their three-match tour of Bermuda today and tomorrow, with captain Mark Taylor and veteran batsmen David Boon and Steve Waugh expected to play in both matches.

However, paceman Glenn McGrath, the team's key bowler in the recent series in the Caribbean, will take no further part in the tour after injuring his back in Thursday's match against St. George's.

McGrath pulled up midway through his third over against St. George's. And while the extent of the injury was unknown immediately, deputy captain Ian Healy confirmed that the 25-year-old fast bowler would take no further part in the current tour.

"It's pretty serious,'' said Healy.

"He probably didn't warm up as much as we normally do and he went a bit hard to early, he was bowling really quickly, so he was probably putting in a bit too much for the amount of warm up and his back went on him.

"We don't know the extent of that until we're off and training and see how it recovers tomorrow for a start, but he won't be playing in Bermuda.'' The Aussies opened their tour, as expected, with a comfortable 53-run victory over the St. George's Cup Match XI, reaching 235 after at one stage appearing in some trouble at 144-7 and then restricting their opponents to 182-9 in 50 overs.

As was the case with both teams, a bowler topped the batting in the opening match with Paul Reiffel scoring 43 not out at number eight for the Aussies.

Late in the afternoon St. George's pace pair Anthony Braithwaite and Dale Fox made certain that the east enders at least lasted their full quota of overs, with Braithwaite blasting 42 and Fox scoring 31 not out.

The batting, however, should be stronger for today's match at Lord's where The Australians play a President's XI, captained by Dexter Basden. Tomorrow the Bermuda team, skippered by Albert Steede, will provide the final opposition for the world champions.

By consent the Australians will bat first -- which was the case on the 1991 tour -- and so there should be plenty of opportunity for their top batsmen to display both their strokes and running between the wickets, a key aspect of the limited overs game.

With regular opener Michael Slater coming in at number four on Thursday, only captain Ian Healy batted in his usual position at number seven. However, there is a chance Slater could form his regular partnership with captain Taylor at the top of the order in one of the last two matches, with Boon coming in at number three or four.

The key men in the President's XI batting will be the experienced Jeff Richardson and Ritchie Foggo and youngsters like Curtis Jackson, who will open with captain Basden, and Jason Lewis at number three. Their bowling will be led by Roger Blades and Gary Williams, spinner Del Hollis and seamers Shannon Warner and Jermaine Outerbridge, though there does not appear to be too much strength, or variety, in that department.

The Bermuda team's batting looks to be the most solid of all the three teams with the top six including Steede, Ricky Hill, Olin Jones, Richard Basden, Graham Fox and Arnold Manders.

There are some new faces in this Bermuda team because of suspension or unavailability of a number of players who played in last year's ICC Trophy. As a result there are chances for Jones and Hill to re-establish themselves at the national level, and for Richard Basden, Fox, Clarkie Trott and David Adams to push their claims.

Anthony (Porky) Manders, the last of the three Manders brothers to play in Cup Match, will also following his older brothers Arnold and Andre into the Bermuda team as the absence of Dean Minors has created an opening for him to come in as wicketkeeper.

"I've played for a couple of selects before but not the Bermuda team,'' said Manders, 32, yesterday. "I'm looking forward to playing against the Australians and maybe I can pick up a couple of tips.'' With the likes of Allan Douglas and Dean Minors around at the same time, the opportunities for Manders to break into the Bermuda team have been few, though he has long been recognised as an underrated wicket-keeper-batsman.

"There have always been a lot of good wicket-keepers in Bermuda. Allan has been around a long time and Dean was always second or third.'' Manders has some experience at international competition, having represented Bermuda at both junior and senior level in football. "I'm just looking to do my best and enjoy the occasion,'' he said of the meeting with the Aussies.

Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Healey said that Bermuda was likely to see a more serious Aussie outfit than the one which virtually carried St. George's in the latter stages with the use of `junk-ballers' Justin Langer and Michael Slater.

It was intimated that the Island would just get a small taste of the likes world class spinner Shane Warne who would want to rest a often tender right shoulder that underwent a supreme test while touring the West Indies.

"We're not here to really bowl seriously and get the side out, we're just here to get them the experience of maybe playing against Shane Warne and if he bowls just a couple of overs that should be enough for them to enjoy that experience,'' said Healy.

"But then he's going to have fun himself, he doesn't feel like bowling 10 overs on the trot now, so he'll mix it up a bit.'' "I think we'll probably be a bit more serious on Sunday, but Saturday is surely going to be the same sort of atmosphere and attitude and hopefully if we can play the same way on Sunday, but maybe they'll force us to play a little bit less cavalier.'' OUT -- Glenn McGrath, being bowled by Clevie Wade on Thursday, is out for the rest of the tour with a back injury.

RUNS -- Australia's Justin Langer gets runs through the gully area off Dale Fox during the opening tour match.