No team can match us, boasts South Africa star Steyn

Fast bowler Dale Steyn has delivered a 2009 ICC Champions Trophy challenge by saying no team will match hosts South Africa in the two-week tournament starting on Tuesday.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn has delivered a 2009 ICC Champions Trophy challenge by saying no team will match hosts South Africa in the two-week tournament starting on Tuesday.

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South Africa regained first place in the world one-day rankings on Sunday after Australia lost to England and the Graeme Smith-led side confront Sri Lanka at Centurion Park in the opening match.

"I believe that this team has played fantastic one-day and Test cricket in the last year and we have really hit our straps," Steyn told reporters ahead of the second most prestigious ODI tournament after the World Cup.

"If the team play to their potential, and this might sound cocky, I really believe no side can match us at the Champions Trophy."

Steyn does not give a Sri Lankan team, considered dangerous outsiders in the race for the two-million-dollar first prize, much hope of causing an upset in a day-night fixture.

"They have not been here for a long time apart from those players who came for the Indian Premier League and that was during winter when the ball was not doing a lot and it was Twenty20 cricket."

South Africa crave success in the Champions Trophy to confirm what the rankings have been saying for some time -that they are a class act when it comes to the 50-over game.