LIKE an excited schoolboy, I was down at New Road to see Glenn McGrath bowl for Worcestershire against Yorkshire.

You had the feeling that it was one of those days that people would want to recall, to be able to say that they were there. He did not disappoint -- he is a class act.

With his hei-ght, he will never move with the easy athleticism of a Marshall or Donald, but ev-ery movement is purposeful, part of an awesomely powerful and precise bowling action. How I longed to be out there and to be able to enjoy that sense of power as being on my side.

No runs in a first spell of six overs and 4-9 as a final tally off nine overs tell a wonderful story statistically. What the statistics don't convey is the shuddering impact of ball on bat as the ball arrowed into the ribs, how it leapt sideways from the pitch and how the variations of yorker and slower ball found the mark.

Awesome, man of the match, and dream debut material. And they make a habit of it, these Australians. Tom Moody's home one-day debut saw him bombarding the New Road hospitality boxes as he pummelled Kent's attack for 160 in 40 overs.

We won that game, but sadly for all McGrath's efforts, the game with Yorkshire was lost. This says something of how, in one-day cricket, one batsman can have a much greater effect on the outcome of a game than one bowler.

How would it change the nature of the game, I wonder, if batsman were limited to 50 runs say, or a certain number of balls, as a bowler is limited in the number of overs he can bowl?

It also indicates the problems in depth as far as back-up for McGrath is concerned. Stuart Lampitt remains a quality performer and he showed that. Alamgir Sheriyar remains a wicket-taker first and foremost, while David Leatherdale is still a batter who bowls rather than a genuine all-rounder.

He is always prepared to give it a go, Lugsy, but inevitably, he can be inconsistent, like fellow Yorkshireman, Peter Hartley. He is currently enjoying a great start to the season with Hampshire who was known as 'Daisy' during his time with Yorkshire on the basis that "some days he did and some days he didn't."

Yorkshire, however, were able to field five front-line seam bowlers against Worcestershire and this ultimately made the difference despite Steve Rhodes' typically gutsy late rally.

The fixture list has provided the County with an early opportunity for revenge with the return fixture at Headingley. Yorkshire may lack Gough and White from their bowling attack, but will be able to call upon Silverwood as a reserve. Meanwhile, Worcestershire's batsmen have to learn to live without Graeme Hick.

There were few runs at Cambridge for Vikram Solanki, who will need to come to the fore in Hick's absence.

There were more wickets for McGrath, though, and you might have been surprised, like me, to see him play against the University.

However, the fast bowler will be searching for rhythm, as will the batsmen. With rhythm, your feet and hands move naturally through their sequences and patterns; without it, there is a conscious and forced effort to your movements which leads to mis-timing and a general sense of unease.

The question, of course, as far as the England players are concerned, is whether that elusive rhythm can best be found at a training camp or in a real match situation?

Monday, May 8, 2000.