Waugh says Blues have the tonic for Langer

PERTH, Feb 26 AAP - A bowler who was playing on synthetic pitches just two years ago has Australian Test opener Justin Langer on the hop.

That is the belief of Australian Test captain Steve Waugh who says 21-year-old New South Welshman Doug Bollinger will be starting to play on the West Australian captain's mind before tomorrow's Pura Cup cricket match at the WACA Ground.

NSW, which hasn't won the four-day title since 1993/94, needs to take all six points from the match to keep alive its chances of making the March final against frontrunners Queensland or Victoria.

While 59-Test veteran Langer dismissed Waugh's comments, the left-arm quick from Sydney's western suburbs has dismissed him cheaply twice this summer, for five in the four-day match in Newcastle and in Sunday's ING Cup final.

Bollinger, whose debut season for the Blues has had its ups and down, had Langer all at sea before dismissing him for three in NSW's seven-wicket win on the weekend with a corker of a delivery.

And Waugh, who is always happy to gain any psychological advantage available, said national teammate Langer would have been thinking about Bollinger.

"I'm sure he has got Lang thinking about him, he's got him out a couple of times, he got him out in Newcastle and here with two very good balls and he feels very confident against Justin," Waugh said.

"We all respect Langer, he's a great player but sometimes when you haven't seen a bowler much and he gets you out a few times it just gets in the back of your mind."

But the 32-year-old Langer, who has scored 4077 Test runs at 44.31 including 13 centuries, scoffed at Waugh's comments.

"No trouble," he said.

"Look I have made four or five Test hundreds against Wasim Akram, I don't think Doug Bollinger is in Wasim Akram's class, so I think Tugga is just playing games with you," he said.

However Waugh rated the very raw Bollinger as a genuine wicket-taker, and despite stretches of waywardness, could be anything.

"Because he's come from nowhere and in some ways that's great because teams have not seen him," he said.

"I don't know much about him, he was playing park cricket 12 months ago and now he's been picked in the Prime Minister's XI, it's been a great 12 months for him, he's a real prospect."

Bollinger worked his way through Fairfield-Liverpool's lower grades to become an integral part of the club's first grade premiership winning side last season to finish in the NSW Second XI.

Teams:

NSW: Michael Slater, Greg Mail, Stephen Waugh (captain), Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Mark Waugh, Brad Haddin, Nathan Bracken, Don Nash, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger, Stuart MacGill.

WA: Justin Langer (captain), Michael Hussey, Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Murray Goodwin, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, Callum Thorp, Adam Voges, Brad Williams.