Lee warned for "trying to hurt"
Post by Will Sutto » Tue, 07 Mar 2000 04:00:00
Article from the SMH web site............
By PHIL WILKINS in Hamilton
Northern Districts won the toss and batted. At stumps on day one of a four-day match they were 9-295.
Australian Test speedster Brett Lee was warned for intimidation and for attempting to injure Northern Districts No11 batsman Bruce
Martin by bowling through the crease and delivering a bouncer late in the tourists' first-class match yesterday.
Umpire Dave Quested, a detective-sergeant, who has stood in three Tests, spoke at length to Lee, wagging his finger at him, then
spoke to acting captain Shane Warne following the delivery which whistled head-high past the tailender without striking him.
Umpire Quested claimed later that Lee had charged "two and a half feet over the crease" and his interpretation of the incident was
that "it seemed an intention to injure the striker".
Quested said: "A normal no-ball is an inch or an inch and a half over and you can't prove it intentional. But he went two and a half
feet over the crease and it seemed an intention to injure the striker."
Lee (1-57), bowling the last of his 16 overs of the day, was in a particularly hostile mood yesterday as he sought to impress the
tour selectors and retain his position as Glenn McGrath's new-ball partner for next Saturday's first Test ahead of Damien Fleming
(0-44).
In a relatively short time Lee, Australia's fastest bowler, has proved himself one of the most merciless. Openers and No11 batsmen
alike have been scorched by his bouncer. Earlier this season he broke the forearm of former Test paceman Jo Angel.
The Australian management refused to allow Lee to speak to the media to put his side but off-spinner Colin Miller (2-70), unable to
see Lee overstepping the crease from his position in the field, said he believed a paceman should be permitted to bowl one bouncer
at a tailender.
