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The Australian Under-19 side, who start the NatWest one-day series against their English counterparts at Canterbury this morning, will bring some quality and mystique to a late summer.

Spectators at the St Lawrence Ground, and indeed viewers on Sky television, will undoubtedly be watching Australian Test stars of the near future.

When the young Australians last visited in 1991, they lost just one of their 16 games. That tour in next to no time spawned Test cricketers in Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Mike Kasprowicz, Greg Blewett and Simon Cook.

Their solitary reverse was a strange affair. In the second four-day international at Chelmsford, they declared their second innings on 338 for three only to watch England score the 403 required to win by four wickets.

England, the under-19 world champions, are intensely competitive at this level. The talent manifestly exists. It is what happens next that continues to undermine the English game.

Eleven of the Australian tour party are members, either full or part time, of their much-vaunted Commonwealth Cricket Academy, which offered them eight-month contracts back in April. After this tour finishes, the Academy take on all six Australian state second XIs in an organised championship before the year group disband at Christmas. After that, the intimidating world of Sheffield Shield cricket beckons.

``At any one time in Australia there can only be 66 first-class cricketers,'' says Richard Done, who helps Rod Marsh, the country's former wicketkeeper, coach the Academy side and Australia Under-19. ``By definition therefore you have to be playing at a very high standard even to get a game.''

In such a tough environment, international quality players are recognised almost instantly. Those who are only ``very good'' or have a slight chink in their armour return to grade cricket or are never seen again. The likes of Geoff Barr, who scored a fine unbeaten century for Australia in the third Test at Old Trafford eight years ago, or Aaron Littlejohn, the quickest of their fast bowlers, ultimately flattered to deceive.

Of the England party from 1991, three have played Test cricket - John Crawley (Lancashire), Ronnie Irani (Essex) and Mark Lathwell (Somerset) - and another seven make a living from the county game Phil Weston (Worcestershire), Mal Loye (Northamptonshire), Glen Chapple (Lancashire), Ben Smith (Leicestershire), Rob Rollins (Essex), Gary Welch (Warwickshire) and Adrian Shaw (Glamorgan). In addition, Richard Pearson and Mark Broadhurst enjoyed long spells in the professional game.

As for today, there is no real form guide as England will be making their seasonal debut. The Australians, in typically strident form, crushed an ECB (South) XI in two warm-up games at Eton on Tuesday and Wednesday.

``It's a fantastic challenge, exactly the sort of opposition our young cricketers should be confronting,'' Tim Boon the England coach, says. ``Their batsmen are all little Michael Slaters - well organised, quick feet and a large array of shots - and they have a well balanced bowling attack. But we've got class players as well.''

England (from): M Gough (Durham, capt), I Bell (Warwicks), G Bridge (Durham), M Bulbeck (Somerset), M Carberry (Surrey), R Dawson, J Inglis (Yorks), I Flannagan, J Foster, G Napier, W Jefferson (Essex), D Harrison, M Wallace (Glamorgan), G Haywood (Sussex), R Logan (Northants), C Liptrot (Worcs), J Maunders (Middx), M Whilley (Notts).

Australia: M Klinger (Victoria, capt), M Clarke, P Byrom, L Zammit (NSW), N Hauritz, M Johnson, D Mackenzie, A Rowe (Queensland), S Clingeleffer (Tasmania), D Harris, P Rofe, L Williams (Sth Australia), A Voges (Western Australia), B Oliver (Victoria).