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

[Blocky]

Sri Lanka appealing for something hitting the middle of the bat.

 

[Blocky]

I feel like 275 is honours even. I think anything over that is advantage NZ.

All depends on overhead conditions. The wicket itself is batsman friendly for the rest of the match - it'll get lower and slower which suits Sri Lanka.

 

[hendrix]

Anyone else get the feeling that Herath would be easier to face at the moment for Williamson than the pacers?

Nope. The longer until Herath is introduced into the attack, the better for NZ.

IMO.

 

[Bahnz]

Watling needs to improve on gaping it. He's been hitting it to fielders all morning.

 

[Jezroy]

With the ring field. Trying to bore-out a batsman with a career strike rate barely above 40. Interesting.

Maybe they think he will use this innings to push his case to be in the WC squad.

 

[Zinzan]

Nope. The longer until Herath is introduced into the attack, the better for NZ.

IMO.

Agree. And IIRC Herath is exceedingly good against lower order/tail-end batsmen.

 

[Jezroy]

All depends on overhead conditions. The wicket itself is batsman friendly for the rest of the match - it'll get lower and slower which suits Sri Lanka.

OR depends on Sanga-Mathews.

 

[Jezroy]

Agree. And IIRC Herath is exceedingly good against OUR lower order/tail-end batsmen.

Fixed

 

[Blocky]

Nope. The longer until Herath is introduced into the attack, the better for NZ.

IMO.

Guess we'll find out - but an easy two from the first ball is a good start.

 

[Zinzan]

Fixed

Haha, not just ours. Look at his record.

 

[viriya]

The longer this partnership goes, the harder it is to forget about the dropped chances.. I'm sure the SL team feels the same way..

 

[Blocky]

I love the contrast in these two in the way they play spin - Williamson is very active with his footwork, Watling simply plays late and is quick to go back if he needs to. Must make it hard for bowlers to bowl at them - you'd constantly be trying to flight it up to Watling while being aware that Williamson will come down the wicket to you at that length.

 

[YorksLanka]

Sri Lanka appealing for something hitting the middle of the bat.

actually think it was Prasad appealing for something that hit the bat, no one else was that stupid...

 

[Blocky]

Surely with the amount of failures of the ball, ICC would deem that the Kookaburra is no longer suitable for test cricket until they prove more durable like the Duke. This is just ridiculous.

 

[Flem274*]

On the target, what gives me hope is chases around and over 200-250 are never easy. I can't remember the last time a side cruised to victory in New Zealand chasing something that wasn't terrible.

300 will be very hard at the Basin.

 

[Flem274*]

Surely with the amount of failures of the ball, ICC would deem that the Kookaburra is no longer suitable for test cricket until they prove more durable like the Duke. This is just ridiculous.

I don't think it's the quality of the ball. Two years ago New Zealand pioneered a new secret method to whinging about the ball that was successful and now other teams are clicking.

I swear they've figured out how to put the ball out of shape on purpose.

Ball isn't swinging? Get ball changed
Partnership? Change the ball
Bored? Change the ball

 

[YorksLanka]

On the target, what gives me hope is chases around and over 200-250 are never easy. I can't remember the last time a side cruised to victory in New Zealand chasing something that wasn't terrible.

300 will be very hard at the Basin.

agree, i actually think anything over 260 will be tough for us tbh

 

[Blocky]

I don't think it's the quality of the ball. Two years ago New Zealand pioneered a new secret method to whinging about the ball that was successful and now other teams are clicking.

Right, but when you're seeing as many as five ball changes per innings - considering the majority of balls are ones that are deemed "fit for use" after being used for a number of overs already, either "Sorry lads, that's your ball" or "Sorry Kookaburra, not good enough" needs to happen.

 

[Zinzan]

On the target, what gives me hope is chases around and over 200-250 are never easy. I can't remember the last time a side cruised to victory in New Zealand chasing something that wasn't terrible.

300 will be very hard at the Basin.

This is true, think we have to go back a decade when both South Africa and Pakistan successfully chased 230odd & 270odd respectively in NZ conditions. Both comfortable 6-7 wickets wins if my memory serves.

 

[Flem274*]

Right, but when you're seeing as many as five ball changes per innings - considering the majority of balls are ones that are deemed "fit for use" after being used for a number of overs already, either "Sorry lads, that's your ball" or "Sorry Kookaburra, not good enough" needs to happen.

Yeah my edit was a bit late. I added that I wouldn't be surprised if NZ are putting the ball out of shape somehow on purpose when they've decided they don't like it. Look at the timing of when it gets changed.