Nathan Lyon’s paltry four-over Test preparation has caused respected coach Darren Berry to call for a review of Australia’s pace-friendly pitches.
Lyon sent down just four overs in two innings during South Australia’s Sheffield Shield win over Tasmania within three days at a seam-friendly Bellerive.
The match was meant to be his warm-up for the Test series against South Africa beginning in Brisbane on Friday.
He’d entered the clash with the Tigers with just six first-class wickets under his belt for the season at an average of more than 66.
Lyon didn’t bowl in the first innings and delivered considerably fewer overs than the Redbacks’ South African skipper and spinner Johan Botha who completed 11 for the match.
“We’ve got the Test spinner here and the one-day spinner (Tasmania’s Xavier Doherty) and they hardly bowled in the game,” Redbacks mentor Berry told reporters.
“It’s not ideal that a spin bowler doesn’t get to bowl so my conclusion is I think they should have a look at the wickets across the country.
“They are very fast-bowler friendly, all of them.”
Berry, though, backed Lyon to be able to perform if he is included in Australia’s XI for the Gabba.
“He’s pretty confident going in,” Berry said.
“He’s a pretty confident young kid and we think he’s in a pretty good place.”
In a better place than he was is Test paceman Ben Hilfenhaus, who bowled 39 overs in his first red-ball match since April for match figures of 4-108.
They could have been better if not for a couple of simple dropped chances, but Tigers captain George Bailey said so could Hilfenhaus.
“I thought he probably bowled a little short for us but, in terms of his rhythm and his pace, that was pretty good,” Bailey said.
“It is his first hitout in a long time so I certainly felt him getting better, but I think on a wicket like this it could have been a lot better.”
Bailey was more positive about out-of-sorts Test opener Ed Cowan, who made six and 26 in his two digs and hasn’t passed 50 in seven Shield innings this season.
“He’s as mentally strong as any of the batsmen that I’ve played with or against and I know he knows his game very well,” the skipper said.
“There weren’t too many batters who hung around there against the new ball for 100 balls so I think there were enough positives for him.”
