BRETT Lee's renaissance as a Test bowler continues apace. It was little more than three weeks ago that Lee went into the first Test at the Gabba as a paceman under pressure. While his one-day form was consistently outstanding, Lee's Test returns had been increasingly disappointing.
He had gone four years without a five-wicket haul. His best figures remained the first ones he recorded - the 5-47 against India at the MCG in 1999-2000. For the first time in his career of 43 Tests, his average had breached 33.
Grappling with uncertainty and waywardness about his line and length, unsure what his role in the longer game should be, persistently troubled with no-balls, Lee looked a bowler stuck in a dark tunnel. He was also about to celebrate - or perhaps endure - his 29th birthday.
Fast forward to the Adelaide Oval yesterday, and Lee appeared a competitor who had changed absolutely. The body language says enough - his confidence is booming - but the statistics also speak volumes, those in the scorebook and those on the speed radar. So, too, do the depositions of worried West Indian batsmen, from Brian Lara down, who have ducked and weaved, dug out and defended in this series.
Lee finally claimed that five-for in the second innings in Brisbane, a superb 5-30 off 14 overs - his new career-best figures. Yesterday, at the less paceman-friendly Adelaide Oval, he was at his venomous best again. Whereas his Brisbane haul included batsmen 10 and 11, here he wrecked the West Indian top order with the first three wickets of the match in a devastating burst of 3-15 off 20 balls.
He grew more expensive in the last session, ending with 3-96 from 20 overs. But he had fulfilled his role by holing the West Indies' top order, and should have had a fourth wicket but for Glenn McGrath dropping a regulation fine-leg chance off Daren Powell late on.
In his third over, Lee tormented Wavell Hinds with a brutish deliver that rose sharply off a good length. Attempting evasive action, the left-hander could only sky an edge high off the bat to Matthew Hayden in the gully.
Four balls later, Lee had Devon Smith, another left-hander, attempting a square drive, only to be also caught by Hayden. He built upon those strikes in his second spell - in his first over after a switch to the northern end - when Ramnaresh Sarwan attempted an ambitious hook shot at a well-directed bouncer. Sarwan managed only a catch to fine-leg.
By then, Lee was the leading bowler in the series with 14 wickets, four more than next-best McGrath. He is suddenly in the top-10 Test wicket-takers for the calendar year and with the expectation of many more to come in the three-match series against South Africa, starting next month.
It appears Lee has benefited from listening to advice - and then ignoring it. He arrived in Brisbane determined to stick rigidly to line and length after being so counselled by older men. Current captain Ricky Ponting told him to forget all that, rely on his natural gift and bowl fast.
Something appeared to click.
- TREVOR MARSHALLSEA