KEY POINTS:
Looking so innocent candy floss would not melt in his mouth, could the curly-headed tyke in this picture have imagined he would one day pass this returning hero on New Zealand's bowling lists?
Barring injury and a chronic loss of form, Kyle Mills should move past everyone except his skipper on the list of New Zealand's most prolific one-day wicket-takers. Lance Cairns is well in the rearview mirror, and Ewen Chatfield's total should be surpassed during next month's Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
An outstanding series there, followed by a great series against the Indians, could see the cricketing knight toppled before season's end.
You can hardly deny Mills a change in fortune after he toiled at the start of the season on some of the world's most unresponsive pitches - in Bangladesh and the Eden Park Outer Oval - only to be dropped for New Zealand's first test against Australia on a Gabba greentop.
Mills returned for the series against the West Indies when Jacob Oram was ruled out. He bowled well enough in Dunedin to hold his spot, though he toiled in Napier, as did most of the seamers.
However, it is the one-day game where Mills has made his mark.
In the West Indies series he was highest wicket-taker with seven and is rapidly climbing the charts. It's unlikely he'll reach top of the pops as the present holder of that position is Daniel Vettori, a man unlikely to go anywhere other than top in a hurry.
But a couple of injury-free years should see Mills pass Sir Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns and Chris Harris to ensconce himself at No 2.
Like most statistical lists, it is cold. More interesting are those that are subjective - like where Mills would sit in the pantheon of New Zealand one-day bowlers.
He'd definitely make the top 10, and probably squeak into the top five.
Ahead of him would be Shane Bond. His stunning strike rate, incredible average and a very good economy rate in the modern game is only blighted by a lack of longevity.
Although he was undoubtedly a better test bowler, Hadlee would still be No 2, at worst, with excellent all-round figures achieved slightly less explosively than Bond.
Vettori would be No 3 and clearly the best spinner we've ever produced in limited overs. That would leave Mills, Chatfield and the ultra-reliable Gavin Larsen fighting for spots four, five and six.
The two Wellingtonians were parsimonious but you would do well to remember, with bat technology, smaller grounds and the general change in attitude to batting, economy rates have blown out significantly in the past 10 years.
Mills' strike rate is miles better than Larsen's and significantly better than Chatfield's and his early wickets have allowed the likes of Vettori to come on and wheel away cheaply.
Whatever way you slice it up, Mills has been an excellent servant of the New Zealand one-day side.
Lance would be proud.
