Post by TC Ink on Dec 23, 2008 9:23:34 GMT 10
Hilfenhaus to swing into second Test
By Adam Cooper and Daniel Brettig
03:02 AEST Tue Dec 23 2008
Swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus believes he is smarter now than in his breakthrough summer and that his ability to move the ball could be a factor in the second Test against South Africa at the MCG.
Hilfenhaus was eating lunch in Hobart when called into Australia's squad for the Boxing Day Test, and at training on Tuesday he will push his case for a debut in a match the home side must win to keep the series alive.
If he does earn a cap, the onus will be to produce the swing Australia so badly missed for much of the first Test in Perth, but the Tasmanian wasn't lacking any confidence in his ability.
"It's a bonus for me, it's obviously one of my strengths," Hilfenhaus said.
"If that's something they're looking for to add a bit of variety to the attack, I'm very excited to be a part of it."
Hilfenhaus shot to prominence two summers ago, when his season haul of 60 wickets steered Tasmania to their maiden Sheffield Shield title and he played the first of two Twenty20 internationals and a one-day international.
He took only 28 wickets in the four-day competition last season, but has started this campaign well, with 24 scalps at 18.66 in six Shield matches, having overcome fractures in his back during the off-season.
At 25, the former bricklayer is still learning his craft, but said he was gaining more knowledge every match he played - about moving the ball, how batsmen handle swing and his own capabilities.
"I don't know if I'm ever going to be prepared for it (a Test debut)," he said.
"But I feel as though I've learned a few things the last couple of years, and as every game passes you learn more and more things, so as long as I keep taking things out of games and into the next one it's definitely going to prepare me better.
"The more games of cricket I play the better I'm getting."
Hilfenhaus said making his debut on Boxing Day would be a "dream", but national selectors have pencilled the right-armer into calculations for next year's Ashes tour of England, where swing bowling brought Australia undone in 2005.
Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Hilfenhaus was capable of opening the bowling - thereby letting Mitchell Johnson bowl at his preferred position of first change - and could also have a major impact in 2009.
"Ben's someone for two years that we've been looking at very closely as someone who may well play a big part in our Ashes campaign," Hilditch said.
"We've been actively talking over the last few months to take opportunities to bring him around the squad and hopefully he gets an opportunity to play before the Ashes."
By Adam Cooper and Daniel Brettig
03:02 AEST Tue Dec 23 2008
Swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus believes he is smarter now than in his breakthrough summer and that his ability to move the ball could be a factor in the second Test against South Africa at the MCG.
Hilfenhaus was eating lunch in Hobart when called into Australia's squad for the Boxing Day Test, and at training on Tuesday he will push his case for a debut in a match the home side must win to keep the series alive.
If he does earn a cap, the onus will be to produce the swing Australia so badly missed for much of the first Test in Perth, but the Tasmanian wasn't lacking any confidence in his ability.
"It's a bonus for me, it's obviously one of my strengths," Hilfenhaus said.
"If that's something they're looking for to add a bit of variety to the attack, I'm very excited to be a part of it."
Hilfenhaus shot to prominence two summers ago, when his season haul of 60 wickets steered Tasmania to their maiden Sheffield Shield title and he played the first of two Twenty20 internationals and a one-day international.
He took only 28 wickets in the four-day competition last season, but has started this campaign well, with 24 scalps at 18.66 in six Shield matches, having overcome fractures in his back during the off-season.
At 25, the former bricklayer is still learning his craft, but said he was gaining more knowledge every match he played - about moving the ball, how batsmen handle swing and his own capabilities.
"I don't know if I'm ever going to be prepared for it (a Test debut)," he said.
"But I feel as though I've learned a few things the last couple of years, and as every game passes you learn more and more things, so as long as I keep taking things out of games and into the next one it's definitely going to prepare me better.
"The more games of cricket I play the better I'm getting."
Hilfenhaus said making his debut on Boxing Day would be a "dream", but national selectors have pencilled the right-armer into calculations for next year's Ashes tour of England, where swing bowling brought Australia undone in 2005.
Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Hilfenhaus was capable of opening the bowling - thereby letting Mitchell Johnson bowl at his preferred position of first change - and could also have a major impact in 2009.
"Ben's someone for two years that we've been looking at very closely as someone who may well play a big part in our Ashes campaign," Hilditch said.
"We've been actively talking over the last few months to take opportunities to bring him around the squad and hopefully he gets an opportunity to play before the Ashes."
