Brett Lee had a simple response yesterday to his latest beamer controversy: "I just hope it doesn't happen again."
No doubt New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum would be thinking the same thing.
Lee bowled a shoulder-high full toss to McCullum in last Wednesday's second day-nighter in Wellington but immediately apologised to the batsman and blamed the dewy conditions for his loss of control.
Last week's beamer was the third in a year that Lee had delivered to McCullum, and the fifth in the same period he had bowled to a New Zealand batsman.
Lee is currently focusing on preparing for Friday's first Test against South Africa on the bouncy WACA Ground wicket in Perth. "With that full toss I bowled to McCullum, it's not something that I'm proud of," he said before a training session at the WACA Ground yesterday.
"It always seems to happen when we are bowling second with the dewy conditions. The ball was very, very slippery. I'm not making any excuses but it's something that is pretty hard to do when you are running in and bowling at 156kmh. If you slightly get it wrong, you slip.
"I was sliding up to 40 centimetres … It's a bit like a javelin thrower running in with sandshoes on a wet surface, trying to throw a javelin."
Lee, who took 3-5 in the first one-dayer, missed the third match to return to Sydney to have surgery to clear his blocked nasal passage. "It couldn't be better," he said. "I had a minor procedure done last weekend, so it feels 100 per cent now. I'm ready to go."
Lee said of his 1-85 in the second one-dayer: "Going for the runs I did, I'm not proud about it. I know that in the next game I play I can hopefully go out and rectify that. But … with an average of 21 [21.94], I'm happy with the way the one-dayers have gone.
"So I've put that behind me … but it's all about Test-match cricket now, so we have to focus on these three Test matches."
Before Friday, Lee is likely to sit down with his captain for a chat aimed at putting the McCullum episode behind him. Having been overlooked for last summer's Test at the WACA Ground, where he has taken 24 wickets at 24.5 in four matches, Lee will be delighted to be let loose in Perth again, this time on South Africa.
"He loves playing here and the pace he's been bowling in New Zealand is pretty encouraging for us coming here as well," said Australia captain Ricky Ponting, whose chat with Lee during the Brisbane Test inspired a renaissance in which Lee led the wicket-takers in the series against the West Indies.
"I probably will have a chat to him. I know how [the beamer] affected him there and then on those occasions when it's happened. Other than that game, his form has been excellent. He's bowling very well and he's happy within himself, so that's a good sign for us … "
The problem is unlikely to recur with an unslippery red ball in Perth, the fast bowler's haven where Lee and Glenn McGrath are likely to be supported by Nathan Bracken ahead of the uncapped Stuart Clark.
South Africa have delayed a decision on the fitness of Jacques Kallis's elbow until today, after the man who would replace him for the first Test, Jacques Rudolph, shone with a double century in their final warm-up match.
Rudolph hit 201 not out as the tourists drew with Western Australia A in Perth yesterday. The Proteas reached 9(dec)-395 in their second innings, a lead of 387, before the game ended in a draw with WA 1-64 in their second innings.
- CHLOE SALTAU and AAP