STEVE Harmison is looking forward to meeting fire with fire in this summer's Ashes battle.

After sliding down the world rankings from top spot to ninth during England's series win in South Africa, the Durham paceman feels the attacking instincts of the Australian batsmen will help him.

"I want to cement my place in the England team for five years. I don't think my place is in jeopardy, but 2004 was a phenomenal year for me then 2005 did not start too well," he said after Durham's pre-season photo-call yesterday.

"I don't think I bowled as badly in South Africa as the statistics suggested. I didn't get the rub of the green with lbw decisions and dropped catches, and also the South Africans had done their homework on me.

"Jacques Kallis was happy to spend 260 balls making a hundred and left anything he didn't have to play at. But there's no way the Aussies are going to leave me.

"They are going to come at me like the West Indies did and I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

"We have to aspire as a group of players to go out and beat them and with both teams playing as well as they are it's going to be a great battle."

Asked if he now felt confident of competing on the same level as Glenn McGrath, Harmison said: "It's good to be mentioned in the same sentence as him because he's one of my heroes.

"When I got to No 1 in the world I had played only 23 Tests so I didn't get carried away, but I can go out with the confidence of knowing I have been there and I hope to get back there again.

"Glenn McGrath has got 499 Test wickets and is a credit to the game, so it will be great to be on the same field as him."

Harmison was named this week as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year and said: "It's a great honour because that's international recognition.

"My personal highlight was taking seven for 12 in Jamaica, even though I felt I bowled better in the next Test in Trinidad. But the real highlight has been the way England have performed as a team."

Harmison has been training with the Bedlington Terriers football team recently and working with the England bowling coach, Troy Cooley.

"I couldn't go on Durham's pre-season tour, so I have been practising with the academy lads in the indoor school and Troy was up here on Monday and Tuesday," he said.

"He gets his computer out and talks to you and it's very helpful. But we didn't work on anything specific. We both had a look at my action and we couldn't see anything wrong.

"It will be good to start playing for Durham again next week. It's important to get enough bowling and to have your rhythm, but I have no doubt the challenge of the Ashes series will lift me.

"There's always pressure playing for England, even more so when it's the Ashes, but if you want to be top of the tree you have to handle the pressure and thrive on it.

"I think Durham have a good chance of doing well this season, although we've said that before. Now they have more experience and there's more competition for places.

"Some of them have now been around long enough to realise they have to play well to stay in the team.

"The competition can only be good for Durham and I have no doubt we can win promotion.

"In the first four games I will be playing against four teams who will be up there, so hopefully we can make a good start."