Remember when I said this last week?

"If trends are anything to go by, both the Windies and the Indians got high scores of 408 and 627 in their 1st innings of the series - after that it was all Steyn, Ntini, and Morkel.

Shows what the English are in store for after their 593-8 in the 1st innings."

The trio sure have proved me right and David Lloyd all wrong as England face an innings defeat after a huge 522 by South Africa.

11 of the 13 English wickets to fall thus far for 250 odd runs have been taken by Steyn, Ntini, and Morkel.

You still say there's no guile Mr. Lloyd?

David Lloyd said this about Steyn, Ntini, and Morkel:

"Pace is nothing with guile"

Big words those from Lloyd.

He's talking about the same men who didn't let New Zealand go beyond 188 in 4 innings.

Or didn't allow Pakisan to get over 300 apart from 1 occasion when Pakistan battled to 315-4 to save the test.

The same men who allowed the Windies a score of 408 once and the never more than 300 again.

Or who allowed Sehwag to smash 319 in an Indian total of over 600 but never let them cross 400 in the series again. In fact got them out for 76 as well.

Surely Steyn, Ntini, and Morkel have something more than pace.

Or is Lloyd correct?

If trends are anything to go by, both the Windies and the Indians got high scores of 408 and 627 in their 1st innings of the series - after that it was all Steyn, Ntini, and Morkel.

Shows what the English are in store for after their 593-8 in the 1st innings.

Did you see Shaun Pollock have Kallis all tied up when the Mumbai Indians took on the Royal Challengers?

Did you watch Graeme Smith move away when Makhaya Ntini ran in to bowl his first delivery when the Rajhastan Royals took on Chennai Super Kings? Did you see Ntini lose his run up when he ran in again to bowl to Smith?

Did you see Ntini bowl a maiden to Smith where he beat him all ends up and had him hopping around

Did you watch Smith hit Ntini for 2 consecutive boundaries once he found his feet?

Did you see Herchelle Gibbs first see off Ntini and then smash him for a 6 and a 4 when the Deccan Chargers took on the Chennai Super Kings last night?

The South Africans up against each other has probably been the best enounters of country vs country battles in the Indian Premier League so far.

The Pakistanis have come close in proving that they are their own worst enemies with Sohail Tanvir snaring Salman Butt in the space of 3 deliveries and Afridi taking 1 to remove Misbah. But in terms of battles the Safrikaans have been 1 up.

A Safrikaan hasn't yet got the wicket of another but the bowlers have had the batsmen tied up, and then the batsmen have come back to take the upper hand.

Another Safrikaan battle is on the cards today - its Shaun Pollock taking on Graeme Smith as the Mumbai Indians go up against the Rajhastan Royals.

Its the Safrikaan captain taking on the man he replaced.

Pollock will bowl the first over and Smith will face the first over. Who will have the upper hand? Will a Safrikaan do what the Pakistanis have done?

The Royals have looked like the best side in the compeition, while the Indians have just started to taste success and recently beat the Daredevils, the strongest side of the competition.

There will be no Sachin vs Warne, but the encounter promises to be a cracker.

Two teams, weak on paper, but playing exciting cricket under two inspirational captains are bound to produce good cricket. I can't believe I just called Pollock an inspirational captain but the way he led his team against the Delhi Daredevils was like a Pollock never seen before.

It all goes down today at 230pm GMT.