Published: 04/03/2010 09:47:40 | Modified: 04/03/2010 09:52:15
Author: Richard Thomas | All Contributors
Harris relishes future partnership with Tait
Glamorgan's teenage seamer James Harris admits he cannot wait to team up this summer with Shaun Tait, currently the fastest bowler in the world.
And Harris believes that Tait, who recorded the fastest delivery on Aussie turf with a 99.86mph ball in Australia’s victory over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, can give a few county batsmen the hurry-up.
The Welsh county have signed up Tait exclusively for the Twenty20 Cup campaign, although he might yet have to miss a couple of matches because of Australia one-day commitments in June.
“Looking at the way he is bowling in Australia he is going to be a fantastic acquisition. I think he is going to scare the life out of a lot of batsmen,” said Harris, who is expected to share the new ball with the South Australian.
“I think it will help me bowling the other end because they will try to see him off and try to slap me out of the park. It might work one of two ways: either I’m going to get slapped about or pick up a few wickets.”
Harris, who has just returned from Dennis Lillee’s bowling academy in India, is hoping the signing of Tait and a more consistent fixture list – a lot of Glamorgan’s one-day games are now on a Friday night or a Sunday – can help the county attract big crowds to the Swalec Stadium.
“It will be a lot easier for the public to know when the fixtures are on. The games in the past have been on Mondays and Tuesdays.
“Now the games are going to be predominantly on the weekends it will make a lot easier for the spectators and hopefully we can attract big crowds.
“There’s nothing better than a big crowd to play in front of, and with the addition of Shaun Tait and with Mark Cosgrove coming back it can only be good.”
Meanwhile, Hugh Davies has stepped down as Glamorgan deputy chairman. And following a committee vote Nigel Roberts, whose company, Paramount, is the club’s main shirt sponsor, takes over the deputy chairmanship. Davies will continue as chairman of the Cricket Board of Wales.