The second leg of the ICC Test Championship Trophy decider gets underway in ten days time, with South Africa and Australia going head-to-head in a three match Test series.

The series is an early opportunity for South Africa to restore pride after the comprehensive mauling received at the hands of the champion side in Australia late last year. Then, a three Tests to nil whitewash exposed the fragility of the Proteas' championship title claims, although victory in the One Day VB Series provided a late confidence booster.

Stephen Waugh's side go into the series knowing that nothing less than victory will be enough to preserve its leadership of the ICC Test Championship table. Australia has to successfully defend the two points gained by winning the last series between the sides in South Africa in 1996/97, to keep its place as Test cricket's top ranked team.

Otherwise, South Africa's superior all round record - it won in India where Australia lost - would take it to the top of the table for the first time, having occupied second place since the launch of the official ICC Championship in May 2001.

ICC Test Championship Table, 12th February 2002

Team	      Played   Won    Lost   Drawn   Points   Average
Australia      13       9       2      2       20      1.54
South Africa   16      11       3      2       24      1.50
Sri Lanka      14       7       5      2       16      1.14
England        15       7       6      2       16      1.07
New Zealand    16       7       6      3       17      1.06
West Indies    14       6       7      1       13      0.93
Pakistan       16       4       7      5       13      0.81
India          14       4       7      3       11      0.79
Zimbabwe       16       3      11      2        8      0.50
Bangladesh     4        -       4      -        0       -

Win, Lose or Draw

* If Australia wins the rubber and the two points that go with it, the positions at the top of the table would remain exactly the same. The new series result would replace Australia's 2-1 victory margin from 1996/97

* A drawn series would see Australia lose a championship point and South Africa gain one. This would drop Australia's series points average from 1.54 to 1.46 while the Proteas' would rise from 1.50 to 1.56, taking it to the head of the table

* A South African win would secure a strong Championship lead, with two extra points boosting its average to 1.62. Two points lost by the visitors would mean a significant drop from its current 1.54 to 1.38

ICC Match Officials

Former West Indies Test player Cammie Smith is the ICC Match Referee for the series. International panel umpires will be Smith's West Indian colleague Steve Bucknor for the first and second Tests (Johannesburg, 22nd to 26th February and Cape Town, 8th to 12th March), with India's Venkat standing in the third match in Durban (15th to 19th March).

Biographies

Cammie Smith (29/07/33)
Appointed to ICC Match Referees Panel: 1994
Test Match Series as ICC Referee: 13
1st Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan 1994

Steve Bucknor (31/05/46)
Appointed to ICC Umpires Panel: 1993
Test Matches as ICC Panel Umpire: 35
All Test Matches: 63

Venkat (21/04/45)
Appointed to ICC Umpires Panel: 1994
Test Matches as ICC Panel Umpire: 35
All Test matches: 50

Media contact:

Mark Harrison
ICC Communications Manager
Tel: + 44 20 7266 7913/1818
Email: mark.harrison@icc-cricket.com

Or

Chris Nockels
ICC Cricket Operations
Tel: + 44 207 266 7915
Email: chris.nockels@icc-cricket.com

© ICC