test2wa

International Cricket

Herschelle Gibbs is confident speedster Dale Steyn can continue South Africa's fine heritage of fast bowling.

The 25-year-old strike bowler has been sidelined for several weeks with a broken thumb and missed the final two Tests of South Africa's historic first series win in England since 1965.

But he returned to action oN Thursday to help the tourists secure a comprehensive four wickets victory over the Lions with 11.1 overs to spare in their warm-up match at Grace Road.

Steyn, cutting his pace down to great effect, claimed one for 13 in his six-over spell with the new ball and returned overall figures of three for 27 as the Lions were dismissed for a lowly 184.

"He hit his line and lengths right from the word go," enthused Gibbs, who effectively settled the outcome with a determined 81 off 104 balls.

"The more the guys play, the more they understand what they need to do and when they need to do it.

"For the last year he can't put a foot wrong anyway, but he's not taking anything for granted and I think the more the bowls the more confidence and belief he gets in himself. He's got a really bright future if he stays away from injuries.

"His bowling was missed a little bit in the last Test, but that's the sort of impact he can make.

"He's following very much in the footsteps of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald and it's great for South African cricket - if he stays fit for a long time, I think he's going to do very well."

Steyn's display blew away a Lions line-up including six members of England's one-day squad and ensured South Africa were not affected by resting captain Graeme Smith, all-rounder Jacques Kallis, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and seamer Morne Morkel.

Gibbs is also expecting Morkel's older brother Albie to light up the forthcoming one-day series.

He has already signalled his ability against England by hammering 43 off 20 balls against them during last year's ICC World Twenty20 Championships.

"He's as exciting as they come," Gibbs added.

"He hits the ball really well and only needs to get half a bat on it and it will normally clear the ropes - he's just a really good striker of the ball.

"His bowling is probably not where it can be, but he's a dangerous batter down the order and there's no total that is safe even if we're a few down and he comes in."

Lions captain Rob Key, who top-scored in their innings with 51 off 62 balls, conceded it was a bad defeat.

"That was pretty much a drubbing really and that's not a true reflection of the two sides - I think we're a better side than that," he said.

"Whoever you're playing for, it's always disappointed to get beaten like that when you know you should have done better because you walk off the field thinking we mucked up and it should have been a lot tighter than that.

"We're probably more used to that sort of pitch than those guys are. It was a little damp in the morning but even so we should have been a little bit smarter with bat and ball."

The Lions face the tourists again at Derby on Saturday when they will be led by Middlesex's Ed Joyce before the NatWest Series begins with a Twenty20 International at Chester-le-Street next Wednesday.