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MELBOURNE: Senior New Zealand cricket paceman Kyle Mills hopes to have double reason to crack open the bubbly tomorrow night.
Mills will go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction with a reserve price of US$150,000 ($301,390), with compatriots Jesse Ryder (US$100,000) and James Franklin (US$50,000) also among the 43 hopefuls.
While the cattle are being auctioned, Mills will be sweating it out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the second Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day match against Australia.
"I guess I'll find out at the end of the game. Hopefully we have a win and something good will come of the auction and it'll be a great night," Mills said.
Current teammates Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor are already contracted to IPL sides, along with injured pair Scott Styris and Jacob Oram and former captain Stephen Fleming.
The final auction list was culled from 111 to 43 this week, meaning bad news for Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Peter Fulton, Jamie How, Mark Gillespie and Chris Martin.
Mills was irked that only three New Zealanders made the cut compared with 15 Australians, most of them state players.
There are five from lower-ranked West Indies and four from Bangladesh.
"It is disappointing. It would be huge for New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to get as many players involved as possible," Mills said.
"Just meeting all those different players in your own changing room and playing in the conditions where the World Cup's going to be in 2011.
"Southee's not in it which is bizarre when you look at some of the players in there. You see all these Australian domestic cricketers who haven't played internationals as well.
"There seems to be an aura about Australian cricketers around the world, and a lot of domestic cricketers have already been bought.
"Some of the New Zealand cricketers are just as good, if not better players. I find that a bit frustrating that we're not rated around the world."
Mills is currently fifth on the world one-day bowling rankings and at the top of his game after a man-of-the-match four for 35 in Perth on Sunday.
He is hopeful but uncertain of his IPL chances tomorrow, after acting as cover for Brett Lee in the Mohali side last year and not getting a game.
Players and their agents set their own reserve price, with England pair Kevin Pietersen (US$1.35 million) and Andrew Flintoff (US$950,000) and Australian batsman Michael Clarke (US$1 million) leading the way.
Each franchise has a maximum of US$2 million to spend on overseas signings.
"It's one of those things. Dan (Vettori) said I should put a ridiculous price like US$1 million so people think you're good," Mills quipped.
There will be intrigue over whether big-hitting Ryder earns a contract as he nurses a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the current series.
Ryder's manager Aaron Klee this week said he had spoken to at least one franchise which intended to place a bid, and that the injury wasn't an issue.
Ryder hopes to be fit for home series against India, well before the IPL starts in early April.
- NZPA
