Gough high on confidence

Centurion - If we are to believe in the Darren Gough school of practice and theory England are not going to be the pushovers many assume on their tour of South Africa this summer.

Back from an injury which sidelined him for most of the series against New Zealand in the second half of the British season, the irrepressible Yorkshire all-rounder who is better known as a fast-medium strike bowler than for his batting abilities, is confident Nasser Hussain's visitors are far better than their recent record suggests.

We had a bad (home) summer, he said of the series against the Kiwis which England lost 2-1. You get those and the results stick in peoples minds as much as they stink.

A year ago we had beaten South Africa by the same margin, and against Australia it would have been 2-2 but for the run out of (Michael) Slater which went against us. People are inclined to forget such matters. They are inclined to look at the results at face value and not how they were achieved, or why . . . he shrugged. We all want to see England do well and I know we are a lot better than our recent record and we can play as hard as South Africa.

They (South Africa) know we are a tough side to beat, a hard side to play and we give as good as we can get, Gough added. The comments were made with the sort of confidence and enthusiasm which has endeared the 29-year-old Barnsley born Tyke to England's rowdy Barmy Army fan club and the player also labelled the heartbeat of the England team by former coach David Lloyd.

It has been acknowledged by many, including the New Zealanders, that without Gough England's bowling attack was always battling along on a pair of crutches. Alex Tudor's groin injury was another factor which robbed England of two potential match-winners at a crucial stage of the season. And there was also the switch-over in captain mid-season with Alec Stewart axed for Hussain.

Gough's injuries have kept him out of the England side for long periods and the result is only 125 wickets in 31 Tests at 28.62. It was the serious calf injury during the World Cup which wrecked his hopes of playing against New Zealand.

His record this year includes the only Ashes series hat-trick by an Englishman this century.

It is his competitiveness which makes him the player he is with the simple philosophy that each game he plays could be my last, so I give it all while his view of England's lack of success has been blamed on the lower-order not scoring enough runs when they were needed: either when trying to set a target or chasing one.