Cricket: Slimmer McMillan back to vintage best

By RICHARD BOOCK

EAST LONDON - Craig McMillan is looking as lean as his wallet as he prepares for the second cricket test against South Africa.

Not only has the 24-year-old New Zealand batsman lost 30 per cent of his match fee after a run-in with South African captain Shaun Pollock at Bloemfontein, he has also lost any excess weight he might once have carried, and is proving one of his team's most committed tourists.

As the heftier fine (50 per cent) for Pollock indicated, it was the South African captain who seemed to initiate last week's dust-up by stepping into the batsman's running line, but McMillan's reaction certainly highlighted his willingness to compete, while also suggesting a fascinating ability to dream up one-liners on the run.

Whatever was said, four months on the road has left McMillan looking fitter than he has looked before - and the leaner, maybe even meaner model is paying a crucial dividend out in the middle for New Zealand.

He slaved for 266 minutes for 78 at Goodyear Park in a desperate attempt to rescue the first test, continuing the solid form he has shown since a slump in fortunes last year.

New Zealand's captain when Stephen Fleming is rested, McMillan virtually turned around the one-day game at Alice on Saturday when he crashed a quick 56 as New Zealand sneaked in by two wickets, and was again involved in a consolidation at the start of the three-day game against Border in East London yesterday.

His unbeaten 76 off just 70 balls allowed Fleming to declare New Zealand's first innings closed at 311 for four, with other substantial contributions coming from Nathan Astle (76 not out), Craig Spearman (56) and Mark Richardson (45).

At stumps, Border were 34 for three.

In characteristic fashion, McMillan got off the mark with a first-ball sweep and included two reverse sweeps in his array of strokes, but started to hit straighter as his innings progressed, striking nine fours and three sixes in his total.

A disappointment on the tour to England despite hitting a century at Manchester, McMillan's test average had dipped down to 40.63 after further problems against India and some heartache at the start of last summer's series against Australia, during which time he was dropped from the one-day side.

However, he has answered all questions in the best manner possible, shaking the critics from his back after making 78 on a turning Eden Park pitch against Australia, and showing a far more productive vein of form in the lead-up to this week's second test at Port Elizabeth.

Interestingly, for a batsman who has played 43 test innings, he has been bowled only twice in his career, more often falling to catches in the field, as was the case last week when his marathon effort ended at Bloemfontein against Lance Klusener.

As a stand-in captain he has also proved more than useful and was in charge during what has become New Zealand's only win on this South African tour so far, against Boland at Paarl at the start of the test section of the programme.

Questions are still being asked about the make-up of the New Zealand seam attack for the second test.

Andrew Penn bowled well enough in the 12 overs before stumps yesterday to pick up two wickets, while Brooke Walker struck with his first ball and Daryl Tuffey was unlucky to have a catch dropped in the slips. But for all that, things are still far from certain for Port Elizabeth.