A year of highs was followed by a season of lows for Cullen Bailey. He started 2007-08 with a Cricket Australia contract and was being discussed as a potential international legspinner, but finished the summer without a regular spot in the South Australia team. Not surprisingly his national deal was not renewed in 2008 and far from seeking a Test debut, his first aim was to win back his role with the Redbacks. Instead of forging a slow-bowling partnership with Dan Cullen that sounded more like a family accountancy firm, Bailey could only watch on in frustration as Cullen filled the role alone. Two Pura Cup games bookended Bailey's season but he grabbed only one wicket - Victoria's No. 10 Peter Siddle - for 257 runs. The next year he played another two matches, taking 5 for 90 in one innings, and earned four more appearances and nine victims last summer.

The highs peaked one day in May 2007 when Bailey flew out for his honeymoon in Malaysia and was at the same time unveiled as a new addition on Cricket Australia's contract list. With Warne in international retirement in England, the squad was heavy on old and new spinners with visions of replacing the irreplaceable. Terry Jenner, the man who kept such a valuable eye on Warne since his false start at the Academy, also coaches Bailey and warned against an early Test promotion for such a young man.

Bailey's figures over the previous three years also led to caution from the selection panel. His debut came in the final Pura Cup game of 2004-05 after a fine grade season for his club Sturt and the next summer he bowled the Redbacks to victory over Tasmania with 5 for 146, earning 18 wickets at 47.55 in six matches and a memorable stumping of Michael Bevan. Darren Lehmann, the former captain, would set attacking fields, ignoring the building runs for the increasing wickets, and it was a contributing factor to Bailey's high average.

In 2006-07 Bailey emerged as the state's first-choice first-class spinner, playing eight Pura Cup games to Cullen's five, and returned 26 wickets at 41.15. The national selectors were impressed and he was placed on a six-figure salary. The following year the pair swapped positions and both lost their national deals. Bailey has studied media at university and wrote columns about his time at the Centre of Excellence in 2006.