*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2012

[chaminda_00]

Get Mathews to open and play Chandimal you stupid ****s.

I'm not the selectors, but the current openers are capable at this level. Just need to convert their FC performances into Test cricket. At least the selectors are picking guys with FC runs behind them, rather then 'looks good in the nets' policy. It is step in the right direction.

Even though it is extremely harsh on Prasanna, I still reckon giving the gloves to Chandimal is the way to get in him the side. Rather the playing middle order batsmen as openers, especially as you have opening batsmen scoring runs at domestic level.

Lets Mathews and Chandimal time to develop as batsmen in the lower order and push them to top of order once the Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Samaraweera retire. I have real bad felling they are all going to retire together especially Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Then we will left with an inexperienced middle order batting and Mathews having the borden of captaincy and batting at 4 and bowling first change. It all going to do down hill fast unless they give Chandimal some experience now.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

In a perfect world we would've snagged another, but that's a world where bacon infused apples exist so this will do.

Starting to realize that Boult's problem is obvious - he doesn't string enough good balls together. Sure, you can bowl two peachy outswingers which fizz past the edge but if you follow it up with so many random trash balls down leg like he does, it completely changes the batsman's mindset. They're no longer wondering where their next run is coming from, hence luck doesn't seem to go his way.

 

[Migara]

Lets Mathews and Chandimal time to develop as batsmen in the lower order and push them to top of order once the Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Samaraweera retire. I have real bad felling they are all going to retire together especially Sangakkara and Jayawardene. Then we will left with an inexperienced middle order batting and Mathews having the borden of captaincy and batting at 4 and bowling first change. It all going to do down hill fast unless they give Chandimal some experience now.

I don't necessarily agree with that. Mathews by all accounts is a better player of pace than spin, and it's opening slot or #3 that he deserves. He may be little chancy, but opening bowlers will know that they cannot drop short and expect that to be left alone when Mathews bats. Chandimal is a better player of spin than pace, and given his aggressiveness, he's the best man to bat with tail when spinners are on.

 

[Himannv]

I wish they just stop picking people called "Tharanga".

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't necessarily agree with that. Mathews by all accounts is a better player of pace than spin, and it's opening slot or #3 that he deserves. He may be little chancy, but opening bowlers will know that they cannot drop short and expect that to be left alone when Mathews bats. Chandimal is a better player of spin than pace, and given his aggressiveness, he's the best man to bat with tail when spinners are on.

Yep, absolutely agree. It's not just that I think Chandimal is a better batsman than you openers and that it's worth sacrificing Mathews; I legitimately believe Mathews will be better served opening than he is down at six anyway. If your middle order all retire at once later and you want to drop him down to three then I'm sure it won't be a problem then either, but for now it makes no sense to leave out Chandimal for the blokes you send out to open while Mathews is at six.

 

[straw man]

Predicting a very long day for us unfortunately. Remember well how Sri Lanka's 3/4/5 of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Samaraweera were just impenetrable for our bowlers in the 2009 tour. Our bowlers weren't terrible iirc and worked their way through top 2-3 wickets, but in four SL innings only managed to take the 4th wicket at 300, 205, 295 and 301 (all the while aware that if we could just get that 4th and 5th wicket then SL's tail were poor).

This SL innings will go the same way unless we can use the new ball and every bit of swing available to get 3-4 wickets in the first 20 overs today. Then we might get SL for 250-300. However if we don't get those early wickets then SL will get 450 easily.

Looking back at that series I am reminded also of how much damage the SL seamers did to our batting. Erkh. History repeats. SL's seamers did bowl some good deliveries yesterday. But our batsmen are also culpable, particularly Guptill and Taylor.

 

[Daemon]

So did Senanayake turn out to be a myth or something? Why is Randiv still playing Test cricket?

 

[Viscount Tom]

Boult could do with a season at county tbh, might be worth the Kiwi's ringing around for him. Can see him ending up at Gloucs given Wright's the coach there.

 

[straw man]

Woooooooooooo!!

 

[Hurricane]

poor shot. We'll take it.

 

[straw man]

Southee bowls two crap balls swinging down the leg side - let's call that 'setting up the batsman' and then one outside off. Except instead of the outside edge to slips Parana just plays it on. So basically just good luck for us.

 

[Flem274*]

Bitchin

 

[straw man]

Doesn't look like Boult is running in quite as hard as sometimes does - perhaps thinks swing more important than pace this morning. Already gone past the edge a few times.

Erkh, Randiv edges through slips for four

 

[Hurricane]

This night watchman is going to be a pain in the ass.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

What the ****

edit: honestly, what the ****ing **** McCullum you useless tool

edit of edit: thank ****ing god that didn't cost us

 

[straw man]

****ing hell.

 

[straw man]

hahah, thanks Randiv. Guptill can catch

 

[Hurricane]

McCullum should never be in the slips.

Good catch Guppers.

 

[Flem274*]

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Oh and decent bowling, Tim. Pretty alright eh.