Lyon set to spin his magic

NATHAN Lyon will go down as one of Australia’s greatest Test match bowlers, but the next part of his legacy might be to help groom his successor – a mission that officially starts on Wednesday.

After starring last summer in the Big Bash, spin prodigy Tanveer Sangha is set to make his first-class debut for NSW alongside Lyon against Victoria at Drummoyne Oval.

Sangha (pictured) is highly regarded as a future Australian leg-spinner and his arrival onto the Sheffield Shield scene comes as the search for the heir to Lyon’s throne is becoming more urgent by the day.

Lyon could play for several more years yet at Test level but as he approaches his 34th birthday, Australia’s succession planning must start.

Sangha’s goal is Test cricket and he’s determined to make the most of his time with Lyon.

“If I had to choose one thing (for my career), it’s to play Test cricket,” said Sangha.

“I’ve already trained with Gaz (Lyon), and I can tell how smart and experienced he is. It’ll be even better to play with him and see how he goes about it in a game.

“That’s the way I’ve got to think about it.”