Damien Fleming, like his Victorian team-mate Paul Reiffel, has been one of Australia's best performed and most reliable bowlers of recent times, but a career dogged by untimely injuries and a low-key approach has restricted his international appearances. Throughout his career, Fleming has played second fiddle to marquee bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Craig McDermott and more recently Stuart MacGill, but his contribution when given the opportunity has been telling.

The underrated Fleming lopes to the bowling crease off a short 10-pace run-up, but extracts lively pace and is famous for a looping outswinger which can bamboozle even the world's best batsmen. His economical approach to the wicket translates to a miserly run rate and for that he is better known as a one-day bowler. He will perhaps go down in history as the man who bowled the final ball to Lance Klusener in Australia's epic semifinal tie with South Africa en route to their World Cup win in 1999. However, it is Fleming's abbreviated Test career that has provided his greatest achievement, when he became only the third debutant to claim a hat-trick in the drawn match against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 1994.

Fleming is a capable outfielder and a useful lower-order batsman who likes to challenge the attack with audacious shots square of the wicket via his free-flowing willow. But he will be best remembered for his unassuming approach and reliability, and a decade of loyal service to the Bushrangers.

© 1999 CricInfo