Sydney Thunder speedster Adam Milne has helped his side turn around their fortunes to secure a finals berth this season.
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And he might well have just stamped his ticket back to the New Zealand team in time for next month's T20 series against Australia.
Milne's 1-6 against the Adelaide Strikers over the weekend was the second most economical spell in Big Bash history, behind only Mitchell Johnson's unfathomable 3-3 for Perth four seasons ago.
It included 20 dot balls, and with regular Black Caps T20 quick Lockie Ferguson waylaid with a stress fracture in his back and a World Cup looming later this year, Milne's timing couldn't have been better.
"It [the T20 World Cup] is definitely a goal," Milne said.
"What I'm aiming to do at the moment is trying to play games and keep playing, stay on the park, get some good performances up.
"Selection in those sides will just happen through good performances. If I just focus on that and we'll see what happens with the other stuff."
Milne missed the first three matches of this season's BBL recovering from a hamstring niggle, but has been a constant in Shane Bond's side since then.
The 28-year-old hasn't represented his country in more than two years thanks largely to an unfortunate run with injuries, but has a new lease on life since joining the Thunder for his first stint in the Big Bash.
He already has 21 T20 internationals to his name for the Black Caps, to go with 40 one-dayers, and is keen to increase those tallies. But not before helping the Thunder to a second Big Bash title.
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"I feel like I've built in some decent rhythm, I would've loved to have taken some more wickets but as long as I'm helping the team win games then I'm happy with that," Milne said.
"It was good to lock in that finals spot last night. It's always nice to finish strong and hopefully take momentum from the last game into these finals.
"We're three games away from lifting a trophy so we're just taking it game by game. A few of the guys in the team are in some good nick, and different people standing up each game which is ideal.
"From the playing 11 to the guys that haven't been playing much here, there's really good depth of the squad.
"Whether there's been an injury or someone else has been selected, they've stepped up straight away. It's a good sign everyone's in a good head space and at the drop of a hat everyone can jump in and play well."
Underpinning the Thunder's recent form has been the bruising runs of Englishman Alex Hales who has surged clear as the competition's top run scorer with 535 for the tournament.
He managed an unbeaten 63 in Monday's win over the Strikers, after the brilliant 110 he scored against the Sydney Sixers on Friday.
"I try and stay away from him [at training] he's hitting every bowler out of the park at the moment," Milne said.
"I don't think he's doing too much in the nets he probably just wants to keep his form for the games to be fair.
"He's a quality player, world class, it's just shown this comp how good he is and how dominant he is and just can take on any bowler when he feels like he can."
The Strikers managed 4-115 in a rain-affected 14 overs on Monday at the Adelaide Oval.
Usman Khawaja was then dismissed first ball but Hales and captain Callum Ferguson combined for 116 runs to notch an easy win.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
