***Official*** Sri Lanka in Zimbabwe

[Athlai]

In terms of talent and form, I'd back NZ to defeat SA and Aus, than Pakistan beating them at the moment. However, I've ranked purely based on performances so far.

NZ cannot be called a world beater right now, and is without doubt in the middle of the gang.

Pakistan need to win a match against a good team away from home to impress me. Their attack looks lackluster compared to most of the top 8. I think NZ are definitely in the top half of the pack and at home any team would struggle to move us.

 

[Precambrian]

Our top order is probably one of the best in ODI's at the moment.
In the last year:

McCullum 961 @48.05 SR 109.57
Ryder 263 @ 37.57 SR 84.29
How 672 @ 35.36 SR 71.03

With our middle order

Taylor 428 @ 42.80 SR 80.90
Oram 442 @ 44.20 SR 100.91
Stryis 517 @ 36.92 S/R 79.66

NZ batsmen in the last 12 months, excluding Minnows

[B]Player		Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	Ave[/B]
BB McCullum	15	15	2	586	 45.07 
JM How		15	14	0	423	 30.21 
SB Styris	15	14	4	421	 42.10 
LRPL Taylor	15	14	4	291	 29.10 
JDP Oram	12	8	1	252	 36.00 
JD Ryder	5	5	1	196	 49.00 
DL Vettori	15	9	3	122	 20.33

 

[Athlai]

14 runs in boundaries in a completed ODI innings. Least ever?

 

[Athlai]

NZ batsmen in the last 12 months, excluding Minnows

[B]Player		Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	Ave[/B]
BB McCullum	15	15	2	586	 45.07 
JM How		15	14	0	423	 30.21 
SB Styris	15	14	4	421	 42.10 
LRPL Taylor	15	14	4	291	 29.10 
JDP Oram	12	8	1	252	 36.00 
JD Ryder	5	5	1	196	 49.00 
DL Vettori	15	9	3	122	 20.33

Still pretty decent, Taylor is better than that had a fair few times against England where since the top 3 had set up the match so well he slogged out. Besides Taylor being better than that average suggests, all quite good figures.

 

[Precambrian]

14 runs in boundaries in a completed ODI innings. Least ever?

Not at all. What about the 36 all out?

 

[Athlai]

Not at all. What about the 36 all out?

Just researching where it stands right now.

 

[Precambrian]

Still pretty decent, Taylor is better than that had a fair few times against England where since the top 3 had set up the match so well he slogged out. Besides Taylor being better than that average suggests, all quite good figures.

Oh yes. I was surprised to see McCullum's average to be honest.

 

[Athlai]

England v Canada 1979
Canda 45 runs/ 8 in boundaries

Pakistan v West Indies 1993
Pakistan 43/ 12 in boundaries

Scotland v West Indies 1999
Scotland 68/ 12 in boundaries

Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka 2004
Zimbabwe 35/ 12 in boundaries

USA v Australia 2004
USA 65/ 16 in boundaries

Are just a few. Might have a closer look, at scores above a hundred in terms of boundaries.

 

[Athlai]

Oh yes. I was surprised to see McCullum's average to be honest.

He's been an absolute destroyer lately. Can't convert it properly to Tests though.

 

[Precambrian]

Slightly OT, but here are the top 10 batsmen based on recent form (last 12 months) in ODIs against non-minnows (Min Qualification - 400 runs)

[B]Player			Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	 Ave 	SR	100	50[/B]
Younis Khan*(Pak)	8	8	1	528	123*	 75.42 	94.28	3	2
S Chanderpaul*(WI)	13	13	4	578	107*	 64.22 	74.96	1	5
MS Dhoni*(India)	26	25	6	988	88*	 52.00 	79.87	0	8
CH Gayle*(WI)		11	10	0	478	122	 47.80 	86.28	2	3
V Sehwag*(India)	16	16	0	756	119	 47.25 	113.17	1	6
BB McCullum*(NZ)	15	15	2	586	96	 45.07 	104.45	0	6
KP Pietersen*(Eng)	20	18	3	658	111*	 43.86 	85.12	2	3
MEK Hussey*(Aus)	18	14	3	481	65*	 43.72 	71.36	0	4
SB Styris*(NZ)		15	14	4	421	87*	 42.10 	80.03	0	4
SR Tendulkar*(India)	12	12	1	460	117*	 41.81 	84.24	1	3

Time for Dicko to reassess his assessment of Younis Khan as an ODI player.

Another thing is Australia's waning dominance, only 1 player in that list.

 

[Chubb]

Excellent performance in the field. I think Zim are going to win this one, just need one batsman to stand up and be counted today.

 

[Athlai]

He'd argue that he scored a lot of those runs against the WI and at home! Still a good effort IMO.

Styris is dire with the bat right now, but otherwise that is a killer list. Sehwag and McCullum scoring big runs at a rapid rate.

 

[Athlai]

Mendis to better his BBI today? Yes IMO.

 

[Precambrian]

Mendis to better his BBI today? Yes IMO.

All ten perhaps?

 

[Athlai]

Murali's at the other end. So just 9 IMO.

 

[Precambrian]

Murali in by the 4th over and gets Sibanda.

Expecting Mendis at the other end.

Zimbabwe to collapse to 36 all out.

 

[Athlai]

This pitch sounds like a shocker.

 

[Athlai]

Another wicket! Stealing them from Mendis here.

 

[Athlai]

3 down!!!!

 

[Athlai]

Coming down to Taibu vs. Sri Lanka one feels.