Lee has come to stay

SYDNEY, Jan 7 (Reuters): Brett Lee, lightly built and with schoolboy looks, scarcely seems like Australia's most ferocious fast bowler since Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee terrorised the world's best batsmen in the mid-1970s.

Yet appearances are certainly deceptive in the case of Lee, who burst onto the international cricket stage with 13 wickets in his first two Tests during Australia's recently-completed home series against India.

"He will do to quick bowling what Shane Warne did to leg spin bowling," Australia's captain Steve Waugh forecast as Lee had some of the country's best judges waxing lyrical about his performances.

If his figures alone are any guide, the 23-year-old Lee looks destined for a long and fruitful Test career.

He had a match haul of seven for 78 in his debut against India in Melbourne last week, then followed up with six for 106 in Sydney in his second Test earlier this week. His tally of 13 Indian wickets cost an average of 13.78.

The blond paceman, who bowls at speeds in excess of 15 kph (94mph), first caught Waugh's eye when they were playing for New South Wales in an inter-state match against Western Australia.

Fielding at gully, Waugh watched in admiration as Lee struck fear into the opposition with a series of frightening short-pitched deliveries.

The Western Australia captain reportedly told his players that Lee was so quick that if they intended hooking him they should start swinging before he let go of the ball.

One player failed to heed the warning and discovered the hard way just how quick Lee is, breaking his arm when the ball cannoned into him.

Impressed by what he saw, Waugh pushed Australia's selectors to pick Lee for the second Test against India.

Given his international chance after just 14 Sheffield Shield appearances, Lee announced his arrival in the most dramatic fashion.

He became the first Australia bowler in 22 years to take a wicket in his first over at Test-level when he bowled Sadagopan Ramesh with his fourth delivery, sending the ball crashing into the stumps with the batsman still on his backlift.

He also dispatched Rahul Dravid in his first spell before returning to snare three wickets in six balls.

Lee repeated his heroics in Sydney, condemning India's Ajit Agarkar to a world record four successive golden ducks when he dismissed him first ball on his way to taking six wickets in the game.

Lee made his first-class debut in 1994-95 but did not secure a permanent place in the New South Wales team until this season, partly because of a stress fracture in 1997 but also because of a youthful inability to translate pace into wickets.

That problem has now been rectified. Lee no longer relies purely on speed, preferring to mix up his deliveries. His main weapons are still his bouncer and his yorker but he can also swing the ball both away and into the batsman.

For all his joy at making the test team, Lee said he was just as thrilled when chosen this week for the national one-day squad, joining his older brother Shane, who was in Australia's World Cup-winning squad last year.

"Things are happening so fast for me, I just never expected it," Lee said.

"I never thought of playing for Australia as a kid in the backyard and to play with my brother would just be a dream come true."