Cricket: McMillan back with attitude

By RICHARD BOOCK

HAMILTON - It has hardly been the smoothest of starts to the season for New Zealand cricketer Craig McMillan, although you wouldn't notice by talking to him.

The hard-hitting right-hander was forced out of the recent tour of India with a broken finger, hampered in his recovery by the Christchurch weather, and just when it seemed things were starting to look up, his batting practice was cut short by a shower yesterday - and he was ticked off by his captain for having a chat with yours truly (sorry everyone).

Whatever tension might be brewing before this first test of the National Bank Series, McMillan seems remarkably unaffected, particularly when one considers his first genuine batting assignment in seven weeks will have him squaring off against the West Indies' finest, on a pitch which could do with a full day's drying.

Speaking (almost) after practice yesterday, McMillan said the last couple of months might not have been ideal, but he had worked hard on his game and was approaching the West Indies' challenge in a positive frame of mind.

"The fracture's healed completely," he said.

"I had a decent bat at Lincoln the other day and felt great. There was no pain or lack of strength so all those fears and doubts have basically been wiped out going into the test - and I'm ready to go."

The man who scored 92 and 84 against India on the same ground last summer has not seen much of the tourists' attack, and is content to prepare for the test by looking towards his own game and planning his method of countering their fast-bowlers.

"Test cricket's a very mental game," he said, tapping his forehead. "If you concentrate too much on your opponent rather than on what you can do you can end up missing the point."

New Zealand coach David Trist echoed McMillan's philosophy yesterday, suggesting his side were looking within for a winning formula, rather than placing undue emphasis on analysing the West Indies.

Trist, in the countdown to his first home test as New Zealand coach, said qualities such as courage and patience would prove critical factors against the tourists' pace attack, and predicted a "tremendously" competitive edge from both sides during the series.

"We've got our own plans," he said. "We've always got to know our game-plan against fast bowling. Mental management is crucial at this level and we're spending plenty of time preparing that side of our game."

He said it would be remiss of him to talk of a probable test line-up at this stage, but expected a decision would be made on Dion Nash's fitness sometime this afternoon.

Like McMillan, Nash was also invalided out of the Indian tour and has been racing the clock ever since in an effort to be available for the series.

"Dion has followed the plan as laid down by the medical team," said Trist. "I would have preferred him to have had more time and certainly he's getting close to decision time- as are we.

"We'll probably look at it again around lunchtime. Dion knows himself best and we'll naturally go to him first, but their must be a small question mark."