In the Sydney Morning Herald Jamie Pandaram finds out more about Australia's newest fast bowler, Doug Bollinger.

Cricket is the loneliest of team sports, and the backslappers and well-wishers don't usually arrive until after success. Bollinger learned early, nobody would be knocking life's stumps down for him.

So when he decided to take up cricket at 15 after spending his earlier years on the rugby league field with Seven Hills, the son of a Dutchman wasn't taking shortcuts. By 21 he was picked up by the Fairfield grade club, and in quick succession he had managed to knock over three more stumps; the third grade team, seconds, and then firsts in his debut season.

Bollinger featured in the first grade grand final that year, and knocked that stump over too with a premiership win. "After that it just kind of happened," he said.