Australia's chances of recording a history-making seventh successive Ashes series victory over England received a major boost today when any lingering doubts over the fitness of pace bowlers Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie were dispelled. In respective tests ahead of the tour - which begins next month - both proved their readiness for the campaign by emerging unscathed from rigorous individual fitness sessions before a range of team officials at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The news represents a particularly heartening development for Australia, which will rely heavily on its fast bowling contingent during its three-month long visit to English shores. Having been forced to make do without an injured Lee on its way to a 2-1 Test series loss in India - its first series loss for eighteen months - the prospect of leaving him at home again would have represented an especially grievous blow. The New South Wales speedster, who has legitimate claims to being the fastest bowler in the world at present, has been edging his way back to full fitness after undergoing surgery to correct damage sustained to his right elbow in a one-day international match against Zimbabwe in early February.

Gillespie, meanwhile, has been absent from the Australian line-up for long intervals over the last four years. He was a lionhearted performer in India and also played a major role in the preceding 5-0 whitewash of West Indies but has battled a succession of injuries around those two series. His latest came during the closing stages of the tour of India; stress reactions in his left foot forcing him to endure close to two months of general rest and recovery.

Along with Glenn McGrath, Lee and Gillespie potentially form the most destructive pace bowling trio in world cricket. But circumstances have contrived to ensure that the three have only come together in the same Test eleven once - in Perth in December when, by no mere coincidence, their team powered its way to a crushing innings victory.

Gillespie will now assume his place in the fourteen-man party selected to play in the NatWest Series of one-day international matches against England and Pakistan that begins on 7 June. Lee, for his part, will fly out of Australia on 18 June, joining Gillespie and fifteen other of his countrymen in readiness for the series of five Tests against England that commences on 5 July.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd