UR TV CAST

He eased into the day in the morning, bowling at around 85mph. But when he had the glistening new ball in his hand he tore in like a rampaging bull. Bowling from the Stanley Street End he regularly hit 90mph and gave the impression he was attempting to burst not only the defences of the batsman but also the pitch. Nasser Hussain may have hooked him for six, but in he kept charging. This is the level of aggression required here and it was rewarded first with the wicket of Hussain, and then almost immediately with that of Alec Stewart.It was not just those watching from the sidelines who were impressed.

His opening partner McGrath – who took four wickets himself – was full of praise, too “I thought he bowled exceptionally well,” he said. “I think he has been the pick of our bowlers for quite some time without getting the success he deserves. However, if he carries on bowling as well as he has been he will end up taking plenty of wickets He has good pace, good bounce and very good control. He really hurried the batsmen and got me a couple of wickets at the other end. He is up there with the best in the world.”McGrath and Gillespie are probably the best new-ball partnership in the world and the only thing that is stopping them being talked about in the same terms as Lillee and Thomson is the South Australian’s poor fitness record.”Batsmen talk about partnerships, but it is of equal importance to the bowlers and Dizzy and I are starting to form a pretty decent one,” McGrath pointed out. “All we try to do is build up pressure at both ends.” England’s bowlers, take note.And while England are searching the length and breadth of the country to find a fit fast bowler – Chris Silverwood is on his way out to replace Simon Jones – Australia appear to have plenty of young pacemen around their first-class game.One reason for this could be that pace bowlers are appreciated over here.

They, and the odd blond leg-spinner, are identified as match winners and treated as the stars of the show – so young cricketers aspire to bowl fast.They are also looked after better than in England, something which was highlighted in the way that Gillespie was treated on Friday evening when he complained of soreness in his calf. Rather than going for broke there and then in the last session of the day, when Australia were struggling, he was told to rest, have a night of physiotherapy and see how it felt in the morning.The scoreboard is proof that this more caring attitude worked. It is all somewhat different to England, where we still play in the shade of that bygone age when there were Amateurs and Professionals, when the aristocratic batsmen paid subordinate bowlers to bowl at them.Batsmen controlled the game, made the decisions and treated bowlers like donkeys. They bowled them into the ground and it is no coincidence that the injury rate for English bowlers is far higher than their Australian counterparts.Gillespie received excellent support from McGrath and Bichel.

And although the world’s best bowler modestly said that he did not bowl that well, he was still pretty good. After going at four an over on Friday he yesterday took 3 for 30 in 14 overs, figures that any of England’s bowlers would bite your hand off for.The other small thing for England to worry about as they contemplate the size of the total they will have to chase is that at the Gabba, Warne averages seven wickets a game So far the leg-spinner has only got Matthew Hoggard.. Unless they astonish themselves and the rest of us, England are neither emotionally nor technically capable of the long rearguard action they will need to save the First Test. They have recovered some of the pride that deserted them on the first day. After that d?cle, no one thought the game had a chance of reaching the fifth day. In truth, the top five batsmen played well, but none of them went on to make the hundred that was required to nag away at Australia.As it is, the Australians had 30 overs to bat again at the end of the third day and increased their lead to 278 with eight wickets in hand.