Tufnell may sit out as Mullally warms up for fifth Test

Centurion - It would not come as a surprise if England drafted Alan Mullally back into the Test side, for what is the last throw of the dice with the fifth match of the Millennium Series less than 24 hours away.

In fact there is the distinct impression that England are going to front up with four seamers and Mark Butcher and Michael Vaughan are going to provide the alternate relief when the game starts tomorrow. Which suggests that Phil Tufnell is going to sit out both highveld Tests.

A bit of a risk as when it comes to the domestic A section games all sides usually go in with a spinner. Yet, if net sessions can be taken at face value and Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick were boiling nicely at the SuperSport Park nets in Centurion yesterday, Mullally's contribution was just as effective when England turned up for a morning workout.

And with the six "limited-overs" specialists seemingly not invited to attend the four-hour grilling in steam hot temperatures, the theory floating around that Nasser Hussain plans to stick by the Test squad for the last match of the series in which they are already 2-0 down is as watertight as it is going to get.

Which suggests that Mullally, who looked comfortable enough in the game in Port Elizabeth, will be the seam support with Chris Silverwood who bowled tidily enough but did not "burn it up" the way Gough pounded in and let fly. Mullally's left-arm swing is seen as a critical part of England's game plan and just coming back from injury his trial this afternoon is of critical importance to England's cause on what has not bee a tour to remember for the blond Leicestershire bowler.

Gough, though, is the sort of player who likes bounce in a pitch and Hilbert Smit, the operations controller of the company which handles pitch preparations at Centurion feels there should be fair bound as well as good carry.

Gough had a long hard look at the surface before and after his prolonged net session and seemed to be happy enough with what he saw: a brown straw-looking surface with a thick mat which is going to be cut at some stage tomorrow.

"It should be a little on the slow side for a period on the first day but it will quicken up considerably," Smit said yesterday of the pitch which has been used for first four Tests played at the venue.

The Yorkshire fast bowler, who has not been as successful as he would have liked in the series, seemed to be satisfied with what he saw.

Darren Maddy is also likely to be given another Test cap and be used at seven in the order ahead of Gavin Hamilton who has had a frustrating tour since the first Test at the Wanderers. On their Port Elizabeth form there is not too much to select between either player, but Maddy seems to be preferred.

England's captain, Nasser Hussain, explained the philosophy behind the possible change in the four-seamers approach with the thought that South Africa's batting depth makes them a hard side to beat.

"Having someone like Mark Boucher coming in at nine does make it tough and to bowl them out twice in these conditions makes it hard for us, so we have to find the right bowlers to do the job," he said.

"The only way to beat South Africa is to put them under pressure and stay in the game with them," Hussain added. "It means that when you are into the third or fourth days and are competing you are in the game with them because they worry about losing."

It also means England have to be more competitive and build a bigger first innings total than 350 if possible.