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

Zinzan

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So Williamson's out for 2-3 games by the sounds, do we know if Taylor's due back for this 2nd game?
 

YorksLanka

International Debutant
Been watching bits of this match, what a knock from Mahela, **** we'll miss him, stands up when it really matters.

Awesome to see Kula back in form, real boost for our WC plans, Senanayake is the worlds best ODI bowler?
Yes and yes, didn't see the game as had to go to a pants wedding in London, including a reception at an organic vegetarian restaurant- don't think the waiter was impressed when he enquired why I hadn't had much food and I replied because I normally eat what you feed this stuff to..anyhoo..

How did Kula actually bowl, I know he got a couple but was he back to what used to do? Nice to see Mahela stepping up but we need at least three others to support him and we can't just rely on Sanga..I was disappointed to see Chandiguns was dropped for this game. He had played himself into form during the tests so had hoped we would give him a chance. Personally I don't think Dimuth is a odi opener and we should open with Thirrimanne and bring Chandi into the middle order.
 
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Flem274*

123/5
Latham is a quality cricketer but he definitely hasn't justified his ODI selection to date. I sympathise with him because he's being asked to do a role he hasn't done in domestic cricket for some time, but even so he hasn't been covering himself in glory by getting bogged down then having a fatal rush of blood. I can't remember the last time he knocked the ball around for a decent strike rate and imo that is the number one job for the #5. As someone (Zinzan) pointed out, his inability to even get to 30 is concerning.

I firmly believe Watling should be there but that ship has sailed. It's got to be one of Elliott or Latham because I like to have three cakes in my ODI middle orders. Anderson and Ronchi is more than enough firepower at the end, especially since if they have one of our top five at the other end, we all know Baz, Guptill, Kane and Ross can find the fence now.

Straight after the World Cup I would open the batting with Guptill and Latham. They're the best men for the job and ODIs outside the World Cup don't matter, so we can afford to push through teething issues. Plus isn't it in England anyway? A genuine test opener like Latham would be a good choice for ODIs in England and Guptill is a proven aggressor in English conditions.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
A few thoughts:

1. Agreed with Phlegm's comments on Latham. He hasn't convinced as an ODI player so far, but in the absence of Ryder there weren't too many options - guys like Flynn and Rutherford didn't take their chances, Munro suffers from the Peter Ingram syndrome (not looking the part), and while Brownlie's efforts as opener in the UAE were actually quite valuable his game isn't as versatile as Latham's. Watling would have been my choice but oh well. Latham seems a bit confused about what his role at 5 should be (as evidenced by his stumping dismissals in both the SAF series and yesterday). If I were the management I'd tell him very clearly his role is simply to rotate the strike and punish bad balls, and not to hit out unless the situation calls for it. Far better player than what he's shown IMO.

2. Elliott looked terrible, but from memory he always does on his off days and can be slow to start off in a series (that 4-0 drubbing in Bangladesh comes to mind where he was a walking wicket against Shakib to begin with, and got much better as the series progressed). If he recovers his form by the end of the series, good enough. What I fail to understand is the reluctance to bowl him and KW, given that the 5th/6th bowlers could be an issue going into the World Cup and Anderson bowling out his quota is an expensive proposition.

3. Nmac batting at 7 with the extra bowler to follow is an interesting one. This actually happened in the 2011 World Cup, but there was the insurance of Vettori and Oram at 8 and 9 back then. While it's probably worth a try in a couple of games this series, doing it in the WC against the likes of Australia would be asking for trouble. Dan's batting isn't what it used to be, Milne might be good for a few, Mills is a write-off. Unless Nmac and/or Vettori suddenly hit a purple patch with the bat, 4 bowlers with Anderson/KW/Elliott making up the overs would be the way to go. Hence, would try to get as much bowling out of the last three in this series.
 
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jcas0167

International Debutant
Latham is a quality cricketer but he definitely hasn't justified his ODI selection to date. I sympathise with him because he's being asked to do a role he hasn't done in domestic cricket for some time, but even so he hasn't been covering himself in glory by getting bogged down then having a fatal rush of blood. I can't remember the last time he knocked the ball around for a decent strike rate and imo that is the number one job for the #5. As someone (Zinzan) pointed out, his inability to even get to 30 is concerning.
It does seem a lot is being asked of Latham, who is only 22. He's taken on the test opening role and done very well, but now also having to cover the number 5 ODI position. Can't think off hand of too many who open in tests and bat 5 in ODI's. Kepler Wessels did it a bit towards the end of his career. Seems quite a big adjustment for a young player to get to grips with.
 

Zinzan

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Perhaps this is a chance to see what Latham can do at the top with Guptill for a couple of games, although again one feels if they wanted to try that they would have done so in the UAE.

In some ways I love the prospect of Bmac opening; your most destructive batsman having the opportunity to bat most of the 50 over etc etc, but in other ways I can see the NZ batting deflating if he gets dismissed early, setting a kind of stodgy defensive tone for the rest of the innings.

So I'm still kind of on the fence since we know how valuable he can also be floating between 4-6 and making the most of the PP and slog overs.
 
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Zinzan

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Elliott looked terrible, but from memory he always does on his off days and can be slow to start off in a series (that 4-0 drubbing in Bangladesh comes to mind where he was a walking wicket against Shakib to begin with, and got much better as the series progressed). If he recovers his form by the end of the series, good enough. What I fail to understand is the reluctance to bowl him and KW, given that the 5th/6th bowlers could be an issue going into the World Cup and Anderson bowling out his quota is an expensive proposition.
Elliott does have this strange propensity though of looking utterly C-level village one day eg. Sunday, his shouldering arms to a straight one in a test match a few years back & then a world beater the next.

Who else remembers his little purple patch in Australia a few years back in which he genuinely looked like our best batsmen in that series? I recall him making batting look ridiculously easy against a more than decent attack.

But there's no doubt his 5-6 ball stay at the crease on Sunday looked about as horrendous as a 5 ball innings could look.
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Elliott does have this strange propensity though of looking utterly C-level village one day eg. Sunday, his shouldering arms to a straight one in a test match a few years back & then a world beater the next.

Who else remembers his little purple patch in Australia a few years back in which he genuinely looked like our best batsmen in that series? I recall him making batting look ridiculously easy against a more than decent attack.

But there's no doubt his 5-6 ball stay at the crease on Sunday looked about as horrendous as a 5 ball innings could look.
That century he scored at the SCG was sublime. He seems to thrive on the bouncier surfaces in Australia and South Africa, and enjoys using the pace. I think Kerry O'Keefe said in that series, slightly tongue in cheek, that Elliott had the best leg glance in world cricket.
 

Zinzan

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That century he scored at the SCG was sublime. He seems to thrive on the bouncier surfaces in Australia and South Africa, and enjoys using the pace. I think Kerry O'Keefe said in that series, slightly tongue in cheek, that Elliott had the best leg glance in world cricket.
O'Keefe tongue in cheek? :-O Wish I'd heard that.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Elliott loves the cheeky nurdles behind square on both sides of the wicket. This can get him in trouble against spin but on pitches where the ball comes onto the bat and there is no turn, he's a quality nudger.

He was awesome in the 2008 England ODIs in England with bat and ball too, and played an important hand in the 2010 Champions Trophy and the 2012 South African ODIs.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
On the Latham back-up keeper thing, Australia don't have a back-up in their side - I'd wager Wade (puked in my mouth a bit but it's true) would come in if Haddin was injured, ie someone took a long overdue 2 pound 10 to him for yapping so much.

So Latham didn't have to be named.
 

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
On the subject of Latham - if Williamson can be a top notch ODI bat then I see no reason why he can't. Probably needs more work at domestic level.
 

Moss

International Vice-Captain
On the subject of Latham - if Williamson can be a top notch ODI bat then I see no reason why he can't. Probably needs more work at domestic level.
It was a pretty similar situation with Williamson just before the 2011 World Cup, right? He did have the one century in Bangladesh, but soon dropped out of the starting XI when similar stuff was being said about him - hasn't done much in ODIs, struggling to rotate the strike, failing to convert his starts etc. From memory he only played 3-4 games in the World Cup but that innings in the quarterfinal was a minor gem.
 

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