England captain Michael Vaughan believes his side are about to face an Ashesstyle examination that will show whether they are on track to tackle Australia next year.

Andrew Flintoff joined Vaughan's men during today's indoor practice session at a wet Lord's, sending out another reminder he will soon be back to bolster a side that have won four matches out of five against New Zealand without him.

But, come the morning, Vaughan will lead out an unchanged team for a record sixth consecutive Test, insisting he has bags of faith in them making life tough for favourites South Africa at the start of the summer's second npower series.

"A series against South Africa is nearly up there with the Ashes," said Vaughan. "We obviously don't have the little urn to play for but it's always a really big series for the guys; always a hard-fought contest, very tough.

"The players in my side are very excited about coming up against this challenge and over the next five weeks we are going to find out whether we have developed into a good Test team."

Unlike New Zealand, South Africa have a red-hot pace attack and a batting line-up stuffed with experience. And, also unlike the Kiwis, they are unbeaten in their last seven series, a run which has taken them to No 2 in the world rankings behind Australia.

"They have had a wonderful year," said Vaughan. "They have a good blend of experience and youth and obviously they are a different proposition in terms of their bowling attack. That will be a big threat to our batsmen while their top order includes people who have scored a lot of Test runs.

"But I'm quietly confident with the way we swing the ball - and it should swing with these conditions - that we can put them under a lot of pressure. We got better in the NZ series and started to pay some decent stuff.

"We know will have to continue in a similar vein but I think it's a series we can win.

"We've got to play well this week and try to get off to a good start. But we are at home and I think conditions can favour the style of bowlers we have.

"We are developing into a skilful Test but we are all going to be tested over the next few weeks."

Flintoff would have been back in the team against New Zealand but for a side strain. But now his return seems imminent and clearly Vaughan is looking forward to that moment.

"We want him back in the team," said the captain. "He's not far away and he's here with us, just to get his foot in."

The Second Test perhaps? "It could be," said Vaughan. "I guess it depends how he goes this week [a championship match for Lancashire against Hampshire]. Hopefully, he will have a good game, we'll have a good game and the selectors will have a tough decision."

Flintoff's presence at Lord's today will make batsmen Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood feel under even more pressure, assuming he is ready to return as an allrounder. If it's just as a bowler then either Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad could make way.

"How we get Andrew Flintoff in the side we'll have to decide once he's available and had enough cricket," said Vaughan. "It's just great to have him back among the team."

For the moment, England's attack must try to get among South Africa's batsmen as they did the Kiwis. But the home batsmen may actually prefer to face a bit more pace.

"The New Zealand series tested us in very different ways," said opener Andrew Strauss. "In some ways that attritional type of cricket is harder to play because you're fighting with yourself a lot of the time, whereas against South Africa you're pitting yourself against the opposition a bit more.

"They're trying to bowl you out, you're trying not to give an inch and it's all there in front of you.

"More pace on the ball provides more opportunities to score. If South Africa bowl well it's going to be hard work for us. If they are slightly off line there may be more opportunities to score than there were against the New Zealand's bowlers, who were very disciplined without so much pace.

"But it's easy to get too focused on the pace aspect. The crucial factor is how good they are - and that's what we will find out in the next few days and weeks."

Strauss found South Africa's attack to his liking during the 2004-05 tour, contributing three centuries to England's 2-1 triumph. But the 90mph-plus trio of Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel offer a more potent threat.

"It can he unhelpful to look back too much because I've changed as a batsman and they've changed as bowlers," said Strauss, who, like Kevin Pietersen, might have been playing for the opposition had he stuck with the country of his birth.

Not that many people remind him of that fact with Pietersen's background to concentrate on. "I think I slipped under the radar," said the left-hander when asked whether he has copped much flak from South African opponents.

Apart from scoring big runs, Strauss's other concern this week will be for his pregnant wife Ruth. But unless Mrs Strauss's timing is spot on - and she produces the couple's second child when her husband is not on the field - there will be no dash from Lord's to hospital. "My wife fully understands," he said.