Adam Bacher is expected to be preferred to Garhardus Liebenberg as openers for the game at headquarters, although like England South Africa may opt for a second spinner - weather permitting.
But after the wettest and coldest June in 30 years the chances of Pat Symcox playing his first test in England are remote. The possibility looms that he may get a more favourable nod for the third test of the series at Old Trafford in Manchester.
The suggestion is that England's batsmen, watchful of Paul Adams' cunning wrist-spin at damp Edgbaston, a couple of weeks ago, will have worked him out by the ewnd of this test. Certainly he put the brakes on the scoring rate in England's two innings in Birminingham.
He is, however, no Shane Warne and Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe are two batsmen who could be given the job by the England selectors to sort out the 21-year-old ``Mr Twister'' as he was labelled by a couple of tabloids on the 1996 South African A team tour.
Apart from ducking showers, Hansie Cronje's tourists spent most of yesterday's practice either at the indoor nets or warming up at the soggy outsdoor variety.
Another change at Lord's is that the pitch for the test is the same re-laid one on which England were routed for a paltry 77 by Australia 12 months ago. And the smilarities do not stop there, either. Day one of the Ashes Lord's test was rained off (a distinct possibility if the weather forecast is any guide) and on the second rain curtailed England to 38 for three. On day three Glenn McGrath and Paul Reiffel fired off more than a few rounds of well-aimed buckshot. McGrath ended with eight for 38.
According to John Jameson, MCC's cricket secretary, it was not that there was anything wrong with the surface, as Australia's batsmen proved. McGrath bowled particularly well and England's batsmen did not have a hope the way he used the slope. As it now has had a further year to settle down, it is likely to be a little faster than those South Africa have been batting on so far this tour. Whether that will make any difference depends on the weather.
It was Jameson's view that most of Lord's re-laid pitches tended to have a little more pace than the old ones. But it could be a slow seamer's surface, which might help South Africa.
Now, the South African pace bowlers, especially Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener, have developed a habit of bowling a shorter length than England's quartet.
But the main thought here is whether Allan Donald, after treatment to his ankle injury, can achieve the same improvement displayed by McGrath did between the first and second tests a year ago.
What is worrying some of the touring team's management is the decision 12 months ago to curtail South Africa's in between tests assignemnts. After Lord's we have a four-day game against British Universities and a one-day county slog.
Once Old Trafford's out of the way it is off to Holland and then Ireland for a series of more one-dayers before a couple of four-day county matches leading to the fourth test at Trent Bridge in Nottingahm.
Not enough games to help along the so-called ``second stringers'' and with Elworthy at 33 hardly inexperienced in English conditions, giving him less work instead of more is not going to aid South Africa's cause should one of the three front-line quicks break down.