Lee Is Handed A Golden Chance
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 15, 1997
Understandably, Shane Lee was in joyful spirits when his former flatmate, Brad McNamara, rang him in the Lancashire industrial milling town of Haslingden yesterday morning.
Lee, the latest replacement for the Australian cricket team, told McNamara: "All of those voodoo dolls I have been pricking have worked - first Andy Bichel, then Jason Gillespie, Paul Reiffel, now Brendon Julian ..." The Wollongong-born NSW all-rounder, 24 earlier this month, has been summoned from Enfield club in the Lancashire League, along with 27-year-old Tasmanian all-rounder Shaun Young, in his first season with county side Gloucestershire, into Australia's Ashes team as a result of the spate of mishaps that has struck the tourists.
McNamara, NSW cricketer of the year last summer, is back in Sydney with his bowling arm in a sling, having aggravated a stress fracture of the right shoulder while playing with Haslingden. The "torn tendon" he suspected proved to be a fracture.
Early in the season Enfield performed without distinction but in the past two months they have won eight games in succession to move into semi-final contention, with Lee performing well with bat and ball.
Before McNamara's repatriation he, Lee and fellow NSW batsman Richard Chee Quee, worked together in Lancashire preparing for NSW's new season, with Lee's bowling the focal point of much attention.
Lee has always been the young sportsman who stood out in the crowd, the golden boy. Despite eight limited-over appearances for Australia, however, his bowling has not developed as his gifts suggested it should and a Test cap has eluded him.
McNamara pointed to a similarity in bowling action between Lee and former Pakistan champion Imran Khan - both pacemen running in close to the stumps and, in the process of delivery, leaping away from the wicket.
In Imran's case, the speedster developed a unique style which did not hamper his accuracy. Lee, of lesser velocity, occasionally strayed in direction and was punished for his loss of consistency.
NSW coach Steve Small said Lee appeared to be benefiting from a reduction in the length of his bowling approach and considered the all-rounder "probably guilty of bowling too great a variety of deliveries".
"Shane has always been the most exciting player with enormous batting talent," Small said. "I believe his best years lie ahead of him. He's certainly in the right place at the right time." In Londonderry, captain Mark Taylor said he expected Young would fill Paul Reiffel's role when he linked up with the squad.
Taylor said Young and Lee would join the team for the match against Kent in Canterbury from today and both would probably play, with the prospect of a place in the team for the sixth and final Test against England at The Oval from next Thursday at stake.
But Taylor, who was speaking after Australia's 139-run win over Ireland, believes Young has the inside running on a Test position because he has been playing in the county competition.
The probable loss of Julian because of a broken left wrist follows the absence of Reiffel and Jason Gillespie for the Test where Australia want to improve on their 3-1 series lead.
Reiffel is back in Melbourne after leaving the tour to be with his pregnant wife, Janet, while Gillespie has a stress fracture in his back.
Young is in his debut season as Gloucestershire's overseas player, hitting 746 runs at an average of 43.88 and taking 29 wickets at 26.79 in the county championship. His run haul includes a top score of 237 while his best figures of 4-26 were made at The Oval against Surrey. "This has come as a bit of a shock and I'm still having to pinch myself to make sure it is really happening," said Young, who has never represented Australia at any level.
Taylor would not completely rule out Lee's chances.
If either player wins Test selection he will play the third seamer's role behind spearhead Glenn McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz, who is certain to make his Test comeback.
Australia finished a relaxing trip to Ulster by outclassing Ireland, who remain ambitious in cricket after narrowly missing a place in the 1999 World Cup.
Ricky Ponting thrashed 117 not out off 89 balls in Australia's total of 7-303 at Eglinton Oval, while the nine-man Australian bowling line-up dismissed Ireland for 164 in 45.3 overs.
Ponting paired with Justin Langer for a sixth-wicket stand of 149 that set the scene for Australia's second consecutive mauling of Ireland after a 272-run win in Dublin in 1993.
His 117 included 10 fours and six sixes as he treated visiting Irish relatives to a thrill.
To complete a memorable trip to Ireland for the little Tasmanian, he picked up 3-14 with his gentle medium-pacers.
© 1997 Sydney Morning Herald
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