Brett Lee confident of Headingley return after winning injury battle

On the mend: Brett Lee goes through his paces at Edgbaston
10 April 2012

Brett Lee believes he can recover from his side injury in time to return to the Australia team at Headingley this week and give the tourists' bowling attack the edge they have missed so badly in this Ashes series.

Lee's abdominal problem has kept him out of the first three npower Tests and his absence has been felt keenly by captain Ricky Ponting, especially with his main strike bowler Mitchell Johnson struggling to find his best form.

But Lee has gradually been increasing the intensity of his bowling drills during the Third Test at Edgbaston and had hoped to reach full pace during a net session today.

"My aim was to be flat out on day five here," said Lee, who sustained the injury during Australia's final pre-Ashes warm-up against England Lions last month.

"It's just a matter of making sure the side strain feels okay but I felt no pain when I was bowling yesterday.

"I got up to 80-85 per cent of what I am normally capable of, so it's full steam ahead from here.

"I want to make myself available for the Fourth Test. A lot will play out over the next two or three days. It comes down to looking after my body.

"The last three or four weeks have been a slow process. I hate watching cricket from the sidelines at the best of times so not being able to take part in this Ashes series has killed me.

"It means I'll be doing everything I can to make sure I am ready for the Fourth Test."

The Australian selectors would prefer Lee to have an outing in a tour game first, rather than pitching him straight into a Test.

But with Ponting's bowlers struggling to exert serious control over the England batsmen during the opening three Tests, it may be hard to resist the temptation to turn to the experience and charisma of Lee.

Apart from a couple of wayward bursts, Johnson appeared to be working his way back towards something like his best form yesterday.

The left-armer was far more accurate and hostile than he had been in the previous two Tests, trapping Ian Bell lbw with a brilliant, late in-swinging delivery, before removing Graeme Swann with a well-disguised slower ball which the England tail-ender could only chip to Marcus North at cover.

With Lee, Ben Hilfenhaus and a recovering Johnson in the team, Australia's front-line attack would look altogether far more threatening.

Hilfenhaus has been the pick of the Aussie bowlers on this tour and demonstrated his mastery of the swinging ball yesterday by taking four for 109 in England's innings.

Johnson called for the Australia physio during the evening session after apparently suffering from hamstring trouble but a Cricket Australia spokesman insisted there was "no issue" with his fitness.

Hilfenhaus said: "Mitchell has been working pretty hard at things and he ran in hard yesterday, hit the pitch and bowled really well.

"He will get a lot out of that for the rest of the series."

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