*Official* Match 38 - New Zealand v Sri Lanka

[BeeGee]

Sorry man, looks like you guys will be facing us most likely. Should be a good game.

I've already seen this game in my nightmares: dry road of a pitch, India win the toss and bat first, Mills and Vettori both re-injure themselves in their first over, and India score 400. Super.

 

[straw man]

It may not be a knock out match, but I think NZ really need to win this game. We're just starting to string together a few good performances and losing here, against a sub-continent team in the sub-continent, would bring back all those doubts. Winning against Sri Lanka would be huge for confidence.

That said, we're not favourites by any stretch of the imagination, especially with Mills and Vettori injured.

 

[Flem274*]

Need to get through the Sri Lankan top four.

Which we won't.

Mills and Vettori are our two best ODI players, so of course they fell down injured. Taylor will get injured next.

 

[Athlai]

Southee to have a good day but the lack of back up to prove telling.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

I've already seen this game in my nightmares: dry road of a pitch, India win the toss and bat first, Mills and Vettori both re-injure themselves in their first over, and India score 400. Super.

I feel for you my friend. I am also dreading the thought of facing India in a quarter final (I am secretly wishing for the scenario where the Aussies face India, so that they can eliminate India from the WC ).

 

[straw man]

Need to get through the Sri Lankan top four.

Which we won't.

Mills and Vettori are our two best ODI players, so of course they fell down injured. Taylor will get injured next.

You're a barrel of laughs today Flem

 

[wellAlbidarned]

With Franklin and Oram as our second and third seamers, I can understand his lack of optimism.

 

[smash84]

If Sri Lanka beat New Zealand and Australia beat Pakistan, New Zealand will likely finish third and face India in the quarter-final.

If Sri Lanka beat New Zealand and Pakistan beat Australia, New Zealand will finish fourth and face South Africa in the quarter-final.

If New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and Australia beat Pakistan, New Zealand will finish second and likely face England in the quarter-final.

If New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and Pakistan beat Australia, New Zealand will likely finish first and face West Indies in the quarter-final.

They could be facing any of the four!

haha.....as they say....no **** Sherlock

I feel for you my friend. I am also dreading the thought of facing India in a quarter final (I am secretly wishing for the scenario where the Aussies face India, so that they can eliminate India from the WC ).

yeah man awta. India have always managed to screw us in the world cup and I am dreading a knockout match against them. I get the feeling they will give a farewell to Shoaib Akhtar that he won't forget (smash him all over the place).

 

[BeeGee]

With Franklin and Oram as our second and third seamers, I can understand his lack of optimism.

So would I be right in guessing that you're not an Oram fan?
Franklin's bowling is a worry. Oram's is not.

So far in this WC, Oram has played 3 games, taken 7 wkts at an avg. of 13 and an econ. of 4.2. He's a good ODI bowler.

Now Franklin, on the other hand, has taken 0 wkts and has an econ. of 6.1.

 

[Prad100w]

I don't want India to face New Zealand either, I'd be more comfortable with having Sri Lanka as our quarter-final opponent.

If that is the case where will the match be played?

 

[Prad100w]

Just not India, anyone but India, please.

Why not? Your batters are bound to have a guaranteed good day against the Indian bowling line up.

 

[vcs]

"I personally feel that pitches in India are more balanced as the condition of the wicket more or less remains the same throughout the game," Sangakkara told reporters on Thursday.

"On the other hand, in Sri Lanka teams batting first always have an advantage since the pitch invariably slows down as the match progresses."

Pitches in India are more balanced: Sangakkara | Cricket News | Cricbuzz.com

Interesting thoughts from Sanga. While I'd like pitches in India to not be total roads and assist bowlers a bit, there's a chance that a bowler-friendly wicket might end up favouring one side based on the toss. The Chennai pitch has been very good in that respect, its behaviour seems to be uniform throughout the match. It's interesting that this WC has already thrown up more close matches between the top teams than the last two put together. It's partly due to the fact that no team stands out from the pack like Australia did back then. It's probably also because no total appears safe on some of these batting paradises. Makes for some exciting contests (if you aren't a bowler).

 

[Himannv]

Pitches in India are more balanced: Sangakkara | Cricket News | Cricbuzz.com

Interesting thoughts from Sanga. While I'd like pitches in India to not be total roads and assist bowlers a bit, there's a chance that a bowler-friendly wicket might end up favouring one side based on the toss. The Chennai pitch has been very good in that respect, its behaviour seems to be uniform throughout the match. It's interesting that this WC has already thrown up more close matches between the top teams than the last two put together. It's partly due to the fact that no team stands out from the pack like Australia did back then. It's probably also because no total appears safe on some of these batting paradises. Makes for some exciting contests (if you aren't a bowler).

Agreed to some extent. However I think bowlers have done pretty well so far (if you aren't an Indian).

 

[Prad100w]

Agreed to some extent. However I think bowlers have done pretty well so far (if you aren't an Indian).

Indian bowlers have done well against minnows.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

So would I be right in guessing that you're not an Oram fan?
Franklin's bowling is a worry. Oram's is not.

So far in this WC, Oram has played 3 games, taken 7 wkts at an avg. of 13 and an econ. of 4.2. He's a good ODI bowler.

Now Franklin, on the other hand, has taken 0 wkts and has an econ. of 6.1.

I certainly don't rate him (Oram) as a front-line bowler, though he's a good option to share the 5th slot with Piggy. I just can't bring myself to really rate him though. He epitomizes everything dull about ODI bowling.

 

[BeeGee]

Why not? Your batters are bound to have a guaranteed good day against the Indian bowling line up.

Guaranteed? Certainly not. But even if we did well and scored 300, I'd still back the formidable Indian top order batting to knock that total off.

The problem is playing India in India. They're just so hard to beat at home.

 

[Hurricane]

Not looking forward to watching Sanga score 75+ runs tonight. I can't stand

a) His lack of follow through after he hits the ball. Combined with a small backlift makes me wonder why the ball screams to the boundary
b) his helmet.
c) How he scores singles from terrific deliveries.

Love him of course when he plays against Aussie.

 

[Hurricane]

Losing Vettori for Woodcock means I have zero hope of winning the game. I think we should play Jamie How just so that we have an excuse when we lose the game.

IF I was selector I would play Williamson - and count on our batsman to pull off a miracle and somehow fiddle through the overs when bowling. But the percentage play is Woodcock.

 

[vcs]

I would love to see Williamson in this game, and how he tackles Murali.

 

[Howsie]

That's the best XI New Zealand could pick imo.