MONDAY 1 March 1999
Thirteen proves to be MacGilla's lucky number
Stuart MacGill is on fire! He is bowling so well at the moment that it
seems inconceivable that come Friday he may not be in the starting
line-up for the first Test at Trinidad.
Depending upon the state of the pitch, the tour selectors 'Tugga',
'Warney' and 'Swampy' Marsh will have to decide whether to go in with
the more traditional line-up of three seamers and one spinner, or two
'quicks' and two leg-spinners.
Seven wickets again today (13 for the match) and 'MacGilla' is like an
uncontrollable inferno. He is all over the opposition batsmen like a
nest of ants is over a sugar cube on a path. The West Indian batsmen
don't seem to have any answers for the prodigious spin that he is
imparting upon the ball.
The more confident he is becoming the more control he has, and the more
menacing he is to our opponents. Every ball looks like he may take a
wicket and it is exciting to be in the field while 'Mac' and 'Warney'
are bowling together.
Like superstars McGrath and Warne, Stuart is on the road to mesmerising
oppositions with the same regularity. He is starting to do it so
frequently that the word potential star, is rapidly being replaced by
'star'. It is a thrill being in a team with bowlers who are genuine
wicket-takers. I hope they all click together when the first Test
commences on Thursday.
After taking the final 10 wickets for 80 runs this afternoon, we are
thrilled about having one extra day to prepare for the first Test. The
hour-long journey to and from the ground, and the early starts, have
been taking their toll and I get the feeling that everyone is looking
forward to a day off tomorrow.
Winning is undoubtedly a habit and our convincing win today is a great
sign for Friday.
From Trinidad, JL
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