Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Kiwi quick ready to make an impact at Manuka Oval
Sydney Thunder recruit Adam Milne needed only one delivery in the lead-up to Tuesday night’s KFC Big Bash League match against the Perth Scorchers to highlight why coach Shane Bond was so keen to add him to the club’s roster.
The 28-year-old, who stunned world cricket when he unleashed a 153km/h thunderbolt in a T20I match against the West Indies in 2014, tore in at the Manuka Oval nets in Canberra on Sunday afternoon before letting fly with a short pitched delivery which forced skipper Callum Ferguson to call upon his best evasive skills to get under the ball.
It was a show of force that Bond and his coaching team believe will provide Thunder’s pace attack with a razor-sharp edge in the tournament’s remaining matches.
“We’re excited to unleash him; he’ll add an extra dimension to our attack,” said Bond of the pace ace he first mentored a decade ago when 17-year-old Milne graduated from the local high school’s team to pitting his skills against international-class players in First-Class cricket.
“He’s bowling fast and has really good skills; I’m really excited to see him around.”
Milne, who was rested from Thunder’s opening two matches as he recovered from a hamstring injury, said he appreciated there was always a sense of expectation whenever a fast bowler takes the ball in a T20 match.
“It’s one of those things that obviously gets the crowd excited,” he said. “But you can make a difference on the field. Guys can get a little bit intimidated, it sort of makes things happen whether it’s a boundary [being scored] or a wicket – there’s always things happening with fast bowlers.”
Milne has arrived at Sydney Thunder desperately keen to remind New Zealand’s T20 World Cup selectors of the chaos he’s capable of creating with the white ball. He believes linking up with Bond to guide him for a second time in his career will go a long way towards him fulfilling his goal of adding to his number of international caps.
“Shane’s been huge for me, just being that person who played at the top level and knows the game really well,” Milne said. “To grow up having him around all the time – someone who knows my game, my skills, my attributes, what I do when I’m doing them best – was massive.
“When you look at New Zealand cricket, for a period there he was our one and only true fast bowler. I think you’re seeing New Zealand cricket reap the rewards of that now when you look at the bowling line-up. Guys playing for the Black Caps now are bowling fast and swinging it around – and I think that’s come from a lot of him, a lot of watching him and a lot of him helping them develop their games.”
Milne added that after training with his Thunder teammates for the last three weeks he was genuinely “excited” to be a member of the team’s attack.
“From pace, to spin, to batting, we’ve got a really balanced side,” he said. “We’ve got guys who can bowl quick, you’ve got guys who can swing it, spinners [who are] unbelievable… it’s a really great squad.”
There’s three more opportunities to watch your Thunder heroes in action at Manuka Oval this summer!
Get your tickets here:
Tues 22 Dec | Vs Perth Scorchers | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
Sat 26 Dec | Vs Melbourne Renegades | Manuka Oval | 6:10pm
Tues 29 Dec | Vs Melbourne Stars | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
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