A fresh pitch is being used and there is a nice breeze around. 66m and 69m square boundaries, 78m hit straight down the ground. Does not look any different to the surface that was used in the England-West Indies game. The numbers back up the notion that this venue has more runs in it than most venues. Michael Atherton reckons it might be a challenge for South Africa, having played three games previously in New York and this being a much better batting strip. He adds it does not matter whether teams bowl first or bat first, although England might want to chase after their success against the West Indies.