***Official**** Sri Lanka in New Zealand 2014/2015

[Flem274*]

Fri Dec 26 - Tue Dec 30 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
1st Test - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Sat Jan 3 - Wed Jan 7 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
2nd Test - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Basin Reserve, Wellington

Sun Jan 11 (50 ovs) 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
1st ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Thu Jan 15 (50 ovs)14:00 local | 01:00 GMT
2nd ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Seddon Park, Hamilton

Sat Jan 17 (50 ovs) 14:00 local | 01:00 GMT
3rd ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Eden Park, Auckland

Tue Jan 20 (50 ovs) 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
4th ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Saxton Oval, Nelson

Fri Jan 23 (50 ovs) 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
5th ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
University Oval, Dunedin

Sun Jan 25 (50 ovs) 11:00 local | 22:00 GMT
6th ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
University Oval, Dunedin

Thu Jan 29 (50 ovs) 14:00 local | 01:00 GMT
7th ODI - New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Westpac Stadium, Wellington

 

[Flem274*]

The questions

New Zealand
-Will Baz continue to open and if so, who bats at five?
-If Baz doesn't open, who does?
-Do you pick Anderson or Neesham?
-Craig or Sodhi in NZ conditions? Or four pacers?
-Does Wagner return, or do you look to Bracewell, Henry or even a bolter like Milne?

Sri Lanka
-Can Karu get past 40?
-How hard will life without Mahela be? Does Mathews move to number four?
-Should they play to their strengths and pick two spinners, or do you back the pacemen?
-Which pacemen play?
-Sangakkara should be all class as per usual, but how does Herath adapt and can he do it?

 

[Athlai]

New Zealand
-Will Baz continue to open and if so, who bats at five?
I reckon he'll go back to 5.

-If Baz doesn't open, who does?
Probably Rutherford

-Do you pick Anderson or Neesham?
Anderson for the bowling

-Craig or Sodhi in NZ conditions? Or four pacers?
Craig as a specialist #8

-Does Wagner return, or do you look to Bracewell, Henry or even a bolter like Milne?
Wagz

 

[hendrix]

Yeah we'll go conservative option on all.

McCullum back to 5, Papps as bolter.

Anderson.

Craig.

Wagner.

 

[Bahnz]

On Milne, it will depend on how he goes in the Pakistan ODI's. If he does very well, or even just OK whilst showing top pace, then I reckon he's a huge chance to grab a spot. I think though, that with KW still banned from the bowling crease, NZ will probably pick a spinner, and based on his latest performance, that has to be Craig. And with a spinner in the side, that leaves only 1 extra fast bowlers spot, and Wagner has enough credit in the bank to hold on to it despite his rubbish domestic form.

I think that Anderson will (unfairly) hang on to the allrounders spot. And I think McCullum will most likely shift back down the order, and make way for somebody: most likely Rutherford (ick) though maybe even Guptill (urp) or Brownlie (ugh).

If memory serves, Mahela has a pretty average record in NZ, so batting wise I'm not sure whether SRL will miss him much, but his experience and influence will be lost and that is a factor. There's no way Sri Lanka should pick two spinners - there next best is nowhere near Herath's class and would be utter cannon fodder in early season conditions. It'll be tough for Herath, and I suspect that he'll probably do about as well as he did in England earlier in the year - not many wickets but effective at keeping a hand brake on things.

 

[hendrix]

I'm not seeing a good tour for Sanga. He struggles against left arm pace and Boult in these conditions is as good a left armer as you'll get.

 

[SteveNZ]

They'd have to persist with Baz opening, if he is inclined to do it. Let Rutherford/next cab off the rank spend more time at domestic level until they've proven they're going to play in a way that is successful in Tests. Until then, their development isn't likely to go anywhere quickly. I think we've established now that for nigh-on all of our openers, finding a method whilst in the Test environment doesn't happen.

I really don't know who bats at #5, probably has to be Anderson again with Neesham at 6 unless Ronchi plays. I'm inclined to give Neesh another go in conditions where he's scored runs before (also against a sub-continent attack) with the proviso we don't want many overs out of him, and Wagner plays. Definitely not playing two spinners and you can't drop a guy whose taken 10-for, contributes runs and is from a suburb synonymous with excellence. I don't want him higher than #8 though.

 

[Kippax]

How many lefties can someone lock in for a likely Sri Lankan top 7? Kaushal Silva and Mathews might be the only two right-handers. Not sure about the current sentiments on Chandimal.

 

[hendrix]

I was going to write a post about how Milne is nowhere near the Test squad but then I realised how much weight McHesson puts towards points of difference. While Henry and Bracewell are better bowlers, nor were the likes of Sodhi, Craig and Todd Astle anywhere near to being our best in terms of pure bowling when they were selected.

The #genuinequick is a horses-for-courses catchy hook at home against the Sri Lankans as much as picking 3 spinners in the UAE was, much to Blocky's disdain.

 

[hendrix]

And horses-for-courses has worked, btw.

 

[Kippax]

Milne will be kept exclusively to Operation White Ball all summer long, imo.

 

[Flem274*]

We're one Adam Milne away from a scary, scary pace attack tbh. Get Henry in there somewhere too. Drop the opener and make the spinner open so we have room.

150kph + swing coming on after Southee and Boult = real deal. No more Steve Finn and Rahat Ali epics.

 

[hendrix]

probably, but it wouldn't be the worst time to debut him and it's a situation in which McHesson could spring for it.

 

[hendrix]

Drop the opener and make the spinner open so we have room.

Tastle solves world hunger tbh.

 

[morgieb]

First home Test series against Sri Lanka for New Zealand in 8 years. So there won't be a lot of Lankans with experience over there.

Will be hard for Sri Lanka.....luckily their bowling is better than what it was a couple of years ago.

 

[morgieb]

New Zealand
-Will Baz continue to open and if so, who bats at five? Tough question. If Ryder was ready to play the answer would be obvious, but the alternatives for the top or middle order shouldn't exite any fan of the Black Caps. When is the next Plunkett Shield match? I'd be tempted to roll the dice on a Bracewell/Mitchell type, if I'm being honest. Maybe even Cachopa.
-If Baz doesn't open, who does? Rutherford probably the favourite....
-Do you pick Anderson or Neesham? Think Andersoon deserves the edge ATM.
-Craig or Sodhi in NZ conditions? Or four pacers? Craig deserves incumbency.
-Does Wagner return, or do you look to Bracewell, Henry or even a bolter like Milne? Wagner deserves incumbency. I'm not sure if either option is the smartest though. A brave selector might be tempted by an attack which contains two of Bracewell, Henry or Milne.

Sri Lanka
-Can Karu get past 40? Gonna say no.
-How hard will life without Mahela be? Does Mathews move to number four? I'm not sure if Mahela would do much in New Zealand anyway, but his experience would be crucial (particularly given how few of the side has actually played in New Zealand) and without him the batting may be somewhat fragile, so life without him will be tricky. Think Mathews should bat four, he seems wasted lower in the order.
-Should they play to their strengths and pick two spinners, or do you back the pacemen? Pacemen. Not convinced Perera would do much in New Zealand.
-Which pacemen play? Eranga, Prasad, Lakmal. NFI who should be next in line...Welegadara?
-Sangakkara should be all class as per usual, but how does Herath adapt and can he do it? Herath will probably have a similar series to his one in Australia and England - shows better control then the rest, but doesn't have the greatest luck and overall finds things harder than what he's likes.

 

[Days of Grace]

probably, but it wouldn't be the worst time to debut him and it's a situation in which McHesson could spring for it.

Re: Milne selection:

Don't forget the really short turn-around from the UAE, which is probably why Southee and Boult are being rested.

 

[hendrix]

Re: Milne selection:

Don't forget the really short turn-around from the UAE, which is probably why Southee and Boult are being rested.

True. They also probably want to keep him under wraps before the world cup.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, but then again Sri Lanka's young batsmen won't have had a lot of experience combating genuinely fast swing bowling. I doubt that it'll happen, but I reckon that if he goes well in the UAE that it will be seriously considered.

 

[Athlai]

The biggest disappointment is that it's only two Tests.