Variable bounce giving Australians work-out - Marsh

Shaun Marsh is confident that Australia will be well-prepared for the threat of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel after they faced a barrage of fast, hostile bowling in the tour match in Potchefstroom. The first Test at Newlands is unlikely to feature a pitch similar to the trampoline they encountered in their first innings of the warm-up match.

The young fast bowler Marchant de Lange and Vernon Philander led a terrific bowling performance from South Africa A, as deliveries flew around the heads of Australia's batsmen. Marsh was the victim of one such blow when he was struck on the helmet trying to duck Philander and it was that variable bounce that made it so tough, even for batsmen used to the WACA, like Marsh.

"It's good preparation for what you're going to come up against in the first Test match," Marsh said. "There are some fantastic bowlers in the change room and we're going to be coming up against even better bowlers next week. It's been a good challenge for us.

"It's just variable bounce, really. Some of the time you're not sure whether it's going to bounce or not, and you've just got to make sure you watch the ball hard. It's a good challenge against their quicks. They've got some fantastic quicks coming through."

The most promising of those on the second day was de Lange, whose short run-up belies his speed and bounce. A former javelin thrower, he speared the ball into the turf and delivered a barrage of bouncers to Australia's lower order, to finish with 5 for 66.

"He's a great prospect," Marsh said of de Lange. "He's very quick, he's got steep bounce and I think he's got a huge future in front of him."

Not that the surface could have been much friendlier for de Lange. Michael Hussey was also struck by a bouncer and Ricky Ponting copped a blow on the first day. One particular patch of turf at the north end was the culprit, as batsmen were surprised by the bounce if the ball hit at the wrong angle, while other deliveries kept low.

"It's been a little bit up and down, but it's what we've had to play on," Marsh said. "We can't complain too much, we've just got to get out there and play on it and try and get as much as we possibly can out of it.

"It played a lot better today. You could tell by the scores. It was a little bit tricky yesterday but it played a lot better today and I'm sure it's going to play even better tomorrow."

All the same, 13 wickets fell on each day, and the match could well be over on Thursday if Australia can knock over South Africa's tail early. The lead stood at 151 at stumps on the second day, and the Australians would be hoping for a chase of no more than 250.

"It's going to be a good challenge for us to face their attack again, chasing hopefully not too many more than what they've got now," Marsh said. "It'll be another good day for us to practice and get ourselves ready for the Test match."