ASHBURTON GUARDIAN, Saturday, February 16, 2013
Weekend
SPORT
Grist to the Mills By David Leggat Going into his 12th year of international cricket, Kyle Mills is showing no sign of flagging. Not required for the T20 series against England, the 33-year-old Mills is back for the ANZ international series ODI rubber, starting at Hamilton’s Seddon Park tomorrow. He’s in good form - as five wickets at 24 apiece in the 2-1 victory in South Africa last month demonstrated - and far from feeling his age, reckons numbers don’t mean much. “It seems when you hit the early 30s retirement gets raised,” he quipped. “When I was a kid growing up I was always told cricketers play their best cricket in their early 30s. I feel like I’m bowling well, had a good series in South Africa and want to continue that here.” The Champions Trophy in England in June - the tournament in which New Zealand reached the final last time, in 2009 - is a clear goal and he has been thinking ahead to the 2015 World Cup. That said, there are other priorities, his wife and two children uppermost, and a reassessment is looming at the end of the current contract. Mills’ ODI record is impressive.
In 144 ODIs since April 2001, he has taken 212 wickets at 26.03. Only Dan Vettori with 274 from 268 games has more, but is five runs more expensive per wicket. Mills expects a vigorous challenge from an England squad beefed up by the arrival of captain Alastair Cook and fellow top class batsmen Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, leading seamer Jimmy Anderson and class spinner Graeme Swann. Still, he likes what he saw from New Zealand’s ODI squad in South Africa. That series showed the value of experience and the ability of cricketers to compartmentalise the game. New Zealand were roasted 2-0 in the test series which preceded the ODIs. Mills and fellow seasoned campaigners Grant Elliott and Nathan McCullum joined the squad for the ODIs. “I guess we didn’t have the battle scars from what happened in the tests. We came in pretty fresh off good form in the HRV Cup and at the end of the tour Brendon [McCullum] and [coach] Mike Hesson talked about how that lifted the guys’ spirits,” Mills said. “The nature of international cricket now, when you’re chopping from series to series, and different formats, quite often you can put things that hap-
pened previously to bed quite quickly.” That said, Mills appreciates the value of winning and the effect the ODI series could have going into the three tests which end England’s tour.
“If we play well it’ll give the guys a little bit of confidence to hit the ground running in test series. “Winning is a habit and a winning environment is far more enjoyable than a losing one which is constantly under pressure.” The series offers bowlerof-the-moment Mitchell McClenaghan a chance to extend his eye-catching start to his international career. “He’s hit the ground running,” Mills said of his Auckland teammate. Throw in the classy elements coming into the England squad and Mills is sure the intensity is about to heat - NZH up.
Dearth of runs the problem By Jonathan Leask
The Mid Canterbury senior cricket team has suffered two outright defeats in the Hawke Cup, and they know why. Mid Canterbury hasn’t scored enough first innings runs, against Otago Country or North Otago, and been left playing catch-up cricket, which is not the way to play two-day cricket. “We are getting 20 wickets despite the inexperienced attack and fielding well but the problem is we aren’t setting a big enough total,” Mid Canterbury coach Richard Pithey said. “It’s a young side with an average age of about 20 with
a lot of players still learning how to play two-day cricket.” After two harsh lessons on the importance of a solid first innings, Mid Canterbury takes on rivals South Canterbury this weekend after big runs on the board. All they need is someone to step up and anchor the innings. “We are getting starts but nobody is going on. We are getting 20s and 30s but we need them to be turned into 50s or 60s so we can make 250 instead of 130.” Against North Otago several batsmen got starts but noone kicked on. Robbie Polson and Des Kruger got starts in each innings while Matt Winter top
scored for the match with 41. In the first innings Mid Canterbury was in a reasonable position at 110/3, 80 runs behind North Otago’s 219 after they had been 112/5, but the tail crumbled losing the final six wickets for 29 runs giving North Otago first innings points, and the upper hand towards an outright result. “You can’t concede an 80 run advantage in two-day cricket or you’re immediately on the back foot. “If you look at the scoreboards its actually pretty even except North Otago had a batsman make a half century in each innings and the partnerships they formed allowed them to make big totals.”
Twenty20 race hotting up By Jonathan Leask The race to the senior cricket Twenty20 final is a four-way tie heading into the penultimate week. Lauriston, Methven, and Star Old Boys are tied at the top with the four time defending champion Tech Sharks with three wins each after the opening four rounds. The Tech Stags, Coldstream and Fairfield are outside chances but would need to go unbeaten over the final three rounds and hope that the top sides string together losses. Allenton are out of the equation following two defaults last week to be without a win.
The key clashes today see the Sharks head out to Lauriston and then up Line Road to meet Methven, with Allenton starting in Methven and ending up in Lauriston. Methven, a two-time runner-up to the Sharks, also suffered their first loss going down to the Tech Stags but will be after a first T20 win over the Sharks on their home track. However the Sharks have thrived on the artificial surface, already claiming two emphatic wins up in Methven this year. Lauriston claimed convincing wins over the Stags and Fairfield will also fancy their chances playing at home for
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a second time, however their only loss was to the Star Old Boys in Lauriston in week one. If Allenton put together a team this week they will also make the trip along Line Road, starting in Methven before heading out to Lauriston. The matches take place in the Ashburton Domain. Star Old Boys have emerged as the dark horse after they handed the Sharks their second ever defeat in the fifth season of Twenty20 cricket before beating Coldstream. Old Boys will be chasing back-to-back wins again the Stags and Fairfield, who also both line up against Coldstream.
• Redmond in squad Former Methven flanker Gary Redmond has been named in the Crusaders Knights squad. Head Coach Scott Robertson named a squad 28 players from across the franchise region in the Crusader Knights squad, including the flanker who played for the Tasman Makos last year in the ITM Cup. The Crusaders Knights predominantly give the non-playing Crusaders the opportunity for game time each week, with the remainder of the squad selected from upcoming ITM, academy and club players from across the franchise who were identified as potential Crusaders within the next the years Their season kicks off on February 23 against the Highlanders Development squad and includes two internationals amongst its fixtures.
• Brumbies ready to roar The Brumbies big-names won’t lack motivation in tonight’s Super Rugby opener against Queensland in Canberra, but coach Jake White has implored his troops to cast aside their individual mindset. Both sides are stacked with players who have a point to prove. Wallabies star David Pocock in his first match for the club, Clyde Rathbone in his remarkable comeback to rugby and playmakers Christian Lealiifano and Matt Toomua on their road back from injury. For Queensland, all eyes will be on five-eighth Quade Cooper, who is looking to turn boxing triumph into a bid to reclaim his - AAP Australian jersey.
• ‘Put them in jail’
Stoner to be subtle Don’t expect Casey Stoner to tear up Australia’s V8 racetracks this year. That’s the message from his Red Bull Racing teammates Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup, who don’t doubt the 27-year-old has the talent. But Lowndes believes Stoner’s biggest challenge will be subtlety, not speed when he competes in the secondtier V8 development series in 2013.
Former Test pace star and Pakistan cricket coach Geoff Lawson has called for Australian drug cheats and match-fixers to be jailed. The one suspected case of match-fixing uncovered by the Australian Crime Commission is believed to be a rugby league game played in Sydney. Three Pakistan Test cricketers, former captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, were jailed in 2011. - AAP
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