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As England approach tomorrow's crunch game against South Africa at the Oval, which will probably determine which team finish top of their World Cup group, David Lloyd, England's outgoing coach, has indicated that Jack Birkenshaw is the best possible candidate to succeed him when he leaves the post after the competition.

``He would slip into the job very nicely,'' Lloyd said of the man who has coached Leicestershire to two championship titles in the past three seasons. ``He would be easy with the players, and the system, and he's pretty well respected. He's a real cricket man, steeped in the game.''

Lloyd announced his departure this year after discussions with Lord MacLaurin, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, led him to believe that his contract would not be renewed. Before he joins Sky Television this summer as an analyst, he wants his successor to know that he will benefit from the developments over the past three years.

``The system that has been put in place is strong,'' Lloyd said. ``It's a good management and coaching unit. We would concede, the players and myself, that we haven't got the results we've striven for, but that's not to say they won't come.''

Lloyd played down the game against South Africa, which brings him up against Bob Woolmer, the English coach, who, like him, is leaving his job at the end of the World Cup. Woolmer, based in Cape Town, has made no secret of his desire for a clean break after a five-year term of office but his name is repeatedly linked with the England vacancy.

Simon Pack, the ECB international teams director, flew to South Africa last month to find out whether he would be interested in the post. At the moment it is a diplomatic cat-and-mouse game, which can only be resolved after the World Cup. Woolmer will not comment on the matter until then, and ECB officials maintain that he is not the only candidate.

Lloyd, supervising the England players as they took an optional net at the Oval yesterday, was supremely unconcerned about the match throwing them together in a battle of wills. As well he might be. Last summer, when they met over five Tests, England won the series 2-1. ``I can only reiterate what Bob told me last year when he said, 'I'm not after your job'. And I'm not after his.''

Both sides have won their two games so far. England have made short work of Sri Lanka and Kenya, while South Africa have beaten India and Sri Lanka with a good deal to spare. England have used only four batsmen in those victories, which does not worry their coach.

``If we'd won by two wickets,'' Lloyd said, ``people would have said the batting wasn't strong enough. Whoever you play, you can only win, and we've won two matches very well, particularly against Sri Lanka, in which they were tactically naive. They need to be more confrontational but I still think they'll do some damage in the group. But our batsmen have said, 'We'll probably get a go this game'.''