Their dominance, extending back several years, is all the more remarkable in that cricket's limited-over format is a game traditionally as unpredictable as Russian roulette.

Cronje makes no apologies for believing that his team can win the tournament. "We are setting goals which we believe are realistic," he says. "It isn't pressure, it's a challenge."

Since Cronje and coach Bob Woolmer came together at the start of the 1994/95 season, South Africa have won 77 one-dayers and lost 22.

All that is missing is a World Cup.

In 1992, the South Africans, just back from their apartheid-induced isolation, missed out on the final after a controversial rain rule washed away their chances against England.

In 1996, they won all five group matches, lookedthe best side in the competition and then lost their Karachi quarter-final against the West Indies as Brian Lara hit a century.

Woolmer will be stepping down as coach after the World Cup and Cronje says this will probably be his last tilt at winning the event. The side will never be better-equipped to do so.

In Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis and Lance Klusener, they have three genuine all-rounders. No other side can boast such a trio. Cronje, a pugnacious number five and a bowler of niggardly medium pace, and Jonty Rhodes, the best, most flamboyant fielder in the world and a batsman of growing stature, complement them.

Allan Donald provides the cutting edge to the bowling, which only lacks a provenspinner, while the batting, once regarded a potential Achilles heel, is now regarded as top bracket. There is plenty of hard-nosed know-how as well. Seven of the team played in the 1996 tournament, while Cronje, Rhodes and Donald are all playing in their third World Cup.

And there is form. Over the pastseason, South Africa have won the Commonwealth Games event, the mini World Cup in Bangladesh, whitewashed the West Indies 5-0 in their Test series before beating them 6-1 in the one-dayers and also beaten New Zeal and away in both formats.

There is only one blot. South Africa will be playing `politically incorrect' cricket in England after only including one non-white player, Herschelle Gibbs, in their 15-man squad.

South African Sports Minister Steve Tshwete is so furious with the failure to include more burgeoning players from the Rainbow Nation's minorities that he is refusing to support the team.

Cronje's team, however, may be able to do without his backing. A few months ago, Australian star Greg Blewett said that "in one-day cricket these days there isn't any side that stands out apart from South Africa."