Vintage Bollinger gathers another fine harvest
The Age
Saturday December 19, 2009
DOUG Bollinger turned the match on its head with a splendid post-lunch spell. Already the Aussies had raised their game by cutting out the loose deliveries so thoughtfully provided on the previous evening. Even so, they lacked menace until the uncompromising speedster grabbed the ball and went to work. Steaming to the crease, managing to convey his low opinion of batsmen without opening his mouth, hitting his length and his straps, he caused first a commotion and then a collapse. Upon taking his fifth wicket he held the ball aloft and looked as pleased as punch.Bollinger is a throwback and none the worse for that. It is hard to imagine him twittering or facebooking or worrying about carbon footprints or sipping sherry. He looks like a beer and sawdust man, a straight shooter, unstinting, unwavering, uncomplicated. Certainly he bowls along these lines. As far as he is concerned coaches over-elaborate and captains confuse the issue. Umpires are tolerable so long as they answer his appeals in the affirmative. Otherwise they are as much use as traffic wardens. Referees are beyond the pale.Honouring a great tradition, Bollinger ran to the crease and let rip. Throughout he set the tone, gave the attack the leadership it craved.Immediately, he coaxed an indiscretion from Ramnaresh Sarwan, a shaky off-driver with a poor record against these opponents. Hitherto the Australians had been wayward. Focus had been lost in flurry of boundaries and words. Bollinger changed all that.All morning the hosts continued to plug away but only one more wicket fell as Narsingh Deonarine's tentative tenure reached its conclusion. But West Indies batting is fragile, dependent on the captain. Dwayne Bravo had been playing a strange game, combining watchful defence with sudden rushes of blood. More had been expected from him.Bollinger's second burst was potent and canny. Bravo drove a boundary and next ball moved back expecting reprisals. But Bollinger has been around a while. Out-thinking Bravo, he pitched up, angled across the stranded right-hander and celebrated as ball grazed bat. Experts detected reverse swing in the delivery, further evidence that Bollinger has his secrets. Some of these bruisers are subtler than they appear. It must be admitted, though, that wisdom is not so easily detected in other parts of his game, especially his somewhat hazardous running between wickets.By now Bollinger had been embraced by the crowd. Seeking a hero, sensing a character, spectators chanted his name, urged him on. Sulieman Benn served as the visiting villain, a role for which he has auditioned unsparingly. Bollinger greeted the maligned tailender with a barrage of bumpers.Meanwhile Nathan Hauritz was proving a capable foil as he flighted his off-breaks enticingly and extracted bounce and deviation from a superb track. A few months ago it was hard to imagine Bollinger and Hauritz running through a field let alone a Test team. Admittedly West Indies batting is fragile. The tweaker picked up three wickets, reward for his willingness to outstare punishment.Scenting blood, Bollinger kept going. Denesh Ramdin wandered across his sticks and lost them.Bollinger had taken his fourth wicket, one to go. And it came his way as a bunny drove lavishly and snicked, whereupon a loquacious home gloveman dived and claimed a tricky snare. Bollinger was ecstatic. He left the field satisfied with his work.Stronger teams than West Indies await, but that is a tale for another day. For now it is enough to salute the unstinting speedster, an honest toiler whose day had come. Bollinger has many fine qualities, including one that has so far escaped mention. He stays fit. Bowlers are going down like morteined mozzies, and not only in Australia. Almost an entire Ashes attack has been wiped out. South Africa and West Indies have not emerged unscathed.Meanwhile, Bollinger keeps rolling up his sleeves and striding back to his mark.
© 2009 The Age
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