*Official* Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand 2018/19

[Moss]

Well done Mendis and Matjews, top effort so far. Would be pretty cool if they managed to salvage the draw and keep the series alive.

Been a while since a NZ bowling effort has had to stack so much on the new ball. Need a moment of magic like that Boult ripper to get rid of Karunaratne on 152 in 2014.

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

New ball due in 3 overs

Game changer?

 

[NZTailender]

Great fightback by these two, good to see.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

No more tests at the Basin until they have decent result pitches imo.

Hagley, Seddon, Uni Oval, (perhaps EP for big sides), then holiday venues - Mt Maunganui, Nelson, Whangarei, Queenstown (which for some weird reason doesn't even get Otago games now)

McLean Park if drainage has improved

 

[straw man]

Hello new ball. Need you to do the trick for us plz.

Get rid of that old ball - you were rubbish.

 

[Athlai]

Basin dying after the first two days has happened for the last ten years. It's a shame that it seems likely rain will rob us of either a NZ victory or a gargantuan Sri Lankan fight back.

 

[nzfan]

I don't know if I should like this Sri Lankan fight back or just hope they fall over and lose. Strangely I'm preferring the former. Of late it's been a bit of a turn around with visiting teams showing good fight and continued with this series as well. NZ in Dubai, England in SL, India in Aus etc... (West Indies in Bangladesh is a disaster :-))

I know it is too early to call but I think if we can't make inroads with the new ball the game is not going to go our way considering the bad weather tomorrow. If by chance it turns out to be a good day, BCs will win no doubt about that.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

southee definitely looks better than a couple years back but he still looks like he'll flop against australia or south africa. Totally seems to have lost that extra gear he used to have.

 

[straw man]

Basin dying after the first two days has happened for the last ten years. It's a shame that it seems likely rain will rob us of either a NZ victory or a gargantuan Sri Lankan fight back.

Basin Reserve

There hasn't actually been a draw there since the McCullum 300 match against India in 2014, however there's been at least one very large innings (441+) in the last nine tests there, excepting the 2017 loss to SA. And 7 500+ scores.

So ya, it's pretty flat apart from (sometimes) the first day.

 

[BeeGee]

Incredible innings, incredible partnership. Outstanding.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Great partnership, this. The basin is such an odd, odd pitch.

 

[Grasshopper]

Great partnership, this. The basin is such an odd, odd pitch.

I vote we hold court and promptly hang the groundsman.

But yes, great batting by this pair to potentially save this test (given tomorrow's weather forecast).

 

[straw man]

Fantastic to bat 70 overs together.

Second new ball was essential and having seen off 10 overs of it, SL look pretty safe unless the forecast for tomorrow is completely off.

Lol at the stump mike. Southee I think wants to bowl himself 'we still need ****in 7 wickets'.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

It’s a bit of an Australian pitch these days ... you win by boring the other side into submission.

Fantastic work by Sri Lanka today though. Nobody could have envisioned them going the whole day without losing a wicket.

 

[Moss]

Never doubt test cricket's ability to surprise. Worrying for NZ is that even if they win this one they'll be going into the next test anything but fresh; I'm sure the bowlers would've been hoping to wrap this one up early and put their feet up. Can't be easy coming right off the UAE tour.

What an achievement by these two if they bat out the day. Can remember Steve Waugh and Blewett doing the same against the Saffers in '97, and generating much awe in school discussions when it happened (those were the days when test cricket not involving India was still followed on a pretty wide scale.here).

 

[straw man]

: Mendis and Mathews

Not even the mighty filth of Jeet Raval could dislodge them.

 

[veganbob]

Incredible fightback from these two. Congratulations.

While Im disappointed and would rather we won, the positive is that it brings this series and the home summer more "alive" because we all thought lanka would be easy beats.

 

[Gomez656]

/ NO WICKETS IN A FULL DAY'S PLAY

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw3JntBdspwNFX3wj5lKechh&cshid=1545100784887

Match Day Runs Location Date
Australia v England (3) 283 Melbourne 1st Jan 1925
West Indies v Australia (4) 307 Bridgetown 14th May 1955
India v New Zealand (1) 234 Chennai 6th Jan 1956
West Indies v Pakistan (3) 357 Kingston 26th Feb 1958
West Indies v England (5) 207 Bridgetown 6th Jan 1960
West Indies v Australia (1) 263 Bridgetown 5th May 1965
West Indies v New Zealan (3) 218 Georgetown 6th April 1972
India v West Indies (4) 306 Kolkata 29th Dec 1978
India v England (2) 217 Chennai 13th Jan 1982
Sri Lanka v Pakistan (5) 240 Colombo 22nd March 1986
India v Australia (4) 235 Mumbai 15th Oct 1986
England v Australia (1) 301 Nottingham 10th August 1989
South Africa v Australia(3) 288 Joh'g 28th Feb 1997
Sri Lanka v India (3) 283 Colombo 4th August 1997
Sri Lanka v India (4) 265 Colombo 5th August 1997
West Indies v Australia(2) 340 Kingston 13th March 1999
India v Australia (4) 335 Kolkata 11th March 2001
Bangladesh v South Africa (2) 280 Chittagong ,24th April 2003
Sri Lanka v South Africa (2) 357 Colombo 27th July 2006
Bangladesh v India (1) 326 Dhaka 25th May 2007
Bangladesh v South Africa (1) 405 Chittagong 29th Feb 2008
New Zealand v Sri Lanka (3) 239 Wellington 18th Dec 2018

 

[Gomez656]

I wish both Mendis/Angelo continue their stand on day 5 as they are still far behind Samaraveera/Jayasurya's 4th wicket record of 437 for the 4th wickets

 

[bill8164]

I wish both Mendis/Angelo continue their stand on day 5 as they are still far behind Samaraveera/Jayasurya's 4th wicket record of 437 for the 4th wickets

unfortunately, it doesn't seem likely with the weather forecast being decidedly average.