South Africa captain Graeme Smith said on Wednesday he did not think England deserved to beat his side in the third Test to level the series.

Smith, speaking at a news conference on the eve of the fourth Test at Headingley, said: "In many ways we don't feel we have been beaten yet. We lost the game but we don't feel as if we were beaten.

"I feel that because I don't think things were really even stephens in the last Test match. We are not moaning or complaining, our thoughts are on winning a test match... Everything that has happened before has gone and we have put it aside.

"It's almost as if the series has not started yet. This is a huge Test match in the series."

England won the toss and got by far the best of the conditions at Trent Bridge to level the five-match series at 1-1 as the pitch began to deteriorate as early as the second day.

Smith reiterated that he thought his side had done well to take the match into the fifth day.

"It was more of an angry feeling," he said, reflecting on the defeat. "I think the side showed immense character."

Asked which side had played the better cricket during the series, he said with a smile: "It's 1-1 and it doesn't matter who has been the better side. It's equal."

South Africa, who won the toss in the first two Tests and dominated both, will go into the fourth match with batsman Gary Kirsten fit again after an arm injury.

They will, however, have to do without strike bowler Shaun Pollock, who has flown home to attend the birth of his first child.

"He's a world-class performer day in, day out," said Smith. "Obviously we are going to miss him a lot."

But he added that he felt other bowlers would have to stand in "and take responsibility" to restrain England's batsmen.

"I think we have guys who can do it," Smith said.