MELBOURNE, Dec 30: As the careers of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath prepare to disappear into the sunset, Australia's players were united in hailing Stuart Clark the heir apparent as the team's most influential strike bowler.

The 31-year-old Clark has been a model of consistency in his first Ashes series, taking 21 wickets to equal Warne as the most prolific bowler on either side in Australia's surge to a 4-0 lead.

His unerring accuracy and bounce derived from his lofty 197cm frame has put England's batsmen under intense pressure.

The former real estate agent is set to spearhead the Australian attack once McGrath and Warne retire after the final Test starting in Sydney on Tuesday.

“I wish I had a dollar for every time he went past my outside edge because I'd probably own an island somewhere,” team-mate Mike Hussey told reporters on Saturday.

“He's been a very fine bowler for a long time. I was always confident he would perform once he got to play for Australia.”

Although first handed a Cricket Australia contract in the 2001-02 season, a series of injuries and fierce competition for places meant he only made his Test bow aged 30 in Cape Town in March.

But he quickly proved his pedigree with a player of the series nod against the South Africans after taking 20 wickets in the series at 15.75.—Reuters