Ahead of tomorrow evening's first Standard Bank Pro 20 match at the Wanderers, David Warner, the Australian pinch-hitter who has played more 20-over international matches than first class games, is worried that he could become Dale Steyn's Bunny.
Warner has played just one first-class match for New South Wales yet has represented Australia in three 20-over smash and grabs against South Africa and Australia, another indication of how the priorities in the sport have swung from multi-day cricket to three hours of short stuff. Warner is a pretty potent package of short stuff himself, but Steyn has got him three times in his nine internationals (three 20-over and six One-Day Internationals).
Continues Below ↓
"(Steyn) is one of those guys that if he gets on top of you, he's hard to handle," said Warner. "My goal is to try to take it to them. You don't want to be on the back foot to them because if they are going to get on top of you, you're cooked. He is definitely one of the best bowlers I've faced. He has got me out a couple of times. I think I'm his Bunny."
Nominating a bunny for a series was something both Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath had a nasty habit of doing before battle was joined on the park, and while Steyn has refrained from doing that, the sense that he has the rub over the diminutive Warner is one he would actively encourage.
Knocking Warner's confidence will take some doing, however. His 89 runs off just 43 balls in the first T20 in Melbourne in January, including seven boundaries and six that went over the rope, took the match away from South Africa as Australia rattled off a good total of 182. By contrast, South Africa were 12-3 after just three overs and limped along to 130.
"That innings boosted my profile a bit and then it just became a bit of a surreal experience for myself," said Warner.
Continues...
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
