Lillee rues lack of ‘Steyn-like enforcer’ in Oz pace battery

Sydney: Fast bowling legend Dennis Lillee has bewailed the lack of a spearhead bowler like South Africa’s Dale Steyn to stop Proteas’ prowling batsmen in the Perth Test, and added he would have been furious if he had been rested from a Test as Peter Siddle was from this one.

The closest thing Australia have had to a spearhead at the WACA Ground is Mitchell Johnson, who is playing his first Test in 13 months and muscled his fourth wicket as the Proteas` lead stretched beyond 600. Siddle was rested because Cricket Australia (CA) feared he would break down during the Test after bowling 142 overs in the past month. Siddle is expected to be available for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Hobart but that is little consolation after the disdainful treatment Australia`s second-string attack received from the best team in the world. Lillee refused to be drawn into the wisdom of resting Siddle, the leader of the attack, with the No.1 ranking on the line, but said that without him and the injured Pattinson, Michael Clarke didn`t have an enforcer to turn to as first Hashim Amla and then AB de Villiers piled on the runs at will. “Great bowling attacks, let`s look at [Dale] Steyn, there`s a go-to man and that`s the man who can break it open,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lillee, as saying. “When it gets a bit tight and when you can`t get a breakthrough, you go to that guy and he often comes through. I guess this [Australian] attack at the moment you probably can`t say that there`s a go-to man,” he added. “They`re all around that 135-140 [km/h] mark and there`s not a guy like Steyn who can [go] up a gear and down a gear,” he said. ANI