Prince salutes king Morkel

Ashwell Prince was on form in the recent tour match against Somerset

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Netting against South Africa's fast bowlers must be like sparring with Lennox Lewis in his prime - batsmen must bob and weave or take a battering.

Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel can all propel a cricket ball at 90 miles an hour meaning batting practice for Ashwell Prince and his team-mates is hardly an enticing proposition.

Helmet? Check. Thigh pad? Check. Chest pad? Check. The list of protective gear is long and vital when facing the fearsome threesome.

On the flip side, come through a session unscathed and you know you are in pretty good shape to face any bowler in world cricket.

Having batted against all three speedsters, Prince is ideally placed to give an expert view on the South African attack.

With most of the focus on world number one Steyn and the thoroughbred Ntini, the vice captain believes another bowler could prove to be the ace in the pack.

"Our three right-arm bowlers all offer something different," the vice-captain told ecb.co.uk. "Ntini brings it back into the right-handers, Steyn is quick through the air and swings it away and Morkel is six foot plenty and gets plenty of bounce. The balance of our attack is good too.

"We have a structure to our net sessions where the new ball bowlers bowl to the top three batsmen, that will be Ntini and Steyn, so Morkel always ends up in my group with (Jacques) Kallis and (AB) de Villiers. I have seen a lot of him and I rate him highly.

Prince is expecting big things from Morne Morkel

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"Obviously Dale Steyn is the leading fast bowler but Morkel could come on strong in this series. Steyn's performances speak for themselves but Morkel has almost gone unnoticed. He could be our secret weapon."

The tourists' attack is rightly feared but their batting line-up is equally destructive. With Graeme Smith returning to the country where he burst onto the international scene - he cracked back-to-back double centuries at Edgbaston and Lord's in 2003 - and Kallis looking in ominous form, England's bowlers could have their work cut out.

Last week South Africa pummelled the Somerset attack for a staggering 455 runs in just one day with Kallis and Hashim Amla hitting centuries.

"It was a good warm-up," said Prince, who finished unbeaten on 63 in the first innings. "I think winning the toss was a good thing, it was a good batting wicket, quick outfield and short boundaries. Most of the boys were happy with their efforts over the three days.

"I got 60-odd in the first innings. It was nice to spend some time at the crease and the Somerset bowlers had one or two spells where they tested us a bit."

South Africa started their final practice match on Friday, taking on a Middlesex side that includes Andrew Strauss at Uxbridge. Despite the Taunton scorers being forced to scribble at an alarming rate, Prince insists his team-mates are still learning how to play on these shores.

Ntini destroyed England at Lord's five years ago

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"We are still getting used to English conditions," he added. "England can be overcast, the ball can do a bit off the seam and it can swing. Compared to South Africa the pitches are slower and softer, so you have to play straight."

The much-anticipated npower series starts at Lord's on Thursday, a ground where South Africa have won all three Tests since their readmission to international cricket.

In 1994, captain Kepler Wessels hit 105 as his side cruised to a 356-run win - form that was repeated four years later when the visitors triumphed by ten wickets following a ton from Jonty Rhodes and five wickets from Allan Donald.

It was business as usual in 2003 with Smith, who smashed 259, and Ntini, who finished with 10 wickets, the chief tormentors.

"We have a good record at Lord's and hopefully we can continue that," said Prince, one of a number of South Africans who has not played at the famous ground. "I don't think it gives us a psychological advantage though. With us maybe only getting one opportunity to play at Lord's maybe it fires us up more than it does the home boys.

"Everyone is looking forward to the Test. Playing at Lord's is a good experience for any cricketer. You look forward to that sort of opportunity as it might only come around once in your career.

"Lord's is special, it's the home of cricket. You read about games there, watch games there and the atmosphere is always good when you watch it on TV. As a batsman you want to get your name on the board."

Prince wants to get his name on the Lord's board

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South Africa's form is impressive, they are unbeaten in seven series, but Prince knows a a trip to England is a different matter altogether.

"We know England will pose a challenge," he admitted. "We have a few guys with some experience of touring England and leading up to the first Test there will be plenty of discussions about local conditions, Lord's, the slope of the pitch. We have to try and prepare appropriately.

"They have a good side at the moment and have been successful against New Zealand home and away. I don't think they have any weaknesses in their team.

"They have a solid batting line-up and good bowling too. Ryan Sidebottom has come back into the side and was their Test player of the year. He adds left-arm variation which is something we have not had for a while, and he brings good balance with Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar.

"We will respect them but we are quite confident that we can take 20 wickets and that's the most important thing when trying to win a Test match."

An enthralling npower Test series awaits.