Wild Thing Tait Bounces His Way Into Test Contention
Sun Herald
Sunday October 21, 2007
IN THE grand tradition of Jeff Thomson, whose modus operandi was to "shuffle up and go wang", Shaun Tait has the uncanny ability to follow an inch-perfect inswinging yorker with eight wides, a no-ball and a dislocated shoulder that rules him out for six months.
You just have to take the good with the bad. And if his return from injury is any indication, Australia just may have to take him to the Gabba. The South Australian speedster took 3-45 from 10 overs against Victoria on Friday night in a performance that made national selection chairman Andrew Hilditch consider teaming him with Brett Lee in a truly frightening pace attack for the first Test against Sri Lanka next month. It'd be truly frightening for the Sri Lankan batsmen, who fear having their bones cracked by the two fastest bowlers in the world. Truly frightening for Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist trying to pull in Tait's occasionally wild deliveries. Truly frightening for Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who knows the flipside to Tait's strike power is his ability to concede runs at a rapid rate when he starts short-circuiting. Truly frightening because if Lee and Tait click, they could be unstoppable. Tait bowled with pace and - shock, horror - some semblance of control against the Bushrangers at Adelaide Oval. He only went at half-power in his first match since elbow surgery in June, but his version of half-power is 145kmh. The man whose retirement opened the door for another fast-bowler, Glenn McGrath, couldn't have delivered balls that fast with the assistance of a cannon. There is no batsman on Earth - including from Sri Lanka - who enjoys facing Shaun Tait. "It can't do me any harm for Test selection, that's for sure," Tait said. "I bowled pretty well. The next two weeks will probably tell the tale. "The four-day game coming up in Tasmania is going to be pretty important as far as selection goes, but you've got to keep it out of your mind and just think about what you're doing. You don't want to get sidetracked." Tait's best domestic one-day haul is 8-43 - with nine wides. That's him in a nutshell. He will spearhead the SA attack against Tasmania in a Pura Cup/one-day double fixture in Hobart this week and then rip into Sri Lanka if he's chosen, as expected, for the Cricket Australia Chairman's XI to play the tourists at Adelaide Oval from next Saturday. He bowled five two-over spells against the Vics with two maidens, three no balls and two wides. He struck in his second over by getting rid of Michael Klinger. He's what Ponting and every captain yearns for: a quick who can put the fear of God into the opposition."There's still a bit in the tank obviously," Tait said of bowling 10-15kmh slower than he can at full throttle. "I had a bit of trouble with no-balls as well. It seemed every time I steamed in and got my rhythm going I was close to the line. "That was a bit annoying, but we'll go back during the week and work on it. I said to a mate before the game I'd be happy with three-for. I wasn't expecting too much, but three-for is nice to come back with. "I think I only bowled two wides, so it was a bit of a change-up. Maybe I'm a new man this year."
© 2007 Sun Herald