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

[Immenso]

Well done Lee Germon

 

[hendrix]

I'm quite pumped for this Test. I reckon SL will be quite tough and disciplined, but it's exciting to go into a series as categorical favourites. I suppose we were also favourites for the home series vs the Windies but the way they rolled over with the slightest push is not something I'm expecting from the Lankans.

 

[Niall]

I'm quite pumped for this Test. I reckon SL will be quite tough and disciplined, but it's exciting to go into a series as categorical favourites. I suppose we were also favourites for the home series vs the Windies but the way they rolled over with the slightest push is not something I'm expecting from the Lankans.

Hope so as well. No disrespect to the West Indies, but I don't expect the second test to be any less one sided than the first and its possible that India may fold meekly against Australia, so really want this to be a cracker of a test. Nothing more boring than a one sided test match.

The 10000 turnout is very good news, when was the last boxing day test in NZ?

 

[Bahnz]

Amazing what a few wins can do.

Think it has more to do with the fact that it's the first international cricket match in Christchurch in nearly 4 years, and that it's being played on a public holiday. But yes, I'm sure the spate of recent wins certainly didn't hurt.

Iirc this is the first boxing day test since 2001 when we played Zimbabwe, I think the miserable turn-out for an ODI at Eden Park last year was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as NZC was concerned. Hopefully a big crowd will push them into doing this again next year.

 

[Kippax]

Nah it's only a big crowd because of the novelty factor of a new venue tbh.

Wellington also turned up to any old rubbish, back when they had something new -

http://westpacstadium.co.nz/assets/Documents/Events-held-at-Westpac-Stadium-2000-to-2005.pdf

 

[Kippax]

https://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/ar...9865698-b1b9d1a1-22cb-4be7-a3ca-00383b1515b3/

The Black Caps fast bowlers are licking their lips at the prospect of a fast and bouncy Boxing Day pitch in Christchurch.

After seven weeks on largely lifeless wickets in the United Arab Emirates, the New Zealand squad's trained at Hagley Oval ahead of this week's first test against Sri Lanka.

It's the first test at the ground, but several of the Black Caps have played there domestically.

New Zealand pace bowler Neil Wagner says the pitch looks good.

"When we played last on it there was quite a bit of bounce and pace, which obviously excites every bowler, so it looks pretty good and we're pretty excited by that too."

Wagner says they've been told the test pitch is the same as the net wickets.

"And the nets played pretty good. It was nice and quick and had a bit of bounce to it, so it definitely excited all of the bowlers."

Neil Wagner is vying with Doug Bracewell for a place in the Black Caps XI.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricket commentator Russell Arnold has identified the Black Caps' new ball bowlers as the tourists' biggest threat.

Arnold says Tim Southee and Trent Boult proved a real handful for the Sri Lankan batsmen on the flat pitches of the sub-continent two years ago.

He says they'll be even tougher on seamer-friendly pitches.

Russell Arnold says the Black Caps bowlers were even swinging the ball in Colombo which is something he hadn't seen before.

Hagley Oval groundsman Rupert Bool backing strip ahead of test | Stuff.co.nz

Hagley Oval groundsman Rupert Bool would hate for Sri Lanka and New Zealand to play out a boring draw at the Boxing Day test and he's predicting his wicket will keep its 100 per cent result record.

Bool said it wasn't really his place to predict match results, though said his pitch, "strip three" would offer pace, bounce and a bit of help for hard working quicks.

Hagley is far from a minefield and batsmen who get themselves in, have prospered and can score runs quickly.

But all six first-class matches at the developed oval have led to results.

"That's something we're quite proud of," Bool said.

"We're on track at the moment and all the signs are good that this will be a good pitch."

This is Bool's first time in charge of preparing a test wicket and he admitted his nerves were playing a big part.

"I'm quietly packing myself."

If the test pitch is anything like the first-class wickets he and his team prepare, he needn't worry.

In their short time in use - since February last year - Hagley pitches have played well and produced even contests between bat and ball.

"That's what it's about for us. We want a fair pitch for batsmen, but bowlers who bend their back can still get something out of it."

The bounce will help spinners too, and Bool said if the pitch was exposed to a few days of heat throughout the test it could also start to break up a little.

Dunedin's University Oval has produced three draws in its last three tests and you have to go back to 2009 for the last result in a South Island test.

Bool said he had no instruction from above on what to produce, but his deck would hopefully produce the type of test cricket to attract crowds.

"Everyone wants a result, don't they, excitement, wickets, quality strokeplay. Hopefully that's what we'll have here."

 

[Days of Grace]

How big are the boundaries?

 

[Kippax]

Yeah a bit bigger than the Basin Reserve, we've seen domestic batsmen and fielders struggle with their judgement on it. 70-75 metres either side.

 

[hendrix]

sounds like decent boundaries and I like what the groundsman is saying about the pitch.

 

[NZTailender]

****, so excited for this now. Just read that article viriya posted too; will be the first time I'll have watched any of those seamers bar Eranga, keen to see how they fare. I hope we bowl first. Can't get enough of dat seam.

 

[African Monkey]

I'll most likely go on day 3 and 4. Went to a few T20s there not long ago and there weren't many balls clearing the rope and that was with the rope being brought in so I would say that the boundaries are a good distance.

 

[WindieWeathers]

I'm quite pumped for this Test. I reckon SL will be quite tough and disciplined, but it's exciting to go into a series as categorical favourites. I suppose we were also favourites for the home series vs the Windies but the way they rolled over with the slightest push is not something I'm expecting from the Lankans.

Excuse me but didn't we actually DRAW the first test after Darren's double ton? or was i seeing things?

WI also had first innings lead in the 3rd test after Narine's heroics...but when you miss as many key players as we did in that series you're gonna get found out.

Anyway I'm actually really looking forward to this series as SL should be confident having gone away to a better side (England) and won...while NZ's confidence couldn't be higher right now with the run they are currently on...NZ could nick it due to the Southee/Bolt factor in those conditions but i wouldn't be surprised if SL won.

It's just nice to see so many test matches on at this time of the year...i'm probably looking forward to Aus/India and Nz/Sl more than the Windies game tbh .

 

[Howsie]

You only 'drew' that game because it pissed down halfway through the last day with New Zealand needing about 20 runs to win. New Zealand should win this series easily but there is no chance Sri Lanka are as bad as the West Indies were.

 

[Zinzan]

And WW will be well aware of that too, lol @ him even try to go there re that heartbreaking test when rain robbed us in the last session. IIRC it was beautiful sunshine just 20 mins after they'd called it off.

West Indies were extremely lucky they only loss 4-1 (home & away) and not 5-1.

I do think SL will be tougher than them, but provided the pitch has good bounce & carry, I still back NZ.

 

[Maximas]

Was still a heroic effort from WI to draw that game tbf, suspect our pacers will make life more difficult for you guys by actually putting it in a decent spot most of the time but the batting is very vulnerable if Matthews and or Sanga misfire, series could well be decided by that, we probably need to catch NZ a bit off colour to win a match

 

[Howsie]

Yep. Not to mention Bravo should've been out for bugger all too. Those pesky third umpires always conspiring against the Windies sigh....

 

[Zinzan]

Was still a heroic effort from WI to draw that game tbf, suspect our pacers will make life more difficult for you guys by actually putting it in a decent spot most of the time but the batting is very vulnerable if Matthews and or Sanga misfire, series could well be decided by that, we probably need to catch NZ a bit off colour to win a match

From a NZ perspective, the only thing that irks me a little is I think the SL pacemen selected are a actually little quicker than NZs overall. Not that it means much when you have Southee & Boult as your openers, but it is one downside of having Bracewell selected as the 4th seamer as opposed to a Matt Henry (or even Milne as a bolter).

Certainly not a big deal, but is a little odd.

 

[Zinzan]

Mouth watering stuff indeed 2 days out.....

 

[WindieWeathers]

You only 'drew' that game because it pissed down halfway through the last day with New Zealand needing about 20 runs to win. New Zealand should win this series easily but there is no chance Sri Lanka are as bad as the West Indies were.

Rain can effect any game at any time....it was claimed that wi "went down without a fight" but what happened in that first test contradicts that statement..whether rain came or not the fact that WI were so far behind and still went into the 5th day with a lead over 100 doesn't suggest there was no fight.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Yep. Not to mention Bravo should've been out for bugger all too. Those pesky third umpires always conspiring against the Windies sigh....

That was not conclusive imo.