After 50 tests, Australia's Lee eager for century

CAPE TOWN, Mar 20 (Reuters) Brett Lee chalked up 50 tests in Australia's seven-wicket win over South Africa and he is already looking forward to reaching his century.

''To play 50 tests for Australia is a dream,'' the 29-year-old pace bowler told a news conference today.

''You play one test match when you're 23 and you think this is just brilliant. You hope one day to play 50 or even 100 test matches, but it's a lot of cricket.'' Despite feeling tired after a long season, Lee believes he has a good chance of making 100 test appearances. Nine Australians have played more than a century of test matches, led by former captain Steve Waugh on 168.

''Fifty test matches over five or six years is a definite possibility,'' Lee said.

''That's making sure, too, that I'm being looked after and looking after myself.

''I think about what's happened over the past 50 tests, and if I wasn't injured and had that time, I could possibly have played 60 or 70 Tests by now.

''Since the start of the Ashes I've had a really hectic workload,'' Lee said.

''I've played almost every one-dayer for Australia since then and all the test matches, too. I've done a fair bit of bowling and it does take a fair bit out of the body.

''But I'm training hard and I've put myself in a position where I hope I can sustain that.'' Lee said Australia's decision to stick to basic bowling tactics had paid off in the first test which they won by seven wickets inside three days on Saturday.

''We tried to work on being ruthless, just hitting the top of off-stump consistently,'' Lee said.

''It doesn't matter what batsman in the world it is, if you're bowling a decent channel and line and length you're giving yourself every opportunity of taking nicks.'' Australia's season will end after their tour to Bangladesh in April when they play two tests and three one-dayers.

''After that Bangladesh series I can clock off, it's like Friday afternoon for a guy who goes to work all week,'' Lee said.

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