Falling short of the crease in the first Test against West Indies, Cameron Green hosted a rigorous net session at the Adelaide Ring on Wednesday.
He could have ended up with a little more than he had expected.
Lance Morris, the man who recorded a 153mph ball during the Sheffield Shield last summer and once broke Shaun Marsh’s bat in half during BBL, was waiting for him at the other end, pink Kookaburra in hand.
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And while a shot to the right-hander is unlikely to have exceeded 150mph on Wednesday, Morris was certainly fast enough to cause his WA teammate any real problems.
Morris walked behind the ivy-laden walls of the Adelaide Oval Members’ Stand, where he was eager to make an impression on the Cricket Australia hierarchy, has just won its first national convocation.
It was Scott Boland who was, as expected, given the go-ahead to replace injured Pat Cummins – but it was still a golden opportunity for the speedy 24-year-old from Western Australia, nicknamed the “Wild Thing”.
His swing towards Green appeared somewhere throughout its length and intensity below its maximum – a conservative estimate would have him bowling at around 85-90%.
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Then, after a little warm-up, it’s love at first sight.
The second ball delivered to Green saw the versatile tester unsure of his footwork and playing a coy practice he snuck towards the cord of potential slips.
Morris’ next one arrived at a similar spot and Green just took his bat away in time.
But the examination continued. In the first 10 balls, Morris pitched Green, another delivery cut awkwardly and hit the batter in the thigh, one beat his outside edge a mere inch, while another edged to the area of the ravine.
From the vantage point behind Green, where you have the safety of two nets and another steel fence, the ball again whipped the protection with surprising ferocity.
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Batting into the net next to Green was Steve Smith, who was asked if he wanted bowlers, or if he was happy to face knockdowns for the afternoon.
He opted for the latter option.
Morris certainly won the battle against Green, and he did it with speed as his primary weapon.
Although this is a sort of dress rehearsal for the second test, it should be noted that there were no short deliveries. Green could be quite confident about the length of each ball, and yet he still looked particularly fragile for Morris, especially compared to Michael Neser who was also in his net.
Morris is unlikely to win a baggy green anytime soon, but he would have walked away from the Adelaide Ring net on Wednesday knowing he had done his future prospects no harm.
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Western Australia teammate Hilton Cartwright told foxsports.com.au this week that Morris is the fastest bowler in the country, while Aaron Hardie thinks he has what it takes to leapfrog the not the Sheffield Shield.
“It’s scary to think what he could do (with the pink Kookaburra)…I think he’s going to dominate if he gets the chance,” Hardie said.
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