Cricket: McMillan injury scare as batsmen plunder

7.30am - By Mark Geenty

LEICESTER - What started as a timely runfest for Craig McMillan turned into a second cricket test injury scare as he suffered a painful blow to his already fractured finger today.

McMillan retired hurt after scoring 68 in New Zealand's dominant second innings of 357 for five declared against Leicestershire, leaving a cloud over him for Thursday's second test in Leeds.

McMillan was taken to hospital for x-rays after a delivery from medium pacer Darren Maddy reared and hit him on the left little finger, the same one he cracked at fielding practice in the first week of the tour.

Manager Lindsay Crocker said the x-ray revealed a fracture, but whether it was a new one would be determined when the scans were viewed again tomorrow.

"If it's just a bruise of the old fracture he should be reasonably okay, but if it's a new fracture then we're back to square one," Crocker said.

"He played with a bit of discomfort in the first test, it's a matter of whether he can do it again if it is a new one."

New Zealand had opener Michael Papps in the squad as batting cover, who was dismissed cheaply for 20 today, and would decide tomorrow on whether any extra cover was needed.

If needed, McMillan's replacement would likely be Mathew Sinclair, playing for Swardeston in the East Anglian Premier League in Norwich.

Sinclair scored 74 replacing an ill McMillan in the third test against South Africa in Wellington in March.

McMillan played the first test at Lord's with the aid of a plastic guard but had a forgettable time, scoring six and nought.

But he took his chance for welcome time at the crease here, scoring 43 in the first innings and a more polished 68 off 101 balls today with some authoritative straight drives, as he and captain Stephen Fleming added 129 for the third wicket.

Fleming also used the match wisely after failing to top 50 in three tour innings, topscoring with 95 today after 56 in the first innings.

The captain dominated from the start against a modest Leicestershire bowling attack, cracking most of his 16 fours through the cover-point region as he faced 134 balls.

But on 95 he drove at Maddy and chopped the ball onto his stumps.

The tourists set the home side an unlikely winning target of 561 off 114 overs, and they were 68 for two at stumps, with pacemen Chris Martin and Kyle Mills taking a wicket apiece in improved opening spells.

New Zealand's second innings became a glorified net slog with eight Leicestershire bowlers used to lob at the tourists after Fleming and McMillan departed.

There was a concern over Scott Styris' second failure of the match when he was trapped leg before wicket for 13, elevated to the resting Nathan Astle's No 3 spot.

Having scored nought and four in the first test, today's effort gave him 112 runs from eight tour innings at just 14 apiece.

Chris Cairns was elevated to five and whacked 62 off 53 balls including 50 of them in boundaries -- five fours and five sixes.

Daniel Vettori carried on with 77 off 61 including 13 fours and a six, before being caught on the boundary and the declaration came after 87 runs flowed in just 9.4 overs after tea.

Cairns also enhanced his reputation of injuring spectators, having cracked a Lord's patron in the head during his six-hitting blitz in the first test.

Today he smote a full toss over long on, off the double glazed windows of the pavilion and onto a small boy's ear which needed ice treatment.

New Zealand

First innings 413

Second innings (13-0 overnight)

M Papps c Maddy b Dagnall 20

S Fleming b Maddy 95

S Styris lbw b Dagnall 13

C McMillan retired hurt 68

C Cairns c Masters b Stevens 62

D Vettori c Maunders b Sadler 77

K Mills not out 7

Extras (6b, 4lb, 3w, 2nb) 15

Total (for 5 wkts dec, 69.4 overs) 357

Fall: 38 (Papps), 64 (Styris), 193 (Fleming), 296 (Cairns), 357 (Vettori).

Bowling: J Dakin 12-1-57-0, C Dagnall 21-0-90-2, D Masters 12-2-43-0, D Brignull 10-3-43-0, D Maddy 6-1-36-1 (1w), D Robinson 3-0-26-0 (2w, 1nb), D Stevens 4-0-30-1, J Sadler 1.4-0-22-1 (1nb)

Leicestershire

First innings 210

Second innings

D Robinson c Hopkins b Martin 2

J Maunders not out 31

D Stevens lbw b Mills 9

D Maddy not out 14

Extras (4b, 3lb, 1w, 4nb) 12

Total (for 2 wkts, 24 overs) 68

Fall: 11 (Robinson), 38 (Stevens).

Bowling: C Martin 6-2-16-1 (1w), K Mills 6-0-28-1 (1nb), C Cairns 6-1-9-0 (3nb), D Vettori 6-1-8-0

- NZPA