Cricket: Milne reaps rewards on second day

Adam Milne getting up to speed for the Black Caps. PHOTO/NZME.

Central Districts bowler Adam Milne knows what it's like to change gears in the fast lane of cricket.

On day one the speed merchant chugged in with no returns but yesterday in the Devon Hotel-sponsored CD Stags' second dig with the ball Milne claimed two wickets for 10 runs from five overs, including two maidens.

"That's just cricket. Some days you do, some days you don't," the Black Caps white-ball strike bowler said last night from Rangiora in CD's round-three Budget Rental Plunket Shield match against Canterbury Kings.

When play resumes today, the hosts will be looking at piling more on their 107-run lead in the second innings.

What should have been simply a case of mopping up the tail turned out to be a laborious task for the Stags when the Kings extended their overnight 208-8 total to 320 all out in 86.3 overs, with Todd Astle stranded on 96 not out.

"We were out there bowling when we wanted to be in [batting] but we got there in the end," said Milne, who is racking up a few overs to prepare for the Black Caps one-day internationals against the touring Sri Lankans after the second test is over in Hamilton.

In reply, a predominantly youthful CD were skittled for 245 in 69.5 overs.

Opener Dean Robinson (42 runs), No4 and skipper William Young (63), No5 Tom Bruce (42) and Milne (25) got themselves in but didn't push on for half-centuries or tons.

"I think we were pretty close to building from partnerships but then we just weren't quite there and made some silly mistakes."

The Mainpower Oval wicket had lost its greenish tinge.

Navin Patel, on debut, was unbeaten on 19 runs on the heels of 3-56.

Spinner Ajaz Patel took 3-83 while seamers Blair Tickner and Andrew Mathieson claimed two scalps each.

Milne said Navin Patel, a fellow Marist club player and Manawatu rep, also was a former Palmerston North Boys' High School pupil who "deserved" his CD call up.

However, the international bowler has been working with CD white-ball bowling coach Jacob Oram in Palmy, also a former PNBHS product.

Asked what Oram had impressed on him, a jovial Milne replied: "He wants me to get a bit taller and get more bounce."

On a serious vein, he said Oram had been working more on game plans rather than moulding and tweaking his action.

Milne didn't see any transitionary problems from the red-ball format to a white one.

"The principles of the game are still the same with good length and width and those things."

Today, he said CD would go about their business and the lost overs to rain on day one wouldn't matter much because they had been making up for it with extra overs since yesterday.