Bronzed Lillee To Oversee Warne Bid

Sun Herald

Sunday December 17, 2006

By WILL SWANTON

A STATUE of Dennis Lillee will be unveiled during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG as Cricket Australia sweats on Shane Warne reaching the 700-wicket milestone in his home town.

Warne began the third Test against England in Perth with 694 wickets. He took one wicket in the first innings and has admitted to wanting to reach 700 on his home ground.

Cricket Australia will honour Lillee on the opening day of the clash, with a statue standing alongside one of Sir Donald Bradman.

With a sell-out crowd crammed into the vast cricketing cauldron, Cricket Australia will make a presentation to Warne during the first lunch, tea or stumps interval if he does reach the 700-wicket mark. A push has already started for one of the MCG's grandstands to be named after the leg spinner.

Meanwhile, Warne's rival, Muttiah Muralitharan, is likely to overtake him on the Test wicket-taking list next year simply because Sri Lanka has a more hectic schedule. Muralitharan moved to 668 wickets with his four victims against New Zealand on Friday.

© 2006 Sun Herald

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