This is James Anderson's last chance to have a good match at the Wanderers and, along with Stuart Broad, deliver England a series win. He was a young kid in our team when we beat South Africa in Johannesburg to win the Test series in 2004-05. Anderson came in for his one Test of the series at the Wanderers, replacing the injured Simon Jones, and he sprayed it everywhere.
It was a tough ask for him. He was a bit-part player, young and did not quite know his action. He tried to bowl as quickly as he could and I remember looking at him from mid-on and thinking, 'you have no idea where they are going'. He took two for 117 in the first innings and barely bowled in the second.
But the first wicket he took in the match, Herchelle Gibbs, just gives this England team a little clue as to how you have to adopt a slightly different mindset at the Wanderers. Anderson bowled a wide one and Gibbs was flying so he threw everything at it. He got a thick edge and was caught by Matthew Hoggard at deep third man. It is actually an important fielding position at the Wanderers because of the pace, bounce and the fact the ball flies through the air at altitude.
Alastair Cook, Anderson and Broad will have to be clever in their field placings to allow for those factors. At the Wanderers you do not always need a conventional gully. A cover point 10 yards further back can be a good catching position. Reading conditions is always key at the Wanderers. You have to capitalise when they are in your favour with bat or ball.
There will be times with the ball when you have to be bold by bowling fuller with aggressive fields, a bit like England did against Australia at Trent Bridge. Hit the right channel as many times as possible and aim for that inch and a half below the top of off stump.
England must also catch better than they did at Newlands because Wanderers is a ground where you will get a lot of chances behind the bat. Broad and Anderson are the two players to lead for England. They are two world-class performers, and five years older than when they last played at the ground. Then England's batsmen were blown away by the short ball and there was little Broad and Anderson could do to drag it back for England.
Now, however, they have an intimidation factor. South Africa know they have to play out of their skins to get a good enough total against Anderson and Broad.
Yet even experienced bowlers have to be wary at the Wanderers. It is tempting when you see the ball flying through to the keeper to bowl back of a length. It looks good. But you have to make the batsman play as much as you can. Bring him forward playing with a straight bat. If he is playing a cross batted shot then you are bowling too short. If the pull shot and cut shot are coming into play then you need to go fuller.
Try to get South Africa playing down the ground. You can always protect that area with fielders. Just do not get excited with the carry through to the keeper. England have been consistently good at putting the ball in the right areas for a long period now; it is not the bowlers who have let England down, it is the batters.
At the Wanderers, in 2010, they tried to be too macho by taking on the short ball. A lot were dismissed being overly aggressive. There is nothing wrong with ducking under a few short balls.
It is something I would like to see Joe Root doing a bit more. He should like batting at the Wanderers. He is playing so well but he has to make it count. There will be a period in his career when batting does not come as easy as it does now. I think he can go down in the gears a little bit. The reason he is getting to 70 quite quickly but then getting out is because he is playing a high-risk game.
It is great to watch but if he wants to make big scores on a regular basis he may just have to temper that attacking instinct. Just be risk averse when the opposition are bowling well. Not many in the world have got away for long with playing the pull shot all the time without the odd duck or a sway. I would like him to duck a few just to frustrate the bowler because at the moment they know he will take them on and that gives them a chance.
South Africa have injuries and will not be the potent force England feared at the start of the tour. But they like playing at the Wanderers. They look at home here and their attack still deserves respect. Chris Morris will be better for his debut last week, Kagiso Rabada bowled well and A?B de Villiers should insist on four quicks, bringing in Hardus Viljoen for a Test debut. He has taken 20 wickets in two first-class matches at the Wanderers this season. England will be happy to face an English-style seam bowler like Kyle Abbott. But they will not want to face is someone raw, quick and on his home turf. South Africa will make a massive mistake if they do not pick him.
The Wanderers is a good cricket ground. You know as a batsman that if you play well there is a good chance of scoring quickly but you can also be found out. It is one of best Test wickets in world. It produces wonderful cricket. There will be a result, unless it rains, and this is the week for England to win the series. Do not give South Africa a way back and leave it to the last Test at Centurion.
The Daily Telegraph This is James Anderson's last chance to have a good match at the Wanderers and along with Stuart Broad, deliver England a series win.
He was a young kid in our team when we beat South Africa in Johannesburg to win the Test series in 2004-05.
Anderson came in for his one Test of the series at the Wanderers, replacing the injured Simon Jones, and he sprayed it everywhere.
It was a tough ask for him. He was a bit part player, young and did not quite know his action. He tried to bowl as quickly as he could and I remember looking at him from mid on and thinking 'you have no idea where they are going.' He took two for 117 in the first innings and barely bowled in the second.
But the first wicket he took in the match, Herchelle Gibbs, just gives this England team a little clue to how you have to adopt a slightly different mindset at the Wanderers.
Anderson bowled a wide one and Gibbs was flying so he threw everything at it. He got a thick edge and was caught by Matthew Hoggard at deep third man.
It is actually an important fielding position at the Wanderers because of the pace, bounce and the fact the ball flies through the air at altitude.
Alastair Cook, Anderson and Broad will have to be clever in their field placings to make allowances for those factors. At the Wanderers you do not always need a conventional gully. A cover point ten yards further back can be a good catching position.
Reading conditions is always key at the Wanderers. You have to capitalise when they are in your favour with bat or ball.
There will be times with the ball when you have to bold by bowling fuller with aggressive fields, a bit like England did against Australia at Trent Bridge. Hit the right channel as many times as possible and aim for that inch and a half below the top of off stump. England must also catch better than they did at Newlands because Wanderers is a ground where you will get a lot of chances behind the bat.
Broad and Anderson are the two players to lead for England. They are two world class performers, and five years older than when they last played at the ground. Then England's batsmen were blown away by the short ball and there was little Broad and Anderson could do to drag it back for England.
But now they have an intimidation factor. South Africa know they have to play out of their skins to get a good enough total against Anderson and Broad.
Yet even experienced bowlers have to be wary at the Wanderers. It is tempting when you see the ball flying through to the keeper to bowl back of a length. It looks good. But you have to make the batsman play as much as you can. Bring him forward playing with a straight. bat. If he is playing a cross batted shot then you are bowling too short. If the pull shot and cut shot are coming into play then you need to go fuller.
Try and get South Africa playing down the ground. You can always protect that area with fielders. Just don't get excited with the carry through to the keeper.
England have been consistently good at putting the ball in the right areas for a long period now. it is not the bowlers who have let England down it is the batters.
At the Wanderers in 2010 they tried to be too macho by taking on the short ball. A lot were dismissed being overly aggressive. There is nothing wrong with ducking under a few short balls.
It is something I would like to see Joe Root doing a bit more. He should like batting at the Wanderers. He is playing so well but he has to make it count. There will be a period in his career when batting does not come as easy as it does now. I think he can go down in the gears a little bit. The reason he is getting to 70 quite quickly but then getting out is because he is playing a high risk game.
It is great to watch but if he wants to make big scores on a regular basis he may just have to temper that attacking instinct. Just be risk averse when the opposition are bowling well. Not many in the world have got away for long with playing the pull shot all the time without the odd duck or a sway. I would like him to duck a few just to frustrate the bowler because at the moment they know he will take them on and that gives them a chance.
South Africa have injuries and will not be the potent force England feared at the start of the tour. But they like playing at the Wanderers. They look at home here and their attack still deserves respect.
Chris Morris will be better for his debut last week, Kagiso Rabada bowled well and Ab De Villiers should insist on four quicks bringing in Hardus Viljeon for a Test debut. He has taken 20 wickets in two first-class matches at the Wanderers this season. England will be happy to face an English style seam bowler like Kyle Abbott. But they will not want to face is someone raw, quick and on his home turf. South Africa will make a massive mistake if they don't pick him.
The Wanderers is a good cricket ground. You know as a batsman that if you play well there is a good chance of scoring quickly but you can also be found out. It is one of best Test wickets in world. It produces wonderful cricket. There will be a result, unless it rains, and this is the week for England to win the series. Don't give South Africa a way back and leave it to the last Test at Centurion.
Column by Michael Vaughan