At the age of 35, Bryce McGain went from IT worker to professional cricketer and he did it with such success that within a year he was part of Australia's Test squad to tour India. The call-up came as Australia searched the country for their next long-term spinner and McGain's promising effort during Australia A's rain-affected trip to India helped his cause. It followed a domestic season in which he was the leading Pura Cup spinner, with 38 wickets at 34.15, and the equal highest FR Cup wicket-taker. He played every first-class game for Victoria in 2007-08 and also proved an unexpectedly valuable limited-overs bowler, with 15 victims at 24.40. Even more surprising was his Twenty20 worth; a collection of six wickets at 16.16 and an economy rate of 6.46 in the champion team suggested a relaxed legspinner with faith in his skills.

That confidence was built over 15 years in Melbourne's club cricket. It was near impossible for McGain to break into the state side while Shane Warne, Colin Miller and Cameron White filled the slow-bowling roles. He played three Pura Cup matches from 2001-02 to 2003-04 but had little effect and appeared destined to bowl out his career for his grade side Prahran while working in the ANZ Bank's IT section. However, when White was in the Australia side in January 2007, McGain was recalled for two games and grabbed his chance with a second-innings 6 for 112 to be one of the matchwinners against New South Wales in Sydney. He earned his first state contract, quit his day job and was still hoping for a lengthy career despite his age, declaring that: "Most first-class cricketers at 35 have had the workload of ten years of cricket and I haven't." A tall, lean spinner with a quick approach to the crease, McGain's strength is his consistency - his variations are used sparingly but loose balls are even rarer. He almost stole the FR Cup final from Tasmania with a vicious late spell of 3 for 11 and he picked up first-class five-wicket hauls against the Tigers and the Blues. He struggled to use the SCG pitch to maximum effect in the Pura Cup decider, which may have in part cost him a place on Australia's tour to the West Indies, but he remained Victoria's find of the summer.
Brydon Coverdale September 2008

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Oct 1, 2008 Ricky Ponting chats to the injured Bryce McGain at training © AFP

Oct 1, 2008 Ricky Ponting and the injured Bryce McGain at Australia's net session © AFP

Sep 25, 2008 Bryce McGain takes a breather at the Amber Fort in Jaipur on his first Test tour © AFP

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