Durban: Murky skies and damp underfoot conditions at Kingsmead should see an extension of Mornantau Hayward’s Test career on Sunday as the South African selectors opt for an unchanged side for the third match of the series against England.

And it should be interesting to see how England, psychologically, adapt to the thought of facing yet another battering from the South African pace attack in what is the crucial game of this particular five-match Test series.

Unless the skies clear and there is a major change in the weather pattern, South Africa’s selectors are unlikely to opt for Paul Adams’ spin ahead of the pace generated by Hayward in what could be helpful Kingsmead conditions.

A little one-dimensional perhaps but if South Africa hope to maintain their hold on a side which has had about two convincing performances on tour, the all-pace option makes a lot of sense. Especially when you examine the matches at a venue where anything above 330 is out of the ordinary and the one century by a local batsman is that by Kepler Wessels against an average India attack.

It is indicative of pitch preparation in recent years as groundsmen have attempted to creature a surface where batting skill is reduced to a mental ``survival by instinct'' approach.

After the batsmen friendly surface in Port Elizabeth following the heavily criticised three- day debacle at the Wanderers on a Chris Scott manufactured special, Kingsmead could also earn a few black marks from England captain Nasser Hussain should fears of another green top emerge.

After the Wanderers experience, and uncertainty about Michael Vaughan’s injury, little wonder that England coach Duncan Fletcher viewed with some concern about the inadequate preparation for the crucial phase of the summer’s Test programme. There is no doubt that in his mind England have not had too much luck with the weather in their build up to the Kingsmead outing.

Yesterday they were reduced to a session of throw downs and if the weather remains as it has been South Africa, who train in the afternoon will also have to go through a similar routine.

``There is pressure on both sides to produce in the next two Tests,'' Fletcher said at Kingsmead yesterday. ``It is frustrating but you cannot do too much about the weather.''

As it is there is still a few doubts about Mark Butcher’s position to open the innings and batsmen such as Darren Maddy is no doubt a touch miffed at the way Team England’s management have called for Mark Ramprakash to join the side as cover for the injured Vaughan. It begs the question of what is wrong with those on tour with the side?

Ramprakash ran into problems with Ray Illingworth, the supremo of the 1995/96 side, when he failed in the first two Tests. Now he has been called up again.

South Africa, however, with a 1-0 lead from the Wanderers victory go into the Kingsmead match still 5/2 favourites to take the series. Whether the game is going to be another rain-affect statistic, though, could see both sides head for Cape Town and the Millennium Test with a second draw.

South Africa (from):

Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Daryll Cullinan, Hansie Cronje (capt), Jonty Rhodes, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Allan Donald, Paul Adams, Mornantau Hayward.

England (possibly from):

Michael Atherton, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain (capt), Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Chris Adams, Andrew Flintoff, Gavin Hamilton Alex Tudor, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough, Phil Tufnell.

Umpires:

Dave Orchard (SA) and Doug Cowie (NZ); TV: Rudi Koertzen

Hours of play: 10.00am- 12.00pm;12.40m-2.40pm; 3.00-5.00pm.

© CricInfo