Cricket: Millns makes a show of maturity
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Worcestershire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141-6
Leics
DAVID MILLNS, who turned in the best bowling figures of last season (9 for 37), undermined Worcestershire's below-strength batting with another performance that tended to emphasise his growing maturity as a fast bowler before a storm flooded Grace Road yesterday.
There have never been any doubts about Millns's genuine pace, only his ability to put the ball in the right place with a degree of consistency (is there not someone in the England side with a similar problem?) but here his smooth, rhythmic run-up and accurate off-stump line suggested that at 27 he is now nearing his peak.
The result was 5 for 44, three of them in 10 deliveries with the old ball in the sultry heat of the afternoon. On a pitch with negligible pace, he hit the seam and thwacked the ball heartily into the wicketkeeper's gloves, and nobody played him for long with too much comfort.
It was all too demanding for Worcestershire who, trying to camouflage a middle order which was lacking Tom Moody, Graeme Hick and, we might as well remember, Ian Botham, enjoyed what luck was going after being put in, but not too much of it later on.
They also had problems against Winston Benjamin, who not only hit remote parts of the bat with some frequency off nothing more than a six-pace run-up, but also caused Philip Weston to retire with a bruised right arm when he was caught unawares by Benjamin's steep bounce.
He will resume today provided he can grip a bat. Meanwhile, too many of his colleagues lost their grip at inconvenient moments and the innings veered right out of control once Phil Neale, grafting hard in only his third Championship innings after being the victim of two shooters in the first two, fell to the deserving Benjamin.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments