Former Port Adelaide Grade cricketer Scott Borthwick set for England debut in Sydney Test

HE used to play cricket for Port Adelaide, has been likened to Shane Warne and today Scott Borthwick makes his debut for England.

THREE years ago former Test cricketer Eric Freeman described Scott Borthwick as the best up-and-coming leg-spinner since Shane Warne.

At the time, Freeman was an assistant coach with Grade club Port Adelaide and Borthwick was a raw Durham all-rounder drawing attention during a 10-match stint for the Magpies.

"He's the best leg-spin product I've seen outside of Shane Warne,'' Freeman, who played 11 Tests for Australia from 1968-70, said in February 2011.

"It's a big call but I think he's got enormous talent."

As Borthwick makes his Test debut for England at the SCG today, Freeman not only stands by the claim but says the blond-haired tweaker can trouble the Australian batsmen.

"I'd be surprised if he didn't do well," Freeman said this week.

"He's such a prodigious turner of the ball ... and has got the full repertoire with the wrong'un and the flipper.

"I think if he bowls well enough he could cause the Australians a bit of concern, particularly once the wicket's got a bit of wear on it."

Borthwick arrived in Adelaide in October 2010 to join the Darren Lehmann Academy, where he learnt the ropes alongside England teammate Joe Root.

At the end of the Grade season he had claimed 20 wickets at 26.5, scored 658 runs at 40.9 and helped Port Adelaide break a 20-year finals drought.

Lehmann Academy head coach Shaun Seigert said Borthwick was a bouncy leggie in the vein of Pakistan tweaker Mushtaq Ahmed, "super competitive" and a more than handy batsman.

"He'll do well because of his character," Seigert said.

"He was just hungry for success and wanted to really make it.

"He'll put his hand up when the heat's on and doesn't drop his bundle because every ball he thinks he's getting a wicket."

Port Adelaide coach Paul Finnie said Borthwick always looked like a future Test cricketer.

"He took the competition by storm when he was here," Finnie said.

"I couldn't be happier for him."

Freeman said the only surprise in Borthwick's rise to Test cricket was how long it took the England selectors to pick him.

Few leggies have played for England over the years - only one (Doug Wright) has taken more than 100 Test wickets - as selectors have stuck with off-spinners or left-arm orthodox bowlers.

Freeman said this could have counted against Borthwick.

"(England) don't seem to want to go that way (with leg-spinners).

"They've always had off-spinners in their team and you can go right back to many years ago.

"Warne always showed England if they bowl well enough, leg-spinners can achieve maximum results."