BRISTOL, England, 8 July 2003 — South Africa captain Graeme Smith is backing former skipper Shaun Pollock to come good in the remainder of the triangular one-day series.

South Africa will face England in the final at Lord’s on Saturday after the hosts’ six wicket win over Zimbabwe at Bristol on Sunday ended the challenge of Heath Streak’s men.

But before then South Africa still have two matches - against England in a day night fixture at Edgbaston was yesterday and against Zimbabwe at The Rose Bowl on Thursday.

Pace bowler Pollock, 29, has been supremely economical with his 38 series overs costing just a touch above three apiece on average.

But has only taken two wickets even though he has often strangled opponents’ innings at birth.

Smith, who became captain after Pollock was sacked following hosts South Africa’s first round World Cup exit, said of his predecessor: “Pollock’s really bowling well. He’s leading from the front, getting a bit of pace and movement.

“He’d like a few wickets but I really think it will turn for him if he keeps doing the simple things well as he is at the moment.”

Pollock knows Edgbaston from his time at Warwickshire but the ground is infamous in South Africa as the place where four years ago the team exited the World Cup after a dramatic semi-final tie with eventual champions Australia.

Pollock is one of four survivors still in South Africa’s one-day side - opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, all-rounder Jacques Kallis and wicket-keeper Mark Boucher are the others - ahead of what will be the Proteas’ first game at Edgbaston since that dramatic match four years ago.

But whatever happens South Africa must still play Zimbabwe and fast bowler Streak, whose team were bowled out for just 92 by England on Sunday, said the final could go either way.

“South Africa have come good but England beat them in their first game (by six wickets at The Oval on June 28).

“But (fast bowler) James Anderson is a great find for them and with Darren Gough back, Andrew Flintoff keeping it tight and Richard Johnson making it move off the pitch, they’ve got a good attack.

England coach Duncan Fletcher insisted that his team, featuring several new faces after their first round World Cup exit, would not be easing up. “The most important thing is to win,” said Fletcher who saw England under new one-day captain Michael Vaughan beat Pakistan 2-1 earlier this season.

Former Zimbabwe skipper Fletcher said Andrew Flintoff’s 37-ball 47 not out which saw England home on Sunday had come as no surprise to him.

But Flintoff’s form pales beside that of South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis. In three series innings, Kallis has made two hundreds, one unbeaten and an 82 not out, leaving him with an extraordinary average of 314.

Gough’s Fitness Key to Test Recall, Says Fletcher

Darren Gough will have to prove his fitness in first-class cricket if he is to earn an England Test recall, coach Duncan Fletcher has said.

Former Zimbabwe captain Fletcher was speaking after Yorkshire quick Gough bowled the team to a triangular series One-Day International victory against Zimbabwe here on Sunday.

Gough took four for 26 from nine overs as the Africans were dismissed for just 92 — their lowest One-Day International score against England — in a match the hosts won by six wickets to guarantee their place in Saturday’s Lord’s final against South Africa.

But Gough, 32, has been troubled by a succession of knee injuries which, until England’s one-day campaign this season, had sidelined him from international cricket for the best part of a year. And Fletcher said Gough still had much to do if he was to make it into the team for the first Test against South Africa at Edgbaston starting on July 24.

“The only guy who knows whether he is fit enough for Test cricket is Darren. To bowl 25 overs one day and maybe 15 the next, and stand in the field, is a hell of a lot different to one-day cricket.

“Maybe he will need the test of another four-day game for Yorkshire to see if he can do it. We need the experience of a fit Darren Gough in the Test side. We’ve just got to make sure he is fit enough to be out there for five or six sessions.”