*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka

[Athlai]

I know that Kula and Thushara are decent pinch hitters but almost every other Test nation has supeior batsman fitting the same roles mate.

And Mathews inexperience is precisely what I was getting at.

Oram vs. Mathews = I'd go Mathews here but probably not by too much
McCullum vs. Prasanna = McCullum easily
Vettori vs. Thushara = Vettori by a mile
Patel vs. Kula = Patel by a little bit due to good recent form
O'Brien vs. Murali = lol they are like opposites, Murali a great unorthodox attacking bat while O'Brien a ballsy defender, I'll say a tie due to the different needed situations
Martin vs. Mendis = who cares won't score many runs anyway (though obviously Mendis)

And this is the strength of the bottom of the pile NZ team you are up against.

 

[Inferiority]

I know that Kula and Thushara are decent pinch hitters but almost every other Test nation has supeior batsman fitting the same roles mate.

And Mathews inexperience is precisely what I was getting at.

Oram vs. Mathews = I'd go Mathews here but probably not by too much
McCullum vs. Prasanna = McCullum easily
Vettori vs. Thushara = Vettori by a mile
Patel vs. Kula = Patel by a little bit due to good recent form
O'Brien vs. Murali = lol they are like opposites, Murali a great unorthodox attacking bat while O'Brien a ballsy defender, I'll say a tie due to the different needed situations
Martin vs. Mendis = who cares won't score many runs anyway (though obviously Mendis)

And this is the strength of the bottom of the pile NZ team you are up against.

I'm confident that your tail won't be too much of an issue, it's not much different to Pakistan and we managed to pick up 59 wickets against them. If Mendis and Murali regain prime form then we should be able to take care of the batsmen no problem. Kulasekara is also an expert of exploiting any swing and seam movement available when they is little there. NZ really bowled badly especially Patel when there was grip and some turn as shown by Vettori.

 

[Prince EWS]

My only gripe with this Sri Lankan team (3rd favorite Test nation) is the tail. A few CWers have been calling it a great tail, I think its pretty dire.

You have a FAR superior top 5. I mean Ryder and Taylor could MAYBE crack it but no one else comes even close.

But the bottom 6 aren't that great looking.

Prasanna is okay but I'd probably rate Vettori as a better batsman. The guy is a good keeper but doesn't deserve to be batting at 7 considering the batsman before him.

Mathews hasn't impressed me at all so far in his career and while it is possible he could come off and all his talent could come to fruition he has done little to nothing at the top level of cricket.

So Sri Lanka have a possibly good (Mathews) number 6 and an okay (Prasanna) number 7, but after that it tails off rapidly. We play Vettori at 8, Sri Lanka plays tailenders. Tailenders who can handle a bat (just like my dear Jeets) but tail enders nonetheless.

This is why to me Sri Lanka's batting is never going to be a great lineup. You can score 700+ because you have a wonderful top 5, but you can crumble just as quickly due to a far weaker bottom 6.

That said NZ's strong bottom 6 (not so strong with both Martin and O'Brien there though) probably won't help much if our top 5 go missing.

Yeah I agree with this. 6, 7 and 8 are all batting one spot too high really.

 

[Polo23]

It's ok...really this is a NZ A team anyway, no Bond, Watling, Boult, N McCullum or Elliott.

 

[Athlai]

I'm confident that your tail won't be too much of an issue, it's not much different to Pakistan and we managed to pick up 59 wickets against them. If Mendis and Murali regain prime form then we should be able to take care of the batsmen no problem. Kulasekara is also an expert of exploiting any swing and seam movement available when they is little there. NZ really bowled badly especially Patel when there was grip and some turn as shown by Vettori.

I'll admit I'm disappointed in Patel especially as he occasionally bowled balls that really turned. The key to beating this Sri Lankan team is breaking this partnership everytime, bringing out Mathews and co. is the only way we'll ever get through their lineup. Unfortunately our best bowler is a spinner against the best spin players in world cricket.

I'm really keen to see us bat, Guptill like Piranha has a lot of promise but I'm really hoping for a big series from Jess and Taylor. Taylor's been in good form lately so we could get some runs on the board.

The jobs a bit easier for Sri Lanka, the only partnership they need to break is Jess and Taylor after that we only have a rearguard to put us up to respectable scores. Not matchwinning ones.

 

[Inferiority]

It's ok...really this is a NZ A team anyway, no Bond, Watling, Boult, N McCullum or Elliott.

Other than Bond, i don't know about any of those players but they probably wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway.

 

[Prince EWS]

Last time I watched the 2, Martin was a swing bowler and O'Brien a seam bowler although I guess when there is little help from the conditions or the pitch they could end up pretty samey. Tuffey has done well in the subcontinent before and seems a taller bowler who is more likely to get something out of the surface than the above 2.

Martin isn't really a swing bowler anymore; he's basically become a short-of-a-length seam bowler like O'Brien, although he did swing a couple with the new ball in this Test.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah I agree with this. 6, 7 and 8 are all batting one spot too high really.

Yeah just ground my gears a bit. You can say a lot of good things about this Sri Lankan lineup but you can't say they have a good tail. It's their only real weakness (besides a slightly weak seam attack, good enough for this lot though).

 

[Nishan]

Don't tell me you actually believe this rubbish, SL supporter?

Huh? I just said today will not be washed out. and btw these are my two teams playing

 

[Pratters]

11.00 A few of the covers are coming off. Should take about 30 minutes.

 

[Athlai]

Martin isn't really a swing bowler anymore; he's basically become a short-of-a-length seam bowler like O'Brien, although he did swing a couple with the new ball in this Test.

Which makes me wonder how Southee would have done.

Sure he would have been useless as a guy's nipple after that first spell, but I bet he could've done a bit more with the swing.

 

[Prince EWS]

Take it your watching this.

Think the turn alone basically cements his position in the team.

Still think it should have been an attack of Martin-(Tuffey/O'Brien)-Franklin-Vettori-Patel

Just saw this.

I'd like to make it clear that I'm not so much criticising the selection of Patel in general; I am criticising the decision to pick him and then bowl first. If you think it's going to be a turner then fine, pick him, but don't volunteer to bat last against Murali and Mendis if you think that.

The message Vettori seemed to be sending was "we think this'll be a seamer, but we also think Patel is a better bowler on seamers than Tuffey" which I really, really disagree with.

 

[Prince EWS]

Which makes me wonder how Southee would have done.

Sure he would have been useless as a guy's nipple after that first spell, but I bet he could've done a bit more with the swing.

Looking at Franklin's figures opening the bowling in County Cricket just recently, I wonder if he'd have offered more than the lot of 'em. Although I know you wanted him in for Oram.

 

[Athlai]

Just saw this.

I'd like to make it clear that I'm not so much criticising the selection of Patel in general; I am criticising the decision to pick him, then bowl first. If you think it's going to be a turner then fine, pick him, but don't volunteer to bat last against Murali and Mendis if you think that.

The message Vettori seemed to be sending was "we think this'll be a seamer, but we also think Patel is a better bowler on seamers than Tuffey" which I really, really disagree with.

Fair enough but as someone pointed out earlier, Vettori didn't want to win this toss. He knew that there would be something in it early but then it would flatten out a bit and now we have Sri Lanka ready to put on a good score. With the shadow of Mendis and Murali bowling at us last.

Should be fun.

Car'n Taylor!

 

[Athlai]

Looking at Franklin's figures opening the bowling in County Cricket just recently, I wonder if he'd have offered more than the lot of 'em. Although I know you wanted him in for Oram.

Yeah Franklin has finally got his bowling mojo back.

Bat him at 7 and chuck Oram out already.

(Oram to score 200 and take 10 wickets before injuring himself)

 

[Polo23]

Other than Bond, i don't know about any of those players but they probably wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway.

That's a pretty big statement when you admit ignorance.

 

[Prince EWS]

Fair enough but as someone pointed out earlier, Vettori didn't want to win this toss. He knew that there would be something in it early but then it would flatten out a bit and now we have Sri Lanka ready to put on a good score.

Yeah, but if he thought there was going to be something in it early - enough to bowl first in Sri Lanka with Murali and Mendis looming in the second innings - he really should've opted for Tuffey over Patel. Evidently he did, and not being 100% sure doesn't really cut for me as even if he was close to choosing that option but didn't actually do it, I'd have still preferred Tuffey.

Either one decision or the other was wrong. It was a blunder.

 

[Athlai]

It's ok...really this is a NZ A team anyway, no Bond, Watling, Boult, N McCullum or Elliott.

lol @ Boult N McCullum and Elliott

Boult is still a few years off. Nathan McCullum isn't Test material, he is a limited overs bowler, and Elliott is quite worryingly there. Only Bond and Watling could make their way into the team.

Bond because he rules and the revolving door policy for the openers.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah, but if he thought there was going to be something in it early - enough to bowl first in Sri Lanka with Murali and Mendis looming in the second innings - he really should've opted for Tuffey over Patel. Evidently he did, and not being 100% sure doesn't really cut for me as even if he was close to choosing that option but didn't actually do it, I'd have still preferred Tuffey.

Either one decision or the other was wrong. It was a blunder.

Probably should have batted first in retrospect.

 

[Pratters]

If you don't care since it is the NZ A team playing according to you, why watch at all Polo23, especially as you have taken it in your stride that they will lose.