**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[thierry henry]

It's been two years and I still feel like I'm waiting for Mitch M to stop trolling us all and start bowling quick. Big man, runs in hard, 100% effort, strong-looking action....supposedly the entire basis for his selection, first at domestic level and then test level, was his pace...and he bowls licorice all-sorts 5kph slower than Jimmy Neesham but somehow can't stop taking wickets. Just the weirdest bowler.

 

[Bahnz]

Oh cripes, that could've so easily been the end of Milne's summer.

 

[Zinzan]

Classic Mitch spell this. 22/1 off 17 legitimate balls, with about 13 pies and 4 brutes. He's like a muscular James Franklin.

Rarely isn't amongst the wickets though, you have to give him that. While the pies & extra are poor, the first 15 overs is generally more about wickets than economy these days.

 

[Zinzan]

Great to have them 3 down, but this RR is a touch worrying. Does look like a cracking wicket for natural stroke players as McCullum & Hafeez showed in the Test here.

 

[anil1405]

Good question from Rameez...surprised to see Umar Akmal not in playing 11.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Good question from Rameez...surprised to see Umar Akmal not in playing 11.

Younis bullied his way into the side when he has no business even being in contention. Also, Shafiq, who I'm a fan of in tests, is unfortunately quite possibly the worst specialist ODI batsman playing right now. The fact that these two are in the team is absolutely absurd.

 

[Bahnz]

New Zealand are getting sucked into bowling too short by the bounce here. Need to hit better lengths.

 

[Zinzan]

New Zealand are getting sucked into bowling too short by the bounce here. Need to hit better lengths.

Not so sure, looks like the sort of wicket batsmen can just hit through the line as the balls get older meaning good yorkers & shot of a length might the be best weapons...with the fuller delivery being more of a surprise.

 

[thierry henry]

Mixed feelings....good short bowling is keeping the scoring down, but it's kinda depressing watching Milne bowl short at 150kph on a slowish pitch, giving the batsmen plenty of time to play it and not really looking threatening

 

[Bahnz]

Good pace from Milne, but he looks the least threatening of the three pacers so far. Having said that, it can't be easy bowling in these conditions.

 

[Zinzan]

Stating the obvious, but if we can just get Hafeez shortly.

 

[thierry henry]

Would it be totally out of order of me to suggest that Milne's average speeds are almost identical to peak Bond's, and if I had to guess on whose average was quicker I'd lean towards Milne? Always hits 150 in a spell and can bowl several overs on the trot of almost all over 145.

 

[Bahnz]

Will be keen to see if Milne can get some reverse later in the evening.

 

[thierry henry]

There's something deeply obnoxious about Devcich

 

[Bahnz]

Would it be totally out of order of me to suggest that Milne's average speeds are almost identical to peak Bond's, and if I had to guess on whose average was quicker I'd lean towards Milne? Always hits 150 in a spell and can bowl several overs on the trot of almost all over 145.

Bond was probably just a shade quicker. He could muscle it through at 155/156 when he really had a mind to, though Milne is still probably 3 or 4 years away from hitting his physical peak, so it's not inconceivable that the could become that fast. Bond could probably bowl that quick consistently as well, but he tended to pull himself back and focus on accuracy in the low-140's at certain times.

 

[Zinzan]

To be fair on Milne, he didn't get the brand new cherry like the other two & he's actually only going for 3.5 an over from his 4.

 

[Zinzan]

Would it be totally out of order of me to suggest that Milne's average speeds are almost identical to peak Bond's, and if I had to guess on whose average was quicker I'd lean towards Milne? Always hits 150 in a spell and can bowl several overs on the trot of almost all over 145.

Agree, if anyone has an edge when it comes to pace it'd be Milne marginally.

 

[thierry henry]

Sure, let's totally re-evaluate economy rates just because Anderson has been a bit **** in his first 16 games

 

[Zinzan]

Nah Bond only reached 155 maybe once or twice in his career if my memory serves. In fact pretty sure 155 was his quickest ever recorded.

 

[thierry henry]

Bond was probably just a shade quicker. He could muscle it through at 155/156 when he really had a mind to, though Milne is still probably 3 or 4 years away from hitting his physical peak, so it's not inconceivable that the could become that fast. Bond could probably bowl that quick consistently as well, but he tended to pull himself back and focus on accuracy in the low-140's at certain times.

I don't believe Bond ever bowled 155-156. The only time in his entire career I remember him registering Milne-like speeds was the 2003 world cup, where all the readings seemed high. But the absolute quickest ball I remember him bowling was 153 or 154, maybe.

Even in the 2001/02 VB series I'm not sure he hit 150 at all. Maybe 150-151 for a couple of balls. But even the famous Gilchrist yorker was in the 140s.