Revived Lee stakes Ashes claim

The Ashes 2009

Australia quick Brett Lee made a statement of intent here Thursday by taking five wickets against the England Lions and followed up with an equally blunt message to the selectors.

Lee, who registered deliveries at speeds in the mid-90s on the way to single-handedly reducing the Lions from 172 without loss to 209 for five, then said afterwards: "I haven't trained for 25 weeks to sit on the sideline."

The 32-year-old, who has taken 310 Test wickets, is not guaranteed a place in Australia's attack for the Ashes series opener in Cardiff starting Wednesday after several months out of the side following foot and ankle surgery.

He played the last of his 76 Tests in December, missing the majority of the double-header against South Africa and his place in the side following such serious surgery has been questioned.

But any doubts about his ability to generate late swing at express pace were blown away at New Road in a spell of bowling which yielded five wickets for just 26 runs after switching ends.

England's Stephen Moore, who top-scored with 120 in the Lions' 302 for six before exiting at the hands of Lee, conceded he'd not seen bowling of that calibre anywhere on the county scene.

It was indeed a typically whole-hearted effort which lived up to Lee's pre-match prediction that he'd be solely concentrating on bowling fast.

Lee showed aggression by striking opener Joe Denly (66) when he ducked into a rising delivery and experience in trapping Ian Bell in front of his stumps first ball with a fuller delivery on his way to five wickets for 53 runs.

He also outbowled his supposed opponent for the final quick berth in the first Test line-up, Stuart Clark, and overshadowed Mitchell Johnson, who was down on pace as he returned figures of no wickets for 101 runs in 20 overs.

"People say I'm under pressure but I don't look at it like that," smiled Lee, who toured England in 2001 and 2005 but averages over 45 with the ball in 10 Ashes Tests here.

"It wasn't great getting injured and I didn't have the best time in India.

"But if you haven't taken anything out of the last 10 years of playing then you're not a smart cricketer.

"Over the past two or three years I've become a smarter bowler and I cherish the fact that I'm playing a new role now."

He admitted his position as the touring party's senior bowler encompassed mentoring the young pace brigade of Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.

But he might also need to offer support to the under-fire Nathan Hauritz, who found the New Road pitch unconducive to his off spinners.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting even turned to part-timer Michael Clarke during Moore and Denly's 172-run partnership at the top of the innings.

Meanwhile Marcus North's occasional tweakers dismissed Steven Davies for 53 towards the end of the day's play.

Hauritz's Test place now appears in doubt, with the South African-born Moore admitting the Lions had made a priority of targeting him.

"We went out with a game plan to make sure we made life difficult for him," said Moore. "He's a nice bowler ... but without that X-factor Shane Warne had you've got an area there that you can try and attack.

"We definitely made it a focus."