The Press

Stanlake warns: ‘I’ll get quicker’

- CRICKET

Billy Stanlake has warned he’ll only get quicker after his electric three-wicket haul helped Australia demolish New Zealand at the SCG.

Stanlake dismissed Black Caps openers Colin Munro and Martin Guptill off the first two balls he bowled on Saturday night, beating the New Zealand top order for pace and bounce in his figures of 3-15 off four overs in the Twenty20 triseries opener.

New Zealand posted a meagre 117-9 and Australia won by seven wickets chasing a rain-reduced total.

The 23-year-old was clocked at speeds as quick as 151.5kmh on just the third ball of his spell, when Tom Bruce clamped down on an attempted yorker for the hat-trick delivery.

The 204cm beanpole quick regularly hovered around the high 140s in just his fourth internatio­nal match, and shell-shocked New Zealand will have to come up with ways to combat him in the return tri-series match at Auckland’s Eden Park on February 16.

Stanlake wasn’t prepared to put a limit on how fast he could go, as he aims to join Australia’s battery of out-and-out quicks that already includes Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson.

‘‘I don’t want to put a ceiling how fast I can bowl,’’ Stanlake told Channel Nine. ‘‘I want to bowl faster each year.

‘‘I knew I had natural pace growing up. The last few years as I started to mature with my body I have been able to add a bit of pace each year.’’

Key to Stanlake’s growth will be the ability to keep his body injuryfree.

Having finally overcome stress fractures in is back, pelvis and

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