Cricket: The drinks are on me - Mills

CHITTAGONG - Spending three weeks beyond the boundary running drinks to your team-mates is enough for anybody to build up a thirst for cricket.

Kyle Mills has filled that role on the New Zealand tour of Bangladesh - missing the warm-up game and two lopsided tests - but on Tuesday the medium-pacer grabbed his chance.

In New Zealand's 138-run victory, Mills took a personal-best in one-day internationals of four for 14, claiming three wickets in his first four overs. His previous best was three for 30.

Looking ahead to tomorrow's second match in Dhaka, Mills was hoping for a livelier pitch, despite his good showing.

"It was such a dead wicket. No matter how hard you tried to bowl there was just nothing there," Mills said.

"It was just dirt basically. It was the worst wicket I've played on in international cricket.

"Hopefully the one in Dhaka will have more pace and bounce, so it will be more favourable to the batsmen and bowlers.

"It gets disheartening sometimes when you run in and try to bend your back and get nothing out of the wicket."


Mills has already spotted a glaring weakness in the Bangladesh side, which was evident after they were bowled out for 86 in 32 overs chasing 225 to win.

They just managed to pass their previous low score of 77 against New Zealand, in Colombo in 2002.

Mills was surprised how easily the hosts crumbled.

"I thought they would stick it out a bit longer, but too many of them threw their wickets away.

"I would like to know what the story is with Bangladesh. They've been around the one-day scene for a quite a while now and yet haven't progressed too far.

"Even in the test matches we thought they would have learned that it's game of patience.

"We know if we bowl a few maidens or dot balls they will have a crack at some stage. They'll get away with a few fours, but they're going to get out on the next couple of balls."

Coach John Bracewell has also named Mills as one of his bowling options at the end of the innings if the remaining games get to that point.

After causing a few palpitations in the narrow victories over Pakistan and South Africa last season when more than 20 runs were taken off his final over in both matches, Mills is happy to run the gauntlet again.

"I can't wait for it to happen. Each time I know we're bowling second I look forward to the opportunity.

"I believe I can do it, even though I had some scares last season, but that's just the way cricket goes. People must understand that the opposition are going to be swinging at the death. It's a hard job to do and there's no margin of error."

But just when the 25-year-old managed to play his first match on Tuesday since the loss to Australia at the Champions Trophy in September, the Aucklander could find himself temporarily back on the outer after his 34th one-day international.

Bracewell plans to give every member of the 14-man squad a run in the series, which ends in Dhaka on Sunday.

For Mills the prospect of playing waterboy again does not concern him.

"Of course it was nice to get out on the park. Carrying the drinks for the past month can get a little bit frustrating at times, but the team have been playing really well in the last three weeks.

"It's just a matter of waiting for my opportunity and taking it.

"If that's the policy that Braces wants, then so be it. I'm all for the team and what's best.

"There's a lot of cricket coming up, with the Australian tour and the home series, so I can't flustered about not getting selected, because the best interests are in the team."


- NZPA