Cricket: The Terminator bounces back

As New Zealand's new ball attack was repeatedly picking itself up off the canvas in Australia in the last few weeks, worried heads turned towards Hamilton.

Or, to be more accurate, Lincoln. If they listened hard they would have heard Daryl Tuffey sweating and puffing to get himself ready for the home international campaign.

They might also have heard him muttering Arnold Schwarzenegger's corny Terminator line: "I'll be back".

Tuffey doesn't look like Arnie, for which we should all be thankful, and he also has no known political aspirations. But he shares with the Governor of California an ability to make an impact.

He hasn't been sighted at the New Zealand bowling crease since early September, as he has been battling to repair a pair of wonky knees.

Doom and gloomers, knowing fit fast bowlers in New Zealand colours are as rare as an Auckland speedway meeting, feared the worst.

But it took Tuffey the Terminator just three balls to boom "I'm back" at Eden Park yesterday, getting Sri Lankan opener Saman Jayantha leg before wicket.

It's a knack, a bowler grabbing a wicket in his opening over. Some bowlers have it, most don't. Tuffey can just about do it in his sleep.

He snaffled captain Marvan Atapattu shortly after and had his desperate dive at third man enabled him to cling on to, rather than drop, a top edge from Sanath Jayasuriya off Kyle Mills' bowling in the opening 45 minutes it would almost have been too good to be true as comebacks go.

Spectators queuing outside the gates as New Zealand step on the field can expect the opposition to be one wicket down by the time they get to their seats.

He has a reputation to preserve. One sound and seasoned observer yesterday reckoned in his 73 ODIs, he'd done the trick perhaps 10 times.

It's a terrific trait in a new ball bowler. A captain can ask for no more than Tuffey and Mills delivered in the first six overs, yesterday. Sri Lanka were 18 for three, which soon became 35 for four. Thank you and good night, Sri Lanka.

That Tuffey is back in black is down to several weeks the 26-year-old from Hamilton spent at the New Zealand Cricket high performance centre in Lincoln.

There, a scheme dubbed Team Tuffey was put into operation, overseen by former test fast bowler Dayle Hadlee. Not only was it a case of getting him back on the park, there was also a job of reviving the confidence so essential to his role leading the attack.

He played in games involving the academy team at Lincoln and had a couple of State Championship matches when he got through plenty of overs.

The proof that Hadlee and his chums had done an impressive job was on show yesterday. Tuffey might not have been going flat out, and he had moments when his radar was on the blink. But on a pitch which offered plenty of help, it was enough.

In 73 ODIs, Tuffey has taken 89 wickets. With Australia around the corner Fleming and the national selectors can only hope the Terminator is back for the long haul.