Craig McMillan
Encyclopedia
Craig Douglas McMillan is a former New Zealand
international cricket
er at Test
, One Day International and Twenty20
level. He was a right-handed batsman and useful right-arm medium pace bowler and played for Canterbury
in New Zealand first-class cricket
. He also played English county cricket for Hampshire
and Gloucestershire.
His teammates call him "Gladiator" because of his resemblance to actor Russell Crowe especially his appearance in the movie Gladiator.
Calls re-emerged during the 2005 Chappell-Hadlee Series and the preceding tour to South Africa
for McMillan to be dropped from the side. McMillan incurred criticism, along with fellow Black Caps Nathan Astle
, Hamish Marshall
and James Marshall
, from the media for a slump in form.
He was subsequently dropped from the national squad to play Sri Lanka
in a one-day series in December 2005 and January 2006. He returned to the domestic setup and piled on the runs for Canterbury thus keeping his name in the selectors minds. It paid off when his brother in law Nathan Astle
got injured as he received an immediate recall to the side. His comeback game was unsuccessful as he was runout of 2 but in the second game he impressed with 29 not out out of a miserable team total of 73.
McMillan did enough to earn selection for the Commonwealth Bank ODI series in Australia. On 21 January 2007 he made 89 against Australia. A month later, he scored a blistering hundred off just 67 balls, which is the fastest by any Kiwi player. His Gladiator-like efforts set the stage for a whopping 3-0 series win against Australia, and also the 2nd highest successful run chase in ODI history. Chasing a massive 346, at one stage New Zealand were 41 for 4 and with Fleming, Vincent, Taylor and Styris gone, looked well and truly out of the game. Craig McMillan's amazing innings kept their hopes alive and resulted in probably the greatest comeback by a team in ODI history. New Zealand managed to win with 1 wicket and 3 balls left.
after being baited for having edged a ball and refused to walk, when the umpire was oblivious to the nick.
, and is currently the captain of the Kolkata Tigers
.
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
international cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er at Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, One Day International and Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
level. He was a right-handed batsman and useful right-arm medium pace bowler and played for Canterbury
Canterbury Wizards
The Canterbury Wizards are a New Zealand first class cricket team based in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is one of six teams that make up New Zealand Cricket and has been the most successful domestic team in New Zealand history...
in New Zealand first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
. He also played English county cricket for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and Gloucestershire.
Playing style
His batting is often characterised by innovation and improvisation, notably with a "square on" stance, which he sometimes uses in One-day Internationals when he is premeditating a big hit to the legside. His medium pace bowling is characterised by an extremely high proportion of bouncers - highly belligerent for a part-time medium pace bowler.His teammates call him "Gladiator" because of his resemblance to actor Russell Crowe especially his appearance in the movie Gladiator.
Career highlights
- McMillan made his Test debut in 1997 against world champions AustraliaAustralian cricket teamThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
aged just 22.
- At the Basin ReserveBasin ReserveThe Basin Reserve , is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand, used for Test, first-class and one-day cricket. Some argue that its proximity to the city, its Historic Place status and its age make it the most famous cricket ground in New Zealand...
in 1998-99 he was part of a 137-run 6th wicket second innings partnership with Chris Cairns which won them the 2nd Test against India. Earlier in the year he had scored his highest Test score, 142 against Sri Lanka at R. Premadasa Stadium.
- In the summer of 2000-01 in Hamilton, McMillan took 26 runs off a Younis KhanYounis KhanMohammad Younus Khan is a Pakistani cricketer and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Younus' name is often spelled Younis Khan, but he has been quoted as saying, "My name is Younus Khan...
over which was a record at the time.
- To date he has made 3 ODI centuries, the first two against Pakistan, including an innings of 104 off 75 balls. It was the equal fastest ever century by a New Zealander. The record was broken by Jacob OramJacob OramJacob David Philip Oram is a New Zealand cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His abilities with both bat and ball has made him a regular fixture in the current New Zealand International sides...
in January 2007 but he reclaimed it with a 67 ball century against the Australians in Hamilton on 20 February 2007. His 165 run 6th wicket partnership with Brendon McCullumBrendon McCullumBrendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand international cricketer, who plays for the Otago Volts at provincial level. He is a wicket-keeper, as well as an aggressive batsman who opens in One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate...
equalled the world record for that wicket.
- McMillan sparkled in the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa. During what would be his final international tournament, he was New Zealand's leading run-scorer with 163 runs at an average of 40.75 and a strike-rate of 181.
The Comeback
After being dropped for most of 2006, he was recalled to the NZ side for the VB series in Australia in 2007. On February 2007 he had belted a 27 ball 50 as New Zealand successfully chased down Australia's total of 336 to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. He continued his form, scoring the fastest century by a New Zealander (67 balls) and led his team from 41-4 to 350-9 and a one wicket victory against Australia in the third ODI of the Chappell-Hadlee Series. These performances (including handy part time bowling wickets) capped off an excellent season and comeback to international cricket for "macca" as he was named in the 2007 world cup squad.- McMillan had previously shared the record for the fastest one day international fifty by a New Zealander, with a 21 ball effort against the USA. His cameo included two separate overs of 27 runs with his partner Nathan AstleNathan AstleNathan John Astle is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was an attacking batsman who liked to play batting shots such as the cover drive and the pull shot. He also scored the world's fastest Test double century in terms of balls faced. This remarkable innings of 222 was scored in just 168 balls...
. However that has since been bettered by Brendon McCullumBrendon McCullumBrendon Barrie McCullum is a New Zealand international cricketer, who plays for the Otago Volts at provincial level. He is a wicket-keeper, as well as an aggressive batsman who opens in One-day Internationals and is known for his fast scoring rate...
's 50 off just 20 balls at the 2007 Cricket World Cup2007 Cricket World CupThe 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
against Canada.
Form Slumps
A regular since his debut, his place in the side was under threat after a poor 2002. He finished the year with just 282 runs at 23.50 from his 8 Tests. He lost his place but was recalled to tour India in 2003-04 where he was the he saved the 1st Test with innings of 54 and 83 not out. In the 2nd Test he scored an unbeaten century and in turn cemented his spot back in the side. He had a tour of England in 2004 where he broke his finger in a tour match against Leicestershire after a poor 1st Test.Calls re-emerged during the 2005 Chappell-Hadlee Series and the preceding tour to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for McMillan to be dropped from the side. McMillan incurred criticism, along with fellow Black Caps Nathan Astle
Nathan Astle
Nathan John Astle is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was an attacking batsman who liked to play batting shots such as the cover drive and the pull shot. He also scored the world's fastest Test double century in terms of balls faced. This remarkable innings of 222 was scored in just 168 balls...
, Hamish Marshall
Hamish Marshall
Hamish John Hamilton Marshall is a New Zealand cricketer. He is the identical twin brother of James Marshall. Hamish and James became the second pair of twins to play Test cricket, and are the first identical pair.Marshall, a middle-order batsman, made his Test debut against South Africa in...
and James Marshall
James Marshall (cricketer)
James Andrew Hamilton Marshall is a New Zealand cricketer. He is the identical twin brother of Hamish Marshall.The versatile James Marshall can play as both opener and middle-order batsman...
, from the media for a slump in form.
He was subsequently dropped from the national squad to play Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
in a one-day series in December 2005 and January 2006. He returned to the domestic setup and piled on the runs for Canterbury thus keeping his name in the selectors minds. It paid off when his brother in law Nathan Astle
Nathan Astle
Nathan John Astle is a former New Zealand cricketer. He was an attacking batsman who liked to play batting shots such as the cover drive and the pull shot. He also scored the world's fastest Test double century in terms of balls faced. This remarkable innings of 222 was scored in just 168 balls...
got injured as he received an immediate recall to the side. His comeback game was unsuccessful as he was runout of 2 but in the second game he impressed with 29 not out out of a miserable team total of 73.
McMillan did enough to earn selection for the Commonwealth Bank ODI series in Australia. On 21 January 2007 he made 89 against Australia. A month later, he scored a blistering hundred off just 67 balls, which is the fastest by any Kiwi player. His Gladiator-like efforts set the stage for a whopping 3-0 series win against Australia, and also the 2nd highest successful run chase in ODI history. Chasing a massive 346, at one stage New Zealand were 41 for 4 and with Fleming, Vincent, Taylor and Styris gone, looked well and truly out of the game. Craig McMillan's amazing innings kept their hopes alive and resulted in probably the greatest comeback by a team in ODI history. New Zealand managed to win with 1 wicket and 3 balls left.
Criticisms
He is often criticised for his weight and lack of fitness (he does have diabetes though), and he has often been involved in verbal confrontations with opposition fielders, only to lose his concentration and lose his wicket soon after. He was famously dismissed the ball after he was recorded by the stump microphone at Australian wicketkeeper Adam GilchristAdam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
after being baited for having edged a ball and refused to walk, when the umpire was oblivious to the nick.
Retirement
He announced his retirement on 17 October 2007 after a Twenty20 tournament wherein he was New Zealand's leading run-scorer with 163 runs at an average of 40.75 and a strike-rate of 181. Citing personal reasons and health problems as contributing factors, McMillan said he wanted to go out on a high. He has joined the Indian Cricket LeagueIndian Cricket League
The Indian Cricket League was a private cricket league funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that operated between 2007 and 2009 in India...
, and is currently the captain of the Kolkata Tigers
Kolkata Tigers
Royal Bengal Tigers was one of the nine teams played in the defunct Indian Cricket League . This team is based in Kolkata, India and its captain is former New Zealand all rounder Craig McMillan.- Players :...
.