She's been described as the female Brett Lee. As the world's fastest bowler in women's cricket Cathryn Fitzpatrick keeps getting asked the same question. How fast?

Fitzpatrick - bowling against England 2001 Photo CricInfo

So, how fast does the blonde-cropped Victorian bowl? "I don't know!" she exclaims. "Nobody comes down with radars. It's not like the guys when it's flashed up on the screen." When pressed she admits, "As a rough gauge 120km/hour would be close to the mark."

That's 75 mph, and Fitzpatrick reckons they are "sometimes a bit quicker." No wonder England captain Clare Connor looked aghast when beaten for pace and bowled through the gate when going well in the most recent Test between the Ashes enemies.

What's even more impressive is the movement and accuracy the postal worker creates. A Second Test opening spell of 12 overs, two for 12 against England suggests she has stamina too. She later polished off the tail, to record figures of 22.5 overs 5/31.

When Fitzpatrick spoke to CricInfo after that performance at Headingley, she was unaware of her analysis, and not too happy at the way she bowled. "I didn't feel comfortable initially. I was slipping a bit at first." Sawdust sorted that to help produce her outstanding analysis. But it was not her best in Tests. That was a bag of 5/29 in the previous week's innings victory at Shenley.

Fitzpatrick has made just eight Test appearances, and now has 29 wickets at 22.17.

"We don't play a lot of Tests so it's easy to keep up with statistics," she says. One interesting fact is such has been Australia's dominance when they do play Tests, Fitzpatrick has never been required to bat in a Test match.

Indeed it is Australia's first Test series since their 3-0 whitewash of England in 1998, when Fitzpatrick was top wicket taker with 13 at 31.76. In this series she already has the same number in just three innings at a cost of 7.15.

In contrast, since making her debut against India in 1991, the right-armer has played 54 One-Day Internationals and has taken 76 wickets before coming to England this summer. This puts her third on the all-time list, following closely behind opening partner Charmaine Mason and New Zealand's Catherine Campbell.

While her aim for fast-bowling speed and well-balanced action is easily comparable with the wannabe 100mph man Lee, a better comparison in Australian sport would be Olympic gold-medallist Cathy Freeman.

Freeman, despite "having a little bit higher profile than me," also spearheads women's representation in a male-dominated sport.

The Aboriginal sprinter is sponsored by the Postal Service. Fitzpatrick works as a motorbike dispatch rider for them.

Having achieved so much, Fitzpatrick, at 33, is still enjoying the game.

"If I'm enjoying it I'll keep playing," she told CricInfo. "We've got a good blend of young and old. I don't know how it would be if it was a very young side and I was the oldest," she added.

"I've never played in South Africa and I'd really love that," she admitted. "It is coming up for the World Cup." So, in January 2005, don't be surprised to see the fastest woman in the world trying to win the trophy back for the Australians.

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