*Official* Sri Lanka in New Zealand, 2024–25 (ODIs / T20Is)

[SteveNZ]

This is SteveNZ, the T20 fan who enjoys the music loudly piped in between the utterance of ‘straight’ and ‘up’. The pause being just long enough to fit in an advert for DLF’s new hot air balloon company with the ‘up’ segueing nicely into the ‘up and away’ suffix of the advert, yes?

You're acting facetious like this isn't the future of the game...

Funnily enough I went to the Breakers last night and there's a noise spectacle to make you think a T20I is a meditative experience in comparison. And my daughter and I loved it. Clearly it's just the affront to my love of the game and its intricacies. I don't know **** about basketball

 

[Zinzan]

You've got to listen out for "who's under it?"
For SS, my favorite lineup is Stevenson, Martin & Elliott.

Eww (in bold)

 

[RMBolton]

Eww (in bold)

For me, they're mostly there for the laughs. A line that was burned into my memory from Elliott was "penetrate these Wellington Blaze players" back in the '22-3 Super Smash. I'm pretty sure he meant to penetrate their lineup, but that was just a terrible image.

Martin can provide big laughs, but she can provide some insightful chat as well, particularly around wicketkeeping; I liked her today talking about adapting to different bowlers & (with Mackay being next to her) how she adapted to Mackay's style of offspin being different to other offspinners she'd kept to.

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah I don't disagree, in Super Smash you can have a bit of fun and try to provide a product for the new casual fan. That's when you talk about pizza toppings and obscure cartoon references.

I just can't cop Sumo and co in Tests. That's a hallowed product that needs the right people to compliment it.

And yeah, Grunt Elliott has been incredibly disappointing on comms.

I wonder if the ability to get guys long term is affected by the fact they have to work with the people who are in that box. Not everyone would find that ideal.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Fine I'll do comms

 

[DougieRydal]

Sumo winds me up, he is on the face of it a decent commentator, but during the NZ v Aus White Ferns game he referred to Alyssa Healey as 'Midge' and Rosemary Mair as 'Rocco'. I just don't get that, why would you say that?

Supposedly he's seeing Susie Bates, so I assume he knows them, and probably calls them that, but in the comm box, surely there needs to be a level of professionalism, that doesn't include nicknames. I don't like when ex-players call players by their nicknames, but at least it's more understandable.

 

[SteveNZ]

What holds sport back in this country in a lot of respects is the level of familiarity and comfort that goes along with most environments. Cricket is a classic example of that at present. The senior players (men) have been able to run their own race, pick and choose if they have a contract, and there is no accountability through the media and broadcast team.

Contrast that with rugby where the All Blacks are heavily scrutinized and always have been, which drives accountability of performance.

It's all well and good if Sumo wants to be chummy with that side and say nothing but nice things...that will never create an environment of high performance. Yes we won a world cup last year but we lost every other game we played, and we are that fsr off Australia it's a different sport.

Can't have it both ways

 

[DougieRydal]

I was impressed with Ben Horne when I watched the Aces v Kings game, and have been mightily impressed with Ish Sodhi in the games he's done, in fact he should hang up his boots and take his place on the global commentary circuit.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Contrast that to Laura McGoldrick who was always professional when interviewing Guppy.

 

[jcas0167]

I was impressed with Ben Horne when I watched the Aces v Kings game, and have been mightily impressed with Ish Sodhi in the games he's done, in fact he should hang up his boots and take his place on the global commentary circuit.

Yeah, they were very good. I like Hamish Rutherford too in Super Smash as he's got recent experience facing most of the bowlers and shares that with viewers.

 

[DougieRydal]

Yeah, they were very good. I like Hamish Rutherford too in Super Smash as he's got recent experience facing most of the bowlers and shares that with viewers.

Not such a fan of his, for me whether I like a commentator or not simply comes down to if I like their voice or not. Almost doesn't matter what they say, and he's not that easy on the ear IMO. Pretty superficial I know, but you like what you like - right?

 

[jcas0167]

Not such a fan of his, for me whether I like a commentator or not simply comes down to if I like their voice or not. Almost doesn't matter what they say, and he's not that easy on the ear IMO. Pretty superficial I know, but you like what you like - right?

Very true. Someone else said they didn't rate him as he sounded like his dad in the comm box. I actually like both of them!

 

[_Ed_]

Disappointing performance by Hamilton's weather. I frequently jump to the defence of that much-maligned city, but it's letting us down today.

 

[jcas0167]

Disappointing performance by Hamilton's weather. I frequently jump to the defence of that much-maligned city, but it's letting us down today.

 

[DougieRydal]

View attachment 44185

Might have a New Years Break to Hamilton, this is Ch-Ch (groan)

 

[jcas0167]

Underway and a good crowd in. Would have liked to see Hay get another game but Latham is back.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Might have a New Years Break to Hamilton, this is Ch-Ch (groan)

View attachment 44186

That's very similar to Wellington's forecast except with less wind. Every day's summary mentions strong or fresh Southerlies! It hasn't been much of a Summer over the Summer break. Holding out for a very late Summer like in 2020 where April was delightful.

 

[Howsie]

Underway and a good crowd in. Would have liked to see Hay get another game but Latham is back.

Awesome crowd considering the weather. You can see how starved NZ is for international cricket that every game even with Sri Lanka touring is selling out or getting close to it.

 

[Howsie]

lol, what team in world cricket is sending Tom Latham out to bat with 14 overs to go ahead of Glenn Phillips. Well except for this dumb ass lead one…

 

[Skyliner]

The pedestrian Latham came in and ran himself out, why do they keep persisting with the bloke? He was the weak link at the last ODI World Cup. Hay should have played today.