Cricket: Shane gives press a right, royal Warne-ing

By DYLAN CLEAVER in Brisbane

Shane Warne was at his combative best on Friday, and it wasn't confined to the field. Warne saved his best for the press conference at the end of the day.

First he blamed the Australian press for writing off the Black Caps chances.

"Yeah, you guys had a fair bit to say," he said. "We always rate the Kiwis highly."

Warne then saved some special praise for his good friend, and target in this series, Stephen Fleming. "It's no secret what I think of him as a captain.

"He's one of the best going around. I've always said that. He just gets the best out of his team, that's the sign of a good captain ... and Stephen Fleming has that ability."

When asked whether his thumb was still troubling him as Warne's quicker ball often drifted down leg, Warne went back on to the front foot.

"Contrary to what you probably think," he told a reporter, "I actually think I bowled OK.

"I probably bowled more wrong 'uns than I do in a season, which I'm not sure if you picked up on, but I think I bowled all right."

Warne was wided twice for bowling negatively down the leg side to Oram, calls that raised his ire.

It led to a colourful exchange between himself and umpire Aleem Dar.

"The second one I didn't think was a wide so I asked him 'are you sure it's that negative?'

"That was about it. He said 'you worry about your job and I'll worry about mine.'

"I was a little bit disappointed I got wided, but that's his call."

Warne was picked up on microphone telling Dar to concentrate on learning the lbw laws, which, it was suggested, could lead to a code of conduct violation. However, Warne didn't think he had anything to worry about and match referee Mike Proctor said the matter hadn't been referred to him.

Warne, who finished with 4-97 in the first innings, also reserved praise for the fighting qualities of New Zealand's lower order.

"[Kyle] Mills batting at 10 looked as good as any of them," Warne said. "He's got a first class hundred so he's no mug with the bat.

"Jacob Oram showed how dangerous he can be."

INJURED SPEEDSTER Shane Bond is hopeful for a return to the national team for the one-day series against Australia in February and March. Bond will begin bowling in the nets this week.

KYLE MILLS may have set a record for hitting the shortest boundary in test cricket history. An inside edge cannoned into his pads and rolled not more than a metre from the crease. As Mills and Jacob Oram scampered through for a quick single, Mathew Hayden's shy at the stumps eluded everyone and went for a rare five-run boundary. Mills' six soon after off Shane Warne was a far more convincing entry into the scorebook.

AUSTRALIA'S MOST successful bowler of the first innings, Michael Kasprowicz, was described by for mer Australian leg spinner Kerry O'Keefe as having Rock Hudson-like deliveries ie. they look straight, but they're not.

THE FIRST test has seen a record crowd for Australia-New Zealand Gabba clashes. With more than 18,000 spectators on the first day, another 13,000 on the second and more than 10,000 yesterday, the crowd eclipsed the record of 36,000.

A QUESTION of sport: Can you tell the difference between 15 and 16 degrees of angle in an elbow? Has anyone missed the irony in the Australians lecturing Mathew Sinclair on the spirit of the game after he waited for video confirmation when caught by Ricky Ponting? Does New Zealand have a better instinctive batsman than Craig McMillan? Conversely, does it have a worse pre-meditating batsman than Craig McMillan?

- THE HERALD ON SUNDAY