Any Test captain will tell you how the best-laid plans can be made to look ordinary by the likes of Jonty Rhodes, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Mark Boucher.

All are impressive timers of the ball who score a large number of boundaries. In the last 13 Tests, South Africa's first five wickets have produced 2,687 runs and the last five 2,245. Surely no other Test team can even begin to compete with that, bearing in mind the speed with which it has been done.

England have felt that frustration and all the bowlers - Darren Gough in particular - think they should knock over a side that has reached 178 for six, only to find them ending up with 374, as was the case in this match. It is not the first time it has happened and has been done too regularly to be a fluke.

Throughout three eras South African cricket has had batsmen who have produced respectable Test bowling performances and vice versa. This has been invaluable in the development of the game and to this day is the key feature of South African cricket.

Jacques Kallis is coming of age as a batting-first-bowling-second all-rounder and Pollock's maiden century is surley just around the corner.

Throw in Hansie Cronje's mediums, Darryl Cullinan's off-breaks, Boucher's gutsy batting and recent-addition fast bowler Steve Elworthy, whose innings of 48 runs was laced with handsome strokes, at number nine.

Elworthy admits that he himself suffered by never being regarded as an all-rounder and that his 48 runs yesterday ``helped to settle the nerves a bit.

``Runs, after all, are a bonus for me. I came here to take wickets and I'll never forget dismissing Nasser Hussain.'' All the ingredients for South Africa's stated goal of making everything team-orientated and for ``each other''. It is an all-round team-bonding philosophy that provides focus and stability to their play.

Bob Woolmer realises that because South Africa do not have world superstars like Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar (although Pollock and Allan Donald must be in any World XI), they need to concentrate on making all 11 players as proficient as they can be in all facets of the game. No wonder they are feared by all Test teams.

If you were to pick an immediate difference between these two teams it is the South African lower order's ability to fashion out unlikely scores from dodgy situations. It might still have a bearing on this match.