Cricket
McKenzie's Aussie wait over
2008-12-08 13:25
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Perth - Neil McKenzie's comeback story as a first choice for the Proteas' Test squad has been one of the momentous events of the 2008 cricketing year.
This time last year he was still very much on the outside, only earning his recall in the unaccustomed position of Graeme Smith's opening partner for the New Year's Test against the West Indies at Newlands.
In that game he broke down with a serious leg injury that put him out for six weeks and must have left him wondering whether it was meant to be.
But he came roaring back in the Test series in Bangladesh, making his maiden double century at any level of the game and sharing a world record opening partnership of 415 with Smith, beating a mark that had stood for 50 years.
Since then McKenzie has gone from strength to strength with innings of 94 and 155 not out against India at Chennai and a mammoth stay of more than nine hours at the crease for yet another century that helped in no small way to save the Lord's Test against England.
He recently completed 1 000 runs in the current calendar year and he and Smith have formed one of the highest average opening partnerships in the history of the game.
Now he has arrived at another special moment with the first Test against Australia due to start at the WACA ground, Perth, next Wednesday.
“I think we have all been looking forward to this series,” said McKenzie on Monday. “We have had very important series away to India and England this year but an Australian series is very special in its own right. It is even more so for me as I have not toured Australia since 2001.”
McKenzie said he was thoroughly enjoying his partnership with Smith. “Graeme has such a positive influence on the game both as batsman and captain and we seem to have fitted nicely together.
“What has also been important is the fact that all our batsmen have been getting match-winning hundreds that have changed the course of matches and enabled us to take on the opposing bowlers with great confidence.”
The Proteas start their warm-up programme with a one-day match against Western Australia on Thursday. Dale Steyn will miss this match to allow him to recover fully from a hamstring twinge that he suffered in recent second Test against Bangladesh at SuperSport Park, Centurion.
He is expected to return for the two-day match against a Western Australia XI on Friday.
It will also be an important week for Paul Harris who is to have the cast removed from his fractured left thumb and to have a follow-up X-ray to confirm that he is on the mend.