1st Match - New Zealand v Sri Lanka

[Howsie]

Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me Boult was indeed getting some reverse in that second spell of his yesterday, he certainly got some with the ball that dismissed Sangakkara (which was an absolute peach at 144K) I really hope this myth that he needs the new ball to succeed, or at least for it to swing goes away. He's slowly been proving over the last three or so months his old ball skills are on the rise.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think it was conventional; the ball was only 14 overs old.

 

[Athlai]

The ball is at most 25 overs old in ODIs these days. It's all nu ball skilz

 

[Mike5181]

With a little bit of help from England, we moved up to 5th in the ODI rankings with that win.

 

[Zinzan]

tbf Boult has been pretty average today. Too many boundary balls for more liking. Again though and I'll always stress this he provides proper wicket taking ability. Not too many bowlers (and I mean Mills here) are going to bowl the type of deliveries he bowled to get those wickets.

Even if that were true, (although I still believe Mills can bowl some cracking wicket-taking deliveries, like hitting to top of Hafeez's off-stump last week) it's extremely unlikely that Mills would have been smashed for 7s in his first spell to start with.

Therefore with more scoreboard pressure early on, wickets would have been more likely to have been picked either MIlls himself, or one of the other bowlers.

Let's not forget, Boult was still easily the most expensive of the front-line bowlers yesterday, going for 6.4 an over. I wonder how many times in his 170 ODI career Mills has gone for 64 runs or more.

 

[James]

Let's not forget, Boult was still easily the most expensive of the front-line bowlers yesterday, going for 6.4 an over. I wonder how many times in his 170 ODI career Mills has gone for 64 runs or more.

Not many times.....

Match	Date	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Commonwealth Bank Series: 8th Match, 2006/07	28-Jan-07	10	1	72	1
ICC Champions Trophy: 2009/10	27-Sep-09	10	0	69	3
India in New Zealand: 1st match, 2008/09	3-Mar-09	7	0	69	0
New Zealand in Australia: 1st match, 2007/08	14-Dec-07	10	1	68	2
Australia in New Zealand: 5th ODI, 2004/05	5-Mar-05	10	1	67	1
New Zealand in India 2010/11 (4th ODI)	7th December 2010	10	1	65	0
Pakistan in New Zealand: 5th ODI, 2003/04	17-Jan-04	9.3	1	65	2
Chappell-Hadlee Trophy: 3rd ODI, 2005/06	10-Dec-05	10	1	64	1

 

[Zinzan]

Cheers. I would have guessed 4-5 times, so slightly more than I thought. But in 170 games it's still less than 5%.

 

[Athlai]

A lot of Mills career wasn't played on NZ pitches that are this flat though.

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't think we have to claw into the stats to realise that Mills is less likely to concede lots of runs than Boult in any rate though.

 

[Greenlite]

Late to the party, great win!

Pros:

1. BMac playing like an anchoring batsman with a 150+ SR
2. Guppy staying in over 10 overs with a 70+ SR
3. Anderson winning his 3rd MVP in 10 games, proving he's a potential WC winner.
4. Southee bowling tight and getting pulled out after 4 overs before his traditional 5th over+ leak (ala Millsy 10 straight over philosophy)
5. Vettori sorta saving the day by taking the 1st wicket and then removing Mahela for the Nth time to almsot kill them off.
6. Boult channeling his inner Mitch by getting wasted in the first spell, then serving up two peaches with an older ball in his second spell to kill SL for good. Has he been considered for the first change up?

Cons:

1. Media and hype clearly getting to kid Kane, dropped first ball and tried getting himself out at least one other time. Hopefully he will calm down and behis usual self from the next game. Though still got a fifty, classy.
2. Taylor drops 1/2 of regulation catches, Latham sub for first slip?
3. Early wickets! Southee/Mills looks to be the tight guy and the other bowler needs to cash in, but in saying that if Boult starts taking early wickets he will be the bowler of the tournament.
4. My wife likes Boult, 'cause he's her type, now I hate Boult.

 

[Prince EWS]

now I hate Boult.

Howsie, come quick! I found one!

 

[thierry henry]

Had conversations with at least 2 blokes on the piss last night saying how Boult's pretty middle innings wickets go to show why he was selected over Mills. Tried to explain how Mills would almost never go for runs like that in his first spell in the first place and hence Boult/Milne were basically just cleaning up their own mess, a mess which Mills doesn't make. But Joe Cricketcasual just does not get it ffs.

 

[Maximas]

What happened to kaushal silva? I thought he would become the next jayasuriya?

Nah that's Kusal Perera, he can't score a run half the time so he dropped him, Kaushal Silva is a staunchy test opening bat

 

[Days of Grace]

Had conversations with at least 2 blokes on the piss last night saying how Boult's pretty middle innings wickets go to show why he was selected over Mills. Tried to explain how Mills would almost never go for runs like that in his first spell in the first place and hence Boult/Milne were basically just cleaning up their own mess, a mess which Mills doesn't make. But Joe Cricketcasual just does not get it ffs.

So, ordinary first spell but can take out set batsmen later

vs.

Nipping out a couple early but unable to keep the advantage and getting pumped later on.


Surely six of one half-dozen of the other?

 

[Howsie]

Had conversations with at least 2 blokes on the piss last night saying how Boult's pretty middle innings wickets go to show why he was selected over Mills. Tried to explain how Mills would almost never go for runs like that in his first spell in the first place and hence Boult/Milne were basically just cleaning up their own mess, a mess which Mills doesn't make. But Joe Cricketcasual just does not get it ffs.

You Mills apologists make me laugh.

When does Trent Boult ever go for runs like that in his first spell either? Considering three weeks ago most of the Boult haters on CW were adamant he was nothing but a new ball specialist who would get slaughtered as soon as the ball stopped swinging, we've now gone the other way where he's no good with the new ball. He's doing bloody well to have an ODI economy of just 4.8 then isn't he.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

A lot of Mills career wasn't played on NZ pitches that are this flat though.

Also, most of Mills' career wasn't bowling second with the other side trying to chase 330+. If one side is trying to score at 7 an over then 64 off 10 overs isn't so bad.

 

[hendrix]

but where are they at?

 

[Howsie]

Also, most of Mills' career wasn't bowling second with the other side trying to chase 330+. If one side is trying to score at 7 an over then 64 off 10 overs isn't so bad.

Indeed. Match situation etc

 

[Athlai]

Also, most of Mills' career wasn't bowling second with the other side trying to chase 330+. If one side is trying to score at 7 an over then 64 off 10 overs isn't so bad.

Yeah it definitely isn't but thats because he bowled properly good on his second spell. If he didn't pull his head in after his first spell he'd have went for a lot more.

 

[GGG]

Still would have Mills over everyone else except Southee in crunch games, just can't buy that experience. Southee, Boult and Mills v Australia, England and quarter.