STEVE Harmison hopes his first sustained spell of the summer will provoke a return to his best in England's npower Test series against Pakistan tomorrow.

The Durham fast bowler has always thrived on bowling plenty of overs to get himself into the groove and often struggles after a long period of rest.

That has been underlined this summer with the shin problems which ruled him out of the final Test and one-day series in India also restricting his start to the season, sidelining him for the drawn home Test series with Sri Lanka.

A rusty-looking Harmison went into the one-day competition against the tourists with only 32 first class overs for Durham and the results were almost inevitable, with the fast bowler conceding 286 runs in his 50 overs during the 5-0 whitewash.

But the Ashington paceman is convinced he will get better the more he bowls during the four-Test series against Pakistan at Lord's.

"I didn't bowl as well as I could do," admitted the 27-year-old, who conceded 97 runs from his 10 overs in the final humiliating defeat by Sri Lanka at Headingley.

"Everyone saw glimpses of it but I wasn't consistent in anything; line, length or spells. I hold my hands up -- I didn't perform.

"I felt a bit rusty but I'm not going to make excuses about it, just as I hope no one makes any excuses about the injuries we've got. Hopefully, the Test matches will be different -- I'll run in and bowl like I can do and the more I bowl I'd like to think the better I'll get."

Harmison's influence during the Sri Lankan Test series was unquestionably missed and he will have to shoulder even more responsibility for tomorrow's opener in the absence of Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and James Anderson.

With Matthew Hoggard still struggling with a badly gashed right hand Harmison may be the only member of England's attack to survive from last summer's Ashes triumph when they had a feared four-strong seam attack.

Even Harmison will go into the Test under-cooked, but he stressed: "I've got through the one-dayers and I've bowled 50 overs during them so I'm going into this Test feeling strong. I'm someone who likes to bowl. During the one-dayers I didn't feel in great rhythm and I didn't feel that I had the run-up that I have day-in and day-out.

"But I've bowled a fair bit this week and I've had a few extra sessions with Paul Collingwood and I feel in quite good nick."

Harmison refuses to use the injuries as an excuse, claiming: "It's disappointing these players are not going to be on the field, but this is a good England team that's going out there.

"We have got to get back to being focused and aggressive. If we do that, do everything right and believe we're better than Pakistan we can get them on the back foot and then we have a chance."