Four balls are all Jason Behrendorff needed to prove himself as an international cricketer as he plots his path back towards the pinnacle of the game.
Behrendorff (3-35) fired early to inspire the Prime Minister's XI to a thrilling four-wicket win over South Africa in front of a paltry crowd of 1824 at Manuka Oval on Wednesday.
Raise your hand if you want to play for Australia again.Credit:Dion Georgopoulos
The Canberra product has turned his focus to white ball cricket in a bid to rise above the injury problems that have curtailed his career in recent seasons with an eye on an Australian recall.
Behrendorff's dream return home will have caught the attention of Australian coach Justin Langer, who has mentored the Western Australian quick during his stint at the WACA, ahead of a one-off Twenty20 against South Africa next month.
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Prime Minister's XI coach Chris Rogers says Behrendorff wouldn't look out of place if he is called into Australia's Twenty20 squad to face South Africa, and his resilience in the face of injury means he will have earned it.
"There's no doubt he could do, if he got picked he would do a really good job," Rogers said.
"I see a really intelligent cricketer, someone who understands his game and the art of bowling. He looks like he's getting better and better as he gets older so I think he'd be one og those picks, if you gave him the ball at any stage, he'd deliver.
"No doubt if he got the opportunity he would perform. It's a test of resilience as much as anything, to go through those lows, he's probably questioned himself and his own career and what he's going to get out of it.
"To keep bouncing back, it says a lot about him and the inner strength he has. You like to see players who have really earned it go out and perform really well, and he is definitely one of those players."
Behrendorff took just two balls to show why he has as many Australian caps to his name when he cleaned up Quinton de Kock for a golden duck in the first over.
Jason Behrendorff bowling.Credit:Dion Georgopoulos
He should have had a second on the next ball when he struck Reeza Hendricks on the pads, swinging around with his arm raised to no avail.
Not out? No worries – Behrendorff had him caught behind one ball later.
Faf du Plessis strode to the crease and set about rebuilding a near full-strength South African side's innings in the Proteas' lone hit-out before they meet Australia in a three-match one-day international series beginning on Sunday.
He made his way to 13 with the deck beginning to flatten, but he would soon suffer the same fate as the two that went before him when he popped a Behrendorff delivery to George Bailey at mid-off.
Dwarfed by the enormous media centre being constructed at one end of Manuka Oval, "The Dorff" was anything but dwarfed by the occasion as he claimed 3-35 from seven overs to roll the Proteas for just 173.
A back fracture that will never fully heal leaves him prone to flare-ups associated with scar tissue, with the recurring issues over the past four years halting Behrendorff's career at home and abroad.
But his Prime Minister's XI showing is another indication he has what it takes to match it with the best in canary yellow, with Behrendorff's desire to earn a baggy green still burning brightly.
South African batsman Aidan Markram wouldn't be too surprised to see him back in Australian colours after his early burst against the tourists.
"He's got a ball that goes across the right-hander which makes it incredibly challenging," Markram said.
"Obviously we've known of him for a while, we've watched him in the Big Bash and those sorts of tournaments. He just keeps doing the right things."
Caden Helmers is a sports reporter for The Canberra Times
