BRETT Lee believes he is bowling as well as he did when he burst onto the international cricket stage and proved he can deliver sustained spells of pace this Ashes tour.
Lee ticked more boxes on day one of the three-day match against Leicestershire by taking 4-53, sending a batsman to hospital and taking his intimidating speed into a second spell on a docile wicket at the Grace Road ground.
He is confident he has cleared every hurdle in his bid to play his first Test since January 2004 and start at Lord's next Thursday, and feels like the rhythm and success his first seven Tests brought has returned.
"I think the ball is definitely coming out as well as it was in 1999, when I first broke onto the scene," Lee said.
"I think I've matured a lot more as a cricketer these days and am bowling a lot more with my head now, but look in saying that, I'm still really enjoying my cricket and still having fun out there."
Australia dominated day one from ball one, when Lee cannoned one into Darren Robinson's pads, and after rolling the county side for 217 inside two sessions, the world champions careered to 2-169 on the back of another century opening stand between Matthew Hayden (75) and Justin Langer.
If not for the failure of Michael Clarke (nine), who was unable to capitalise on his promotion up the order, it would have been a perfect day for the tourists.
Jason Gillespie (2-40) and Michael Kasprowicz (1-43) also bowled well as they fought it out for the third paceman's position behind Lee and Glenn McGrath, who was rested from this match.
Gillespie struggled for the first five weeks of the tour, but having shown good signs in the past week, should keep his Test spot unless Kasprowicz produces something extraordinary in the second innings.
Lee, who constantly troubled England's top order during the one-dayers, felt he was bowling like he did during his first seven Test matches, which reaped 42 wickets at 16.07 including three five-wicket hauls.
His past 30 Tests have yielded 97 wickets at 38.52 and the past 18 months have yielded no Tests at all, but Lee was conscious of showing he could sustain his pace throughout the day.
"One thing I wanted to prove out there was the fact that I can back up spell after spell because I've only been tested ... the last couple of months has just been with 10 overs playing one-day cricket," he said.
"I wanted to prove that I can go out there and bowl for that entire day, which I think I've proven that, so hopefully I've done all I can and once again I'm very happy with the way it all came out.
"We'll have to wait and see come (July) the 21st, it would be nice to hear my name read out ... particularly knowing that I've done everything possible that I can, as a cricketer, to give myself every chance to play and I think I'm doing that."
West Australian batsman Chris Rogers, who top-scored for Leicestershire with 56, said Lee's second spell was as quick as he produced at the WACA Ground in January, during an ING Cup match.
"Brett was definitely the pick of the bowlers today," Rogers said.
"When you face a guy that quick you know it's always there, it's always in the back of your mind ... watching that pace it was quite impressive, so he'd have to be considered I'd imagine."
Langer made up for lost time with an unbeaten 71, which was his first innings since the third Test in New Zealand, in March.
Leicestershire's John Sadler retired hurt after being struck by Lee, but was cleared of any major damage after X-ray scans revealed bad bruising.