Group B - Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe

[masterblaster]

Good close game tonight with evenly matched sides. Mahela just continues to impress with his batting in Twenty20's. I never thought he would adapt so well for the format but he's shown what an adaptable player he is.

Despite the loss to New Zealand, I'm not writing Sri Lanka off yet as they will likely make the Super 8's. I think the form of Dilshan is a worry though for them and he needs to get a few away off the middle of the bat to regain his touch.

 

[Hurricane]

Patel doesn't get as much as loop and turn as he used to but NcCullum doesn't get much of anything.

Even if there are better spinners in the country than NMac in FC cricket such as young Beard I think his (Nate's) bowling is close to Patel's in quality. And since his batting is >> Patel's he should be in ahead of Patel.

Patel is not going to get any better if we persist with him.

For some reason we think it is important to bat down low in limited overs cricket. But in test match cricket we figure we only need to bat to 7. We place too much emphasis on picking a team to take 20 wickets in test cricket and not enough resources on batting.

Anyways. I hope NMac bowls his way into a stable place in our limited overs sides.

 

[GGG]

Not forgetting N McCullum is also a brilliant feilder.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I guess you missed the part where New Zealand at one point needed 74 runs of 68 balls with nine wickets in hand?

I guess you missed the part where they're playing on a crappy slow pitch and new batsmen means the runs quickly dry up (unless you're bowling pies at the death like Sri Lanka did).

It is hard to score more than a run a ball for consistent periods on a pitch and ground like that. That equation is like scoring 9 an over elsewhere. It can all unravel rather quickly.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Scaly in not giving New Zealand credit shocker.

 

[Howsie]

I guess you missed the part where they're playing on a crappy slow pitch and new batsmen means the runs quickly dry up (unless you're bowling pies at the death like Sri Lanka did).

It is hard to score more than a run a ball for consistent periods on a pitch and ground like that. That equation is like scoring 9 an over elsewhere. It can all unravel rather quickly.

Let's say hypothetically that England and Sri Lanka played last night and England were in New Zealand's situation where they needed 70 odd off 66 balls with Pietersen going well. You're actually telling me you wouldn't be pissed had England lost from that position and would not have logged in to call them every name under the sun?

Even Vettori was disappointed with how they almost let that game slip, noway you could tell me that you had Sri Lanka as favourites at that point.

 

[Scaly piscine]

As I posted at the time they were mild favourites and Sri Lanka were not 3-1 or whatever. Most batsmen were not achieving the required run-rate. If you're reliant on one batsman in T20 to keep going and going you're not a heavy favourite. A professional Sri Lanka display would have squeezed NZ 10-15 runs short. The way the game played out still tells you NZ were not overwhelming favourite.

 

[Polo23]

Give it up Scaly, it's the same rubbish every time NZ play. Can't you tell people are getting sick of it?

 

[Migara]

The fielding mishaps from SL looks plain ugly.

Chandimal looks very good. It was a huge mistake not playing Randiv, who is a good long handle payer and a better ODI spinner with current form.


SL should try to demolish Zimbabwe next time. If Price, Utseya and Chigambura gets a good day both NZ and SL will be biting their nails.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Give it up Scaly, it's the same rubbish every time NZ play. Can't you tell people are getting sick of it?

Not my problem if people can't handle the truth.

 

[Smudge]

Not my problem if people can't handle the truth.

The truth being you called it a choke yet we went on to win? Yeah, that paints you in a glorious light.

 

[MoxPearl]

Ahh Scaly.. still trolling i see

 

[social]

Has to go somewhere, Durham are well and truly ****ed in the local c grade comp

 

[NZTailender]

lol @ taking Scaly seriously when it comes to NZ.

 

[Polo23]

lol @ taking Scaly seriously when it comes to NZ.

Lol @ Scaly taking himself seriously!

 

[Zinzan]

lol @ taking Scaly seriously when it comes to NZ.

Not that I care, but have always been amazed that he never gets banned (or even so much as a warning) for what is such absolute blatant 'trolling', but you're right NZT, easiest thing is just not to take the bait.

 

[Xuhaib]

Not that I care, but have always been amazed that he never gets banned (or even so much as a warning) for what is such absolute blatant 'trolling', but you're right NZT, easiest thing is just not to take the bait.

because nobody can understand why a guy sitting in Durham would have a grudge against NZL off all places.

 

[Zinzan]

because nobody can understand why a guy sitting in Durham would have a grudge against NZL off all places.

Will undoubtedly have something to do with scrabble. I'm picking a New Zealander beat him in an international under 8s tournament & he's never quite recovered

 

[Howsie]

Haha honestly, has anyone ever seen him post anything positive about New Zealand cricket? You'd think that after six years he'd have to have said something surely.

 

[Hurricane]

He was calling down Ross Taylor a few months back. And then Ross had a good series against Pakistan and he has been strangely silent on that front since.