MacGill will learn from Warne's wiles (6 January 1999)

6 January 1999

MacGill will learn from Warne's wiles

By Ian Chappell

IN only their second Test match together, Stuart MacGill claimed a match winning 12 wickets while Shane Warne had only two victims (actually the same one, twice) as his measly comeback present. Is the tyro a six times better bowler now that the master has been under the knife?

The answer is most definitely no. MacGill's stunning success (he is closing in on 50 wickets in only eight Tests), may act as the spur that provides Warne's career with a second wind. Warne is such a competitive cricketer and his acute bowling brain appears to have sharpened during the lay-off, so that there is no reason why he should not be around for some time yet.

MacGill is a fast-improving bowler, in part, Warne says, because he is more patient than when they last bowled together. However, he has nothing like the subtle variations of the master and as you would expect, the 300-wicket bowler is a superior thinker.

Nevertheless, MacGill has a great attribute - he turns the ball prodigiously from the leg, probably even further than a young Warne and in the last few days he has added to his effectiveness by making the ball curve into the right-hander's pads. It was exactly that sort of delivery which accounted for Nasser Hussain.

Now that Warne is fit to play international cricket again it can only benefit MacGill. The opportunity to watch Warne and discuss secret leg-spinner's business will help MacGill enormously, especially in areas like using the crease and better disguise of the skidding top-spinner.

If MacGill wants to see those two skills displayed at their best, he only has to look at the way Warne disposed of Mark Butcher in the second innings. It was classical leg-spinner's deceit.

The frightening thing for the world's batsmen is that MacGill has achieved so much and yet he is still a relatively raw leg-spinner. I doubt he will ever acquire the sophistication of Warne, who is a rare jewel even when compared with precious diamonds, but as long as MacGill retains his ability to spin his leg-break sharply and pitch it reasonably consistently he will bother the best batsmen.

In Sydney they both bowled well and the breaks went to MacGill, appropriate for a man whose initials are SCG. On another day the roles will be reversed. The bad news for batsmen around the world is that they are likely to be a combination for some time - if MacGill isn't in for the kill, they will be shorn by Warne.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)