HOBART – A revitalised Glenn McGrath is confident he’ll be fit to playas England sweat over star batsman Michael Vaughan ahead of theirone-day cricket match in Hobart tomorrow.

Don Woolford10-Jan-2003HOBART – A revitalised Glenn McGrath is confident he’ll be fit to playas England sweat over star batsman Michael Vaughan ahead of theirone-day cricket match in Hobart tomorrow.McGrath, who’s been out with a side strain, said today it had been toughwatching from the sidelines as Australia lost the fifth Test and wasbelted by Sri Lanka last night.”I just can’t wait to get back out there,” he said.The fast bowler said he was “90 per cent-plus fit and feeling prettygood”.But management will wait until they see how he pulls up following anafternoon bowl before deciding whether he will play.”If it’s going the same way it has from the last few bowls I’ve had, yesI’m confident I’ll play,” McGrath said.However the management, which also has worries about Darren Lehmann’sfitness following illness, will wait until the morning before finalisingthe team.Captain Ricky Ponting said Lehmann was still feeling a bit tired andrundown.”He’s had a couple of days of not doing too much and we’ll see how hepulls up in the morning,” Ponting said.England, with concerns over Vaughan’s knee and shoulder and fast bowlerSteve Harmison’s shin splints, will also wait until the morning to nametheir team.Captain Nasser Hussain is anxious to slot Vaughan, who made a mountainof runs as an opener in the Tests, into the top three of the one-dayside.Oddly, Vaughan has always batted at four or lower for England and hiscounty Yorkshire in one-dayers.”We would like to bat him in the top three, definitely,” Hussain said.”When he is the number two batsman in the world there’s no point hidinghim down the order.”But with the World Cup a month away, Vaughan and Harmison would betreated very carefully.Hussain seemed unsurprised by Sri Lanka’s stunning form reversal lastnight.He said that while they appeared down and out after their match againstAustralia A in Adelaide, they had a much better batting lineup thantheir recent statistics suggested.Ponting was still smarting from the heavy loss.”Last night’s game was disappointing,” he said.”It was not really an Australian team that took the field last night, Idon’t think.”Our performance was not up to the high expectations we have of the teamand we have spoken about that and we will speak about it again today andwe will make sure that we are a better side tomorrow.”He agreed fatigue may have been a factor.”I would be lying if I said some of the guys weren’t a little bittired,” he said.In that regard, McGrath’s enforced rest may be a blessing in disguise.McGrath said he’d been able to have a rest, work on his fitness andspend more time with his family.”So even though it’s been negative in one way, I’ve used it as apositive,” he said.The match should be played in fine weather on a Bellerive Oval wicketcurator Peter Apps said should be dry, even and hard.The match is a sell-out at the 16,000 capacity ground.