Bollinger to tour Windies

Bollinger to tour Windies

April 15, 2008

April 15, 2008

DOUG Bollinger jetted off to Hawaii for his honeymoon. In a month he'll fly to the Caribbean on his first Australian Test tour.

Life can barely get any sweeter for the no longer follicaly-challenged NSW fast bowler.

"I'm just wondering if they might bump me up to first class," quipped the 26-year-old ahead of his departure to Honolulu at Sydney Airport.

"It's probably been the best week of my life.

"I'm so happy that it's happened and I'm just so excited at the moment."

The left-armer was named as the replacement for injured Tasmanian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus in Australia's 15-member touring party for the three-Test series against West Indies starting May 22.

It capped an incredible week for Bollinger, who became a Cricket Australia contracted player for the first time last Wednesday and then married wife Tegan Sutherland in Wollongong on Friday - all while sporting a new full head of hair.

Two days after his wedding, Bollinger received a phone call from Australian physio Alex Kountouris alerting him to the possibility of Hilfenhaus being ruled out.

On Tuesday he was officially booked for his maiden tour - bringing to nine the number of New South Welshman in the squad.

"I'll be trying to get a tan and keep doing my fitness work while I'm over (in Hawaii)," said Bollinger, who claimed 45 Pura Cup wickets at 15.44 before a fractured foot injury cut short his domestic season.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said Bollinger's inclusion was subject to a fitness test on his foot, but the bowler was adamant he would be fine.

"I've had a bit of a bowl (in the past few weeks). I've been running and I've been in the gym, so I feel really well at the moment."

"It is a far different story for Hilfenhaus, whose withdrawal completes a miserable summer which saw the Tasmanian struggle for form after breaking in to the Australian set-up in 2006/07.

Hilditch said Cricket Australia was taking a conservative approach in trying to manage Hilfenhaus' injury after Kountouris confirmed the 25-year-old had suffered a possible recurrence of a stress fracture to the lower back.

"Ben had some lingering back pain towards the end of the Pura Cup season and recent scans have revealed a possible recurrence of an old stress fracture to the vertebrae. As such he is not able to bowl and is therefore ineligible for the tour of the West Indies," Kountouris said.

"His recovery will involve not bowling for the next few months but continuing on with a rehabilitation and strength program.

"We believe this will be his best preparation for the beginning of the 2008-09 season."

Bollinger was sympathetic to Hilfenhaus' misfortune.

"It's a bad thing for Hilfy, you don't wish that upon guys to get injured, especially with a stress fracture," said Bollinger.

"But that's the way cricket goes I suppose. I broke my foot so I feel for Hilfy, but hopefully I can do as great a job as he was going to do."