going to be that mix of youth, pace and experience that can help us finally get the series win we want. We have to adapt to the conditions quickly and so the 'old', I hope they don't mind me calling them that(!), trio of Makhaya, Andre and Jacques will all have as big a part to play as Dale and Morne, that's for sure.
It's wet in England at the moment and so I expect the ball to dominate the bat quite a lot. And our batting line-up is perfectly balanced to cope with whatever the likes of Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson dish out.
In Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers we have guys that can take the game away from the opposition in a session. While Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince can grind out the runs as well as anyone when the going gets tough. How these boys cope in tricky conditions could be key to the outcome of the series.
RESPECT ALL ROUND
Mention England v South Africa these past few years and you think it was only about Graeme Smith verses Kevin Pietersen!
But I have to say from our point of view the supposed 'battle' between the two has been hyped up. All I can say is that regardless of whatever happened, or what was said before there is a mutual respect between both of them now. It's water under the bridge as far as we're concerned. KP has been brilliant for England and I take my hat off to him. He's one of England's better batters and we will target him, but no more than the England guys are going to target Graeme - at the end of the day it's simply a battle between bat and ball.
Meanwhile, much has been said about the poor form of (Ian) Bell and (Paul) Collingwood and I don't envy either of them.Aa We all know that when Freddie Flintoff is fit he'll come straight back into the side. So they are both effectively playing for their places. And I'm sure I and the slip cordon will remind them of this when they are at the crease!
Test cricket is tough and if you have the opportunity to get underneath the opposition's skin then, so long as it's in the spirit of the game, you have to take it.
IS IT ANDRE OR GUNTHER?!
My team-mate Andre Nel is a great character and a good man to have around the dressing room. And it was great to read his explanation of why he can get so animated on a cricket field - he blames it on his alter ego called Gunther who lives up a mountain in Germany!
Whether he's just having a joke or not it's certainly an unusual excuse, that's for sure. But if he gets picked for the Test side over the summer I've no doubt he'll keep the crowds entertained. When Andre, or is it Gunther (?!), crosses that white line he's as aggressive as any class fast bowler. And there's no doubt it's better to be on his side rather than facing him!
>> Mark Boucher's column is brought in association with Aces Middle East
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