Craig McMillan bounces his way into Test

Craig McMillan has been bouncing his way around New Zealand cricket grounds for the last few seasons, infuriating crowds with his short-pitched antics, but no-one will be complaining after his superb innings-breaking spell at the Gabba in the first Test against Australia today.

It was as if McMillan was searching for the sort of bounce he found on the Gabba.

He doesn't possess frightening pace in the manner of a Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar or even some of the faster bowlers in the New Zealand team.

But he does have a belligerent attitude that doesn't allow any margin for error, as the Australians found to their cost.

There would have been special satisfaction for him in taking Steve Waugh's wicket. The New Zealanders set a field to put the pressure on Waugh and let McMillan loose.

He caught Waugh crease bound with short balls that Waugh took on the body and then having given him plenty, he bowled a fuller ball which Waugh edged to Adam Parore behind the wicket.

Then faced with Damien Martyn, McMillan slightly changed his line to suit the field placings and with Martyn on four, he had him cutting at a ball rising outside off stump. Martyn didn't get over the ball and skied to point where Daniel Vettori held the catch.

Justin Langer must have had visions of plenty of runs, but he too fell to the McMillan charge when he miscued a pull shot which soared to Vettori waiting in the deep to complete his third catch of the innings.

McMillan, whose previous best Test bowling was three for 57, suddenly had three for seven from 4.5 overs.

The world record holder for most runs scored off a six-ball over when he hit 26 runs from Younis Khan in the third Test against Pakistan last summer in Hamilton, McMillan thrives on the competitive nature of cricket, and today's bowling effort personified that.

His stature as a Test cricketer grew another notch in the most competitive atmosphere of all and ensured a little more respect will be accorded the New Zealand team on future occasions, not least by those who have grumbled at McMillan's short-pitched antics on less suitable New Zealand pitches.