Intro:

England and South Africa trained in damp south London on Wednesday (July 18), ahead of a three-Test series that starts at The Oval - and ends with the winner at the top of the ICC (International Cricket Council) world rankings.

Script:

South Africa will have to adapt to the woeful British summer as they aim to extend their six-year unbeaten run in foreign Test series.

England host the Proteas at the Oval on Thursday (July 19th) in the first of three test matches, and captain Andrew Strauss says it's the perfect platform to prove their current ranking.

SOUNDBITE (English): Andrew Strauss, England captain:
"You know, I know that I am very excited about it. I think it will be a good gauge for us, as to where we are, actually. The rankings say we are number one but we have got to go out there and prove that now."

England's batsmen will have to be at their best against an attack spearheaded by the world's top-ranked bowler, Dale Steyn.

However South Africa captain Graeme Smith concedes the England bowling line up isn't too bad either.

SOUNDBITE (English): Graeme Smith, South Africa captain:
(Do you see it as a meeting of the two best bowling attacks in the world?)
"I think it is a fair assessment with the records and what the two bowling attacks have achieved. But we move forward into a series and we are hoping that they can carry on where they left off in the past and there are new highs for them to create hopefully."

If South Africa's bowlers can break the English defence and win them the series, they'll leapfrog the hosts to go top of the world Test rankings.