Australia's World Cup hopes look up

SYDNEY, Jan 3 AAP - Australia's World Cup cricket hopes literally clicked back into place when Shane Warne bowled in the SCG nets today.

Warne made his return earlier than expected and just 24 hours after his neck had to be cracked back into place by team physiotherapist Errol Alcott.

Warne's surprise appearance before play on day two of the fifth Ashes Test was the first time he had bowled since dislocating his shoulder in a one-day game against England on December 15.

The 33-year-old had been working daily with Alcott and fitness coach Jock Campbell in a concerted effort to get ready for the World Cup which starts in South Africa next month.

Warne's arm was in a sling until yesterday, but his seven overs in the nets this morning raised hopes he would be available for Australia's first match of the tournament against Pakistan on February 11.

"The sling's come off and the shoulder is coming along pretty well," he told told Channel Nine.

"Yesterday we were starting to do a lot of stuff, getting the muscles moving and the tendons moving and it felt really good and Errol thought it might be good to go and roll the arm over this morning.

"I did that and it's pulled up OK.

"I bowled a couple of seamers to start, but after that I started to bowl some pretty ordinary leg breaks. As I bowled a few more deliveries I fizzed a couple.

"It's pulled up pretty good and the next couple of days we'll see how it goes.

"As long as there's no stiffness there and I've still got my movement in the shoulder, then we can push it a bit more and have a bit more of a bowl."

Warne's recovery took an uncomfortable twist yesterday when his neck seized up during a jog - with his arm still in a sling.

"Errol had to crack my neck back in," he said.

Warne, chosen in Australia's 15-man World Cup squad on Tuesday despite his injury, was not expected to learn until January 12 or 13 when he could start bowling again.

He had received a guarantee from coach John Buchanan that he would be given until the second half of the tournament to return to full fitness.