I'm not up to full pace yet, says fearsome Aussie Tait

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Mar 20 (Reuters) Australia strike bowler Shaun Tait warned future World Cup opponents today that he had yet to reach full pace as the serious business of the tournament starts for the world champions.

Tait, who has been asked to fulfil the role left open by the absence of the injured Brett Lee, has clocked around 145kph (90mph) against Scotland and the Netherlands.

Now with a match against the world number one side South Africa next on the agenda on Saturday in the final match of Group A, Tait is ready to step up a gear.

''I'm definitely looking forward to it,'' he told reporters after practice today. ''I went on tour to South Africa but I didn't get a game. I'm raring to go on Saturday.

''There will be a quick spell coming up. It's difficult conditions, pretty hot and dry, not the ideal place to be looking for the high 150s.

''But my body is definitely coming on so in the next couple of games you should see some reasonably fast spells.'' Captain Ricky Ponting has used Tait to share the new ball with Nathan Bracken, then brought him back in short spells in the middle and at the end.

''It pretty much suits me,'' Tait said. ''It's gone pretty well.

Whenever I'm called on to bowl I'm happy.'' LEAN SPELL At the other end of the pace scale, Ponting has used Brad Hogg's unorthodox left-arm spin to some effect on the slow Caribbean pitches after a lean spell in the one-day matches leading up to the tournament.

''Over the last six months I have been bowling really well,'' Hogg told reporters.

''I had a period when I didn't get any wickets for six games and I reckon five of those were probably the best I have bowled in my whole career.

''In the games that have been played so far the slow bowlers have provided a few headaches for the batsmen.'' South Africa have traditionally struggled against good wrist spinners but Hogg refused to make any predictions before the most important match of the first round.

The Australians held a combined net and open wicket practice at Conaree Park near the St Kitts airport this morning and several balls flew into a field of sugar cane outside the ground.

Ponting practised his lofted straight drive against a bowling machine and the Australians are clearly going to target the short boundaries at Warner Park where South African Herschelle Gibbs hit six sixes in an over against the Netherlands.

Attendances have been disappointing in the Group A matches so far but the chairman of the local organising committee Charles Wilkin told a news conference today that 8,000 tickets had already been sold for Saturday's match on a ground with a maximum capacity of 10,500.

''By Saturday it will be sold out,'' he said.

REUTERS PDS PM0103