Mixed Emotions for Harmison on Return From Injury

England pace man Steve Harmison was happy to claim six wickets on his first-class comeback, but admitted to being "rusty" as he sent down a total of 23 extras for High veld Lions.

Harmison has been signed up by the South African side for two matches as he bids to prove his fitness and form to the international selectors ahead of England's Test series in Sri Lanka. Peter Moore's' touring party has already been selected but the coach has left the door open for Harmison, who has not played for England since June due to a hernia injury.

Harmison returned six for 91 from 27.3 overs as Cape Cobras were bowled out for 294, but was frank in conceding he was far from his best. "It was difficult, to be honest," he said. "This is sort of my pre-season. It's the first real sort of cricket I've bowled since the middle of July, and even then it was only eight overs, so probably since the fourth Test match in England (against West Indies) at the end of June. I've not really played that much outside and I must admit I did spray it a little bit. But I've got six wickets and I'm happy with that."

Harmison famously started the last Ashes series with a wide into the hands of Andrew Flintoff at slip and he struggled once again with his radar, despite picking up wickets at regular intervals. "The wickets weren't everything to be honest," he said. "I was disappointed with the way it came out. I bowled a lot of wides. In the last two or three years I bowled six no-balls and I bowled eight in this game, so that tells its own story. I'm a bit rusty and I'm not fully with it. So there were good things and bad things.

"The positives were I got 28 overs under my belt, I fielded for 102 overs in decent heat in very, very good competitive cricket and got six wickets. The downside was my action wasn't as good as I would like, but we're a month away from the first Test match and there's still a lot to work on. At the end of the day, I've got six for 91 off 28 overs and my team is in a good position. All I'm here for is to try and win games for the Lions and at this minute in time I think I'm happier being in my position than in being in the Cape Cobras' position."

The Durham fast bowler insisted he was in peak physical condition after the spell but admitted he still needed more overs before he was ready to compete at international level. "I'm over the injuries and I'm fit, but the one thing I'm not is bowling fit," he added. "That's a big difference that any bowler who reads this will understand. I'm in the gym, I'm doing the fitness stuff, and I've got good miles in my legs, but I'm not bowling fit and I've not got the overs under my belt and that's what I need to do. Hopefully these next three or four weeks will do that."