Spin wizard Warne leads the way The world's most lethal bowling attack got together for the first time yesterday. And led by spin wizard Shane Warne, they propelled the All-Stars into pole position at the end of the first day of the Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Sixes. All the other nine teams, including Hong Kong, still have a chance of winning the tournament today and walking away with the US$100,000 winners' purse. But Warne and his illustrious band of big-name players have grabbed the favourites' tag - thanks mainly to the bowlers. 'We are pretty lucky for as a bowling unit we are a competent bunch of guys,' said Anil Kumble modestly. With a haul of 1,837 test wickets between them, the three-pronged strike force of Warne, Kumble and Glenn McGrath is more than competent. Warne is the world's leading wicket-taker with 708 victims, Kumble is third on 566, followed by McGrath on 563. Add the competitive duo of Heath Streak and Craig McMillan to this mix and it is highly combustible. Even though Warne and McGrath retired earlier this year, they are still a potent force. And yesterday they were in the groove to restrict their three pool opponents, Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa, and score effortless wins. 'It was a very good day at the office for us. We are improving each game we play and if we keep this up, we will be hard to beat,' predicted McGrath. Renowned commentator Tony Cozier agreed: 'With this kind of experience, I would expect them to win it. I don't think Warne and McGrath have played with Kumble before. They have the class to win this tournament.' Hong Kong Cricket Association president Terry Smith added: 'I think they can easily win it. They are a great addition to the tournament.' While the name of the game is all about hitting - preferably sixes - it is the bowling that will decide who lifts the Cup this evening. And Warne and the All-Stars are taking things very seriously. 'We went to bed early on Friday night, so I guess we must be keen to win,' laughed McGrath. Warne was the exception - he arrived late on Friday night after attending the funeral of a close friend back home in Melbourne. With the bowling department on song, the All-Stars have relied on Streak and McMillan to get the runs. The pair were in a murderous mood yesterday. 'Warney set out the plan this morning. He said, 'Just go out and back yourself',' Streak said. Kumble, McGrath and Streak all faced the media yesterday but Warne was kept under wraps. McGrath said: 'It is all about having fun. You just need to enjoy yourself.' And the lanky fast bowler certainly did that. With victory almost in the bag against South Africa, McGrath walked out to have a bat. He hit his first ball for six. 'I have only hit one six in my entire career. Today I added another,' smiled McGrath. Openers Streak and McMillan smashed 10 and seven sixes, respectively, to silence the opposition. Brian Lara was only called upon to show his class once - hitting an unbeaten 31 against Australia. 'I wish I was in bed right now,' he told a TV reporter. Jet lag - flying 30 hours from the Caribbean to Hong Kong - had finally caught up with Lara. But he was not unduly bothered. 'The serious business will begin tomorrow.' And that will be when they come up against England in the quarter-finals at 12.55pm. With the likes of Darren Maddy, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Luke Wright in the side, four-time champions England will be a huge threat first-up for Warne and company today. It will be a mouth-watering encounter.
