England must use the final Test to their advantage and gain some much needed confidence at Centurion Park, according to BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Angew.

Nasser Hussain, the England captain, has announced that this, the final Test, is "a crucial game."

In fact, in terms of the series, it is completely meaningless and the cool, wet change in the weather has done little to lift the gloom that hangs over the team following their poor performance in Cape Town.

England's record overseas is desperate.

In the last 10 years, they have beaten only New Zealand (twice) but at least the last four tours have maintained interest until the very end.

All the England team has to play for over the next five days is pride although for a number of players - and this, I suspect, is what Hussain meant - another failure could spell the end of their international careers.

The most obvious cricketer in this category is Mark Butcher whose flailing bat has let himself and the team down on this tour.

It is a great shame because there is no more likeable chap or, on a hard, flat Oval pitch, a more attractive batsman.

He simply appears unable to restrain himself in conditions that offer the bowlers some help, and his stroke so early on the final morning at Cape Town set the tone for England's dismal attempt to save the game.

Adams under pressure

Chris Adams is another batsman who must make the most of this opportunity. I had high hopes of him before this tour began: I imagined himself playing a bristling, defiant innings or two in the middle order.

But the South Africans - who are always meticulous in their preparations - have worked him out. A couple of short balls, then a juicy, inviting full-length delivery wide of the off stump, and Adams chases it with a flashing drive.

Once or twice he has despatched it to the cover boundary, but too often, he has edged to the wicketkeeper or slip.

Darren Maddy might very well get a chance here as the replacement for Andrew Flintoff.

He would bat out of position if that is the case - he prefers to open rather than play at number six or seven - and although he has impressed Hussain and Duncan Fletcher with his attitude, he needs to back that up with a score.

Unfortunately, one 'phone call to Mark Ramprakash or Flintoff, himself, would spell out the difficulties that Maddy will face: England's lower order is hopeless - with the exception of Caddick - and the odds are that Maddy would end up protecting the tail from Allan Donald and Sean Pollock.

There were signs at Cape Town that Darren Gough was beginning to find the rhythm that has been lacking for much of the series.

He should enjoy the bowler-friendly conditions at Centurion Park, which has a formidable reputation.

It is a relatively new ground - England's opening match here four years ago was the first Test to be staged there - but since that game, which was almost completely washed out, no Test has lasted more than four days.

So, meaningless, it might be, but as England continue to search for the combination of players that will finally take them in the right direction, some individuals will feel that their careers depend very much upon the outcome.