*Official* Semi Final 1 - Sri Lanka vs New Zealand

[straw man]

In all fairness it's a hard ask for NZ, against SL in Colombo. We need to play well, have a little luck and turn SL's home advantage into the crushing pressure and expectation of playing at home.

In some ways I'm pleased that Sri Lanka beat England, so we must face and try to overcome a team that beat us comprehensively in the group stage, with a bunch of spinners in subcontinent conditions. If we do manage to somehow pull it off it will make it a lot more special and meaningful. I hope Murali is fit too.

 

[Days of Grace]

Is it just me thinking this but what if they called up Adam Milne instead of MacKay?


I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

 

[Raghav]

On Radio Sport today - three callers advocated Colin Munro being flown over to join the blackcaps to help counter Murali. All of the callers were from Auckland.

How does Colin help to counter Murali?

 

[Mike5181]

Is it just me thinking this but what if they called up Adam Milne instead of MacKay?


I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

I was thinking Michael Mason to be honest. A really smart bowler who could change it up with the slower ball etc. He would suit the conditions pretty well and could be the 3rd seamer bowling through the middle overs along side Oram/N McCullum/Styris.

 

[Raghav]

Is it just me thinking this but what if they called up Adam Milne instead of MacKay?


I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

Just bcoz we cant chase it against SRL no matter which generation of NZ batsman playing on this ground against 3 M's

 

[Mike5181]

Is it just me thinking this but what if they called up Adam Milne instead of MacKay?


I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

I think Tuffey will play. The selectors don't rate Mckay anymore after that tri series where he got belted all over the place. If you think about those are the same sort of batsmen that will be playing in this game. A big risk if he were to play.

 

[Raghav]

Is it just me thinking this but what if they called up Adam Milne instead of MacKay?


I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

So, I ask you.... Why not?

 

[Lostman]

I also laugh at everyone on here presuming that McKay is going to play and that New Zealand will bat first.

Noone has come up with a plan for New Zealand batting second if Sri Lanka scores 280.

I think the consensus is that if SL are batting first, NZ has already lost the game

 

[Raghav]

I think Tuffey will play. The selectors don't rate Mckay anymore after that tri series where he got belted all over the place. If you think about those are the same sort of batsmen that will be playing in this game. A big risk if he were to play.

I reckon it would be a big risk if Tuffey is asked to play

Last 10 odi's stats of Tuffey are not that good.

Particularly against SRL in SL, he played two matches in Aug '10 and see his figures
5.0-0-31-0
8.0-0-51-1

 

[Hurricane]

How does Colin help to counter Murali?

He has a number of supporters in that neck of the woods (Auckland).

 

[Raghav]

Read this from NZ Herald.... Lol

Poor Jamie How. He's a battler, no doubt about that, and seems a great team man but sometimes you just can't get a decent break. A local bowler trundled in at the practice nets on Wednesday and, with the aid of some fairly fleshy grass, got one to jag away. How was committed to the shot and edged it behind - inducing a whoop of joy and a Brett Lee fist pump from the young bloke in his follow through. How then looked up to see he'd piqued someone else's attention, having just arrived at his net: John Wright.

 

[Smudge]

I've been in touch with my contacts in Colombo, who have assured me they will be pouring a bag of sugar into the fuel tank of the Sri Lankan team's bus. If that doesn't stop the home team arriving at the ground, we're ****ed.

 

[Migara]

I meant Vettori isnt 100% fit .

Here are my score prediction for this game

If NZ bats first

NZ 165 all out
SL 165/1 in 30 Overs

If SL Bat first

SL : 320/5
NZ : 205 all out

Hardly possible. If SL turns out with their best performance they'd score 290-300. SL has no big hitters except Dilshan and Mathews. Dilshan will be tired by 40th over, and Mathews may have very little time to get in. Best thing is to Dilshan hammer a run a ball hundred and Mathews to come at his fall. But with MJ and Sanga, that won't happen.

 

[Flem274*]

On Radio Sport today - three callers advocated Colin Munro being flown over to join the blackcaps to help counter Murali. All of the callers were from Auckland.

I rate Munro in the short forms, but seriously?

 

[Migara]

Utter tripe being spilled here. If NcCullum's catch was given we'd have probably won that last match. Sri Lanka have an excellent top order and beyond Mathews very little in the middle to lower order. This is exactly the same problem the Yarpies had and look what happened there.

Beyond Malinga their pace attack doesn't really threaten us, Kulaskara is quite similar to a few NZ pacers and we seem to take to him. Their spinners will be the key to their bowling us out. Their frail middle order will be the key to our victory.

Vettori is likely to go for nothing and conditions might assist the likes of Oram and Styris to be difficult through the middle overs. NcCullum might spill a few runs but their is a huge amount of tension between him and the Sri Lankan top order that could potentially see him have a blinder of a match. Southee could be just as brilliant as Malinga if conditions suit.

This is a game that we're more likely to win than the last one. Sri Lanka's batting isn't as good as South Africa, and Sri Lanka's bowling well fancied isn't exactly overwhelming. Murali isn't at his best and the other spinners while decent are unlikely to entirely blow us away.

Backing us all the way, but naturally I was the whole way.

Murali is struggling. Give him a good bye and bring in Randiv. Bring in Perera for Mendis, and that will be one heck of batting fire power. Even can drop Silva and bring in Kulasekara, since with addition of Perera and Randiv will bring batting ability to the tail.

My team, Tharanga, Dilshan, Sanga, MJ, Sam, Silva / Kulasekara, Mathews, Perera, Randiv, Herath, Malinga

 

[Flem274*]

How many spin bowling allrounders does SL have? They should stack the spin department, because medium pace is playing into NZ's hands. But if all the spinners are muppets with the bat, then that would leave a large hole below the top and middle order from about seven down.

 

[Migara]

Jeewan Mendis and Suraj randiv are spin bowlers who can bat. Suraj is average, but Jeewan is a quite good. But his spin bowling is about #6-7 in the pecking order. Senanayake is uncapped, but another very good off spinner who can use long handle, especially against pace.

SL medium pacers are not bad as you think because they know how to bowl on SL pitches. Vaas showed the way, now Mathews and Perera are following his foot steps. Both average less than 30 with the ball. SL will pack their medium pace with bowlers who can bat, and pick two specialist spinners. Malinga, Randiv (given that Murali is not fit), Herath and Perera could deliver 40 quality overs. Then, Kulasekara and Mathews are not pie chuckers either. Put them under lights @ RPS, SL medium pacers will dismantle any side, and it has been hapenning since 1993.

 

[morgieb]

Assuming it's in SL, they should win. NZ's best chance is to bat first and run through the top order.

 

[Hurricane]

Jeewan Mendis and Suraj randiv are spin bowlers who can bat. Suraj is average, but Jeewan is a quite good. But his spin bowling is about #6-7 in the pecking order. Senanayake is uncapped, but another very good off spinner who can use long handle, especially against pace.

SL medium pacers are not bad as you think because they know how to bowl on SL pitches. Vaas showed the way, now Mathews and Perera are following his foot steps. Both average less than 30 with the ball. SL will pack their medium pace with bowlers who can bat, and pick two specialist spinners. Malinga, Randiv (given that Murali is not fit), Herath and Perera could deliver 40 quality overs. Then, Kulasekara and Mathews are not pie chuckers either. Put them under lights @ RPS, SL medium pacers will dismantle any side, and it has been hapenning since 1993.

Is Murali definitely out?
Can you keep us in the loop about local weather conditions?
What is the SL media saying about this game?

 

[Athlai]

Sri Lanka ruined their middle order by not picking Chandimal or Kapu tbh.