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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

HeathDavisSpeed

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I see Williamson has signed a contract with Middlesex and some poxy hundred team for the Summer. Not sure how this impacts on the international fixtures, but I’ll assume negatively until I check the calendar.
 
NZTailender

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Athlai said:
A NZ all time ODI XI has so many potential all rounders too. You really don't need to worry about Mills bowling 6-8 for 1-20
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Could make an all-rounder only XI

Min 50 wickets, a half century, bowling average below 40 and batting above 20. WKs are their own all-rounder type so obvs Baz makes it

1. Mccullum+
2. Astle
3. Coney
4. Styris
5. Harris
6. Cairns
7. Anderson
8. Neesham
9. Oram
10. Santner
11. Hadlee
 
jcas0167

jcas0167

International Regular
SteveNZ said:
Wow, had no idea Bracken's ODI record was that outstanding.

Styris is an iconoclast. He's one of the Mean Girls, picking Southee because he's in the cool group, and likely omitted Sir Richard and King Kyle because of something minor he perceives those two New Zealander deities did to his ego.

I don't like when Kyle isn't given the respect and adulation his immense career deserves
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Mills is also one of those players who wasn't really a frontline bowler until quite late on? I understand he was a keeper and batsman for much of High School.
 
Skyliner

Skyliner

International Debutant
If Kane doesn't go to Zimbabwe then that'll give someone else an opportunity in the international cricket environment. I can't see much point in him going, it'll be test cricket in name only they are that weak.
 
S

SteveNZ

International Coach
jcas0167 said:
Mills is also one of those players who wasn't really a frontline bowler until quite late on? I understand he was a keeper and batsman for much of High School.
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Keeper? I didn't know that one...he's older than me so I don't know exactly what did at age groups. He did average in the 90s for a whole season of State Championship batting at 5-6. A lot of promise with the bat, and did shine on a couple of occasions at the highest level, but probably under-delivered in that regard.

I'll reluctantly admit he doesn't get in the NZ ODI XI (2nd XI for sure) but I know he is underrated. Genuine gun new white ball bowler, who probably got tarnished for having to bowl at the death, which he really wasn't suited to. I always felt he should have bowled 7-8 up front, a couple potentially through the middle to bowl out. But there wasn't always an obvious death bowler in those 00/10s sides
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
SteveNZ said:
Keeper? I didn't know that one...he's older than me so I don't know exactly what did at age groups. He did average in the 90s for a whole season of State Championship batting at 5-6. A lot of promise with the bat, and did shine on a couple of occasions at the highest level, but probably under-delivered in that regard.

I'll reluctantly admit he doesn't get in the NZ ODI XI (2nd XI for sure) but I know he is underrated. Genuine gun new white ball bowler, who probably got tarnished for having to bowl at the death, which he really wasn't suited to. I always felt he should have bowled 7-8 up front, a couple potentially through the middle to bowl out. But there wasn't always an obvious death bowler in those 00/10s sides
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He was definitely in it when he retired IMO. Bond, Hadlee, Mills, Vettori, Cairns.

He's obviously been surpassed by Boult and Henry since.
 
straw man

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
thierry henry said:
This could just be selective memory from an era when we were short of pacey bowlers, but I honestly think peak Mills was a yard quicker than he’s remembered as being too. With his height he used to bowl an uncomfortable length with the new ball and he’d hit the splice if there was anything in the pitch.
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Yeah Mills really had a knack for mysteriously finding a little extra extra bounce and speed off the wicket out of nowhere. 🤔
RossTaylorsBox said:
Also he chucked it
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But more seriously you're right that the reason he's not rated higher is that he never contributed much in world cups, which is really what counts. Some bad luck with injuries there.
 
straw man

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Fuller Pilch said:
Quality ODI bowler. Better than Matt Henry. Miles better than Southee.
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If Henry gets another 50 ODI wickets he probably surpasses Mills imo.
Mills: 170 ODIs, 240 wickets at 27.0. Econ 4.72.
Henry: 85 ODIs, 155 wickets at 25.3. Econ 5.18.

Henry used to be the new Mills, needed to bowl all his overs up front and then be fenced off 50m from the bowling crease in the last 10-15 overs of the innings. But he's improved tremendously at the death now, whereas Mills just never mastered that set of skills. It's tough to include in your ATG ODI bowling attack a seamer that can't bowl at the death.
 
jcas0167

jcas0167

International Regular
SteveNZ said:
Keeper? I didn't know that one...he's older than me so I don't know exactly what did at age groups. He did average in the 90s for a whole season of State Championship batting at 5-6. A lot of promise with the bat, and did shine on a couple of occasions at the highest level, but probably under-delivered in that regard.

I'll reluctantly admit he doesn't get in the NZ ODI XI (2nd XI for sure) but I know he is underrated. Genuine gun new white ball bowler, who probably got tarnished for having to bowl at the death, which he really wasn't suited to. I always felt he should have bowled 7-8 up front, a couple potentially through the middle to bowl out. But there wasn't always an obvious death bowler in those 00/10s sides
Click to expand...
Yeah, his batting is how I first heard of him. He got some runs as 15 or 16 year old against some of the Auckland attack in a warm-up game. I'm sure Ian Chappell at one point suggested Mills had the technique to bat much higher in the order [might have been the 2004 tour where we were getting thrashed].
 
S

SteveNZ

International Coach
straw man said:
Yeah Mills really had a knack for mysteriously finding a little extra extra bounce and speed off the wicket out of nowhere. 🤔

But more seriously you're right that the reason he's not rated higher is that he never contributed much in world cups, which is really what counts. Some bad luck with injuries there.
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Haha cmon cheeky, he's a tall guy who used his height. And TH is right, he had kick off a length and was quicker than a gun might suggest. Absolute nightmare facing him on concrete decks in nets or on astro.

You're right though, he had bad timing around World Cups with injuries and then in 2015 was on the outer. It took a lot of stones for Hesson to bring Henry in and play him ahead of Mill, but it was the right call.
 
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