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

[jcas0167]

Amazing win. Great test match - lost the toss on a green looking wicket, gained the ascendancy only to have it wrested away by a sublime innings by one of the all time greats Kumar Sangakkara. Looked dead and buried at 5 down with about a 30 run lead. Only for another record-breaking sixth wicket partnership featuring BJ Watling and someone who is increasingly looking like a future great, Kane Williamson. Excellent fielding and bowling effort to back up a brave declaration.

Some excerpts from Cricinfo when NZ looked gone:

End of over 50 (3 runs) New Zealand 132/4

Rowan Morrell: "I reckon it's game over now. New Zealand will probably be lucky to get a lead of 150 from here. We really needed a big partnership from Williamson and McCullum to not only wipe the deficit, but establish a good lead for the likes of Neesham, Watling and Craig to build on. But with Baz gone and NZ still behind, I think this is very much Sri Lanka's Test to lose now. I would be only too happy to be proven wrong though."

End of over 65 (4 runs) New Zealand 177/5

PJ: "If this game is to be saved, much less won, by NZ, these 2 each need to get big hundreds. There's really no 2 ways about it."

End of over 69 (2 runs) New Zealand 189/5

Javed: "The script is similar to the india test last year... will Williamson do a McCulllum ?"

End of over 73 (2 runs) New Zealand 202/5

KJ: "As much as I like to be optimistic I can't help feel the barn door is wide open, the horses are over the hill and the fat lady is applying her makeup and warming up her voice...…."

End of over 79 (1 run) New Zealand 210/5

Sean: "Deja vu anyone? This is the same ground. Familiar position for NZ, batting to save the test. Dropped catches on a top order batsman. Will Wellington have to cut another key to the city?"

 

[Riggins]

No? He is saying that your opinion shouldn't change after a declaration based on the outcome of the match.

Probably didn't explain it as well as I'd like. What I was trying to articulate is that the good declaration=win bad declaration=lose or draw doesn't stand up for me. If we'd declared 194 runs earlier, all and sundry would've said holy **** what a poor decision. But we'd have won (again in theory) which owes more to poor batting and good bowling than a right or wrong captaincy decision. So when I say it would've been a good one, I should've said 'good'

It ****s me a bit given examples like Steve Smith in the MCG. Absolutely no way in the world a guy in his second Test as captain, with a series win secured even with a draw, on a flat one with plenty of runs in it, could've declared at any other time for mine. But his side didn't win, and he copped a bit over here - which I thought was absolutely ridiculous.

Yeah that makes sense. I read it as saying you shouldn't call something good or bad just based on the outcome, however if we'd declared and set them 200 then that would have been a good declaration because we won. It just confused me.

 

[Blocky]

New Zealand started the second innings 135 runs behind and won the match by 196, meaning a turnover of 331 after the teams second innings. Anyone know the largest turnovers?

At a guess, when India had to follow on 270 behind and Dravid and Laxman put on a Watling/Williamson partnership and India ended up winning by about 170.

 

[Swingpanzee]

Rationally, I wasn't a fan of the declaration. Irrationally, it was fantastic. It was a display of almost arrogant confidence that we haven't seen from a NZ side in many years, perhaps ever. I can see why BMac did it.

This. 12 months ago on the same ground I fully supported the "late" declaration vs India and felt that securing the series was all-important. To see the Blackcaps so confident now shows how much the team has developed over the last year. If things continue in this fashion, good things await.

 

[Jezroy]

Good guy ICC has updated the rankings now.

We're officially 5th.

Oh shiiiiiiiieeeetttt - could we go to 3rd with a 2-0 win in Eng?!

 

[Athlai]

Oh shiiiiiiiieeeetttt - could we go to 3rd with a 2-0 win in Eng?!

We could potentially go to 3rd with a 1-0 win. I think it's pretty certain we would with 2-0

 

[OverratedSanity]

At a time when the team I support can't buy a win, it's good to see a team I like do well.

 

[OverratedSanity]

How are we still above SL in the rankings/

 

[Jezroy]

We could potentially go to 3rd with a 1-0 win. I think it's pretty certain we would with 2-0

This is mind blowing considering 2 years ago we were the team that got bowled out for 45 in SA, and no one was really that surprised.

 

[Jezroy]

How are we still above SL in the rankings/

You won't be after the end of Aus vs Ind series I suspect.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

This is mind blowing considering 2 years ago we were the team that got bowled out for 45 in SA, and no one was really that surprised.

I don't think there's a side in world cricket that wouldn't be in danger of getting rolled for <100 against that SA attack at home tbh. 45 AO was still a bit too dire though,

 

[Blocky]

How are we still above SL in the rankings/

Won't be after this test. But basically ranking order when teams are level on rating is broken - it should put the team with the most points ahead but at the moment it does them in alphabetical order.

 

[Zinzan]

Good guy ICC has updated the rankings now.

We're officially 5th.

Yup, Woot !

 

[OverratedSanity]

You won't be after the end of Aus vs Ind series I suspect.

We'll move down to 7th then?

Time for the India doom and gloom thread I think.

 

[Jezroy]

I don't think there's a side in world cricket that wouldn't be in danger of getting rolled for <100 against that SA attack at home tbh. 45 AO was still a bit too dire though,

But at the time it was almost like "SEE! This is what you guys get for screwing over Ross Taylor and being crap!". Then it was a bit of a "ah well, typical" joke. Now, we are probably the 3rd best team in the world, and if 45 happened again it would be a massive shock. Because that's not how this team appears to operate. In fact New Zealand in their previous six Test series: W D W W W D. Boom.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yup, Woot !

View attachment 21690

Pretty rare seeing a NZ side being number 2 in matches played too. Weren't we all complaining about being starved of test match cricket?

 

[SteveNZ]

This. 12 months ago on the same ground I fully supported the "late" declaration vs India and felt that securing the series was all-important. To see the Blackcaps so confident now shows how much the team has developed over the last year. If things continue in this fashion, good things await.

Baby steps. 12 months ago it was an immense achievement to win a series, especially over a 'powerhouse' and most notably from the situation we won it. But now we're not satisfied to win series', we want to win every Test match. It's bloody exciting. Injuries and form come and go, but this side has an inner strength that comes from its leaders that we can build around in many years to come.

We'll deserve third in the world if we beat England. How great would that be

 

[Zinzan]

Pretty rare seeing a NZ side being number 2 in matches played too. Weren't we all complaining about being starved of test match cricket?

Yeah, mostly off the back of that amazing test schedule of 2013. I have a bad feeling that will change with the big 3's hijacking of the FTP.

Would of course love to be wrong on this.

 

[viriya]

I avoided checking the scorecard till now.. Pretty depressing viewing, but NZ deserved the win with the way they fought and took the risk of a loss. I don't think I'm gonna get over the missed chances for quite sometime yet but hey you gotta take those chances when you get them.

Not surprised that we lost after Sanga got out early, surprised that Thiri hung around till the end.. in a way this series has been good for SL's youngsters with Dimuth, Chandimal and Thiri making important contributions at one point or another..

Herath had one of his worst tests - barely figured with the bat, missed the chance (the first at least) that probably cost the match, and you could argue got outbowled by a batting all-rounder.. not pretty for the best spinner in the world.

 

[Blocky]

I avoided checking the scorecard till now.. Pretty depressing viewing, but NZ deserved the win with the way they fought and took the risk of a loss. I don't think I'm gonna get over the missed chances for quite sometime yet but hey you gotta take those chances when you get them.

Not surprised that we lost after Sanga got out early, surprised that Thiri hung around till the end.. in a way this series has been good for SL's youngsters with Dimuth, Chandimal and Thiri making important contributions at one point or another..

Herath had one of his worst tests - barely figured with the bat, missed the chance (the first at least) that probably cost the match, and you could argue got outbowled by a batting all-rounder.. not pretty for the best spinner in the world.

Batting and catching let down what was a reasonable effort by the bowlers, truth told.