*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka

[Hurricane]

Player Span Mat Wkts
M Muralitharan (ICC/SL) 1992-2009 129* 777
SK Warne (Aus) 1992-2007 145 708
A Kumble (India) 1990-2008 132 619
GD McGrath (Aus) 1993-2007 124 563
CA Walsh (WI) 1984-2001 132 519
N Kapil Dev (India) 1978-1994 131 434
Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) 1973-1990 86 431
SM Pollock (SA) 1995-2008 108 421
Wasim Akram (Pak) 1985-2002 104 414
CEL Ambrose (WI) 1988-2000 98 405
M Ntini (SA) 1998-2009 99 388
IT Botham (Eng) 1977-1992 102 383
MD Marshall (WI) 1978-1991 81 376
Waqar Younis (Pak) 1989-2003 87 373
Imran Khan (Pak) 1971-1992 88 362
DK Lillee (Aus) 1971-1984 70 355
WPUJC Vaas (SL) 1994-2009 111 355
AA Donald (SA) 1992-2002 72 330
Harbhajan Singh (India) 1998-2009 77 330
RGD Willis (Eng) 1971-1984 90 325
B Lee (Aus) 1999-2008 76 310
LR Gibbs (WI) 1958-1976 79 309
FS Trueman (Eng) 1952-1965 67 307
DL Vettori (ICC/NZ) 1997-2009 94* 300

Top wicket takers. Hadlee played less test matches than Vettori. Interestingly so has Habajhan Singh. Does this mean Harbhajan is better. They are both pretty good.

 

[_Ed_]

Harbhajan has played in spin-friendly conditions far more often, to be fair.

 

[straw man]

Well done Vettori - what a legend. Reckon he could get 5000 test runs (2000 more) and 400 wickets if he plays long enough.

Four is the magic number of wickets for NZ, because that means 3 of Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Samaraweera are out and we get to bowl at someone else - and it's what we didn't manage for ages last match.

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah, and remember how quickly the last few fell once we got to them in Galle.

 

[Uppercut]

I think Thushara has more pace about him and will penetrate batting line-ups more successfully than Kulasekara, providing he continues with his accurate areas. Wasn't very impressed with Kulasekara when he played in the Test series in England back in 2006, but it would be unfair to maintain that judgement as it was only his 3rd and 4th Test respectively.

I do think this style of bowler will struggle to replicate the success he has in Sri Lankan conditions in other parts of the cricketing world.

The thing is, the heavy criticism of medium-fast men is that they always need conditions to be in their favour to be effective. But at the moment, there's barely a fast bowler in the world that you couldn't say that about.

 

[Meridio]

Pleasantly surprised at how we're going here. Was fully expecting Sri Lanka to be cruising by this stage judging by what I'd heard about the pitch.

Crucial partnership here. If we can break through this one without too much damage being done then we're a good chance to roll them for under 250, that's a very long tail IMO.

 

[Uppercut]

Did Sri Lanka just play five bowlers and a specialist wicket keeper? Ah, no, misread Kapugedera for Kulasekara.

 

[marc71178]

Slow scoring, rain forecast.

Currently can get 6-4 the draw - anyone else reckon that's a good price at the moment?

 

[Uppercut]

Pleasantly surprised at how we're going here. Was fully expecting Sri Lanka to be cruising by this stage judging by what I'd heard about the pitch.

Crucial partnership here. If we can break through this one without too much damage being done then we're a good chance to roll them for under 250, that's a very long tail IMO.

New Zealand won't clean up the tail. They're notoriously lacking in that little bit of ruthlessness... they get themselves into a good position then can't capitalise. It's horrendously frustrating.

 

[Craig]

New Zealand won't clean up the tail. They're notoriously lacking in that little bit of ruthlessness... they get themselves into a good position then can't capitalise. It's horrendously frustrating.

If Glenn McGrath can make a half century, well...

Congrats to Vettori on getting 300 Test wickets, well deserved. And I have to thank Sri Lanka for deciding to not play Mendis, hope it falls flat on their faces.

 

[Hurricane]

good over patel. He made the batsman fetch a sweep shot from a foot outside off stump. Can he keep up the pressure.

 

[Meridio]

New Zealand won't clean up the tail. They're notoriously lacking in that little bit of ruthlessness... they get themselves into a good position then can't capitalise. It's horrendously frustrating.

Believe me, I know. I don't know how many times I've torn my hair out when a few tailend hacks take their team to 380 after being 200/6. Happens all the frigging time. I'm just reasonably heartened by Sri Lanka's relatively weak tail plus the way we managed to roll the tail in the first test.

 

[Zinzan]

I'm sorry but Patel is just meat & drink to these Lankan batsmen. In retrospect they should've played Tuffey, Martin & O'Brien, even if the pitch is taking a bit of turn. Average orthodox off-spinners like Patel are a dime a dozen in SL and they're playing him with ease.

 

[Howsie]

I'm sorry but Patel is just meat & drink to these Lankan batsmen. In retrospect they should've played Tuffey, Martin & O'Brien, even if the pitch is taking a bit of turn. Average orthodox off-spinners like Patel are a dime a dozen in SL and they're playing him with ease.

Can't wait till Nethula's ready for test cricket. Patel's just not that good.

 

[straw man]

This innings looks to be going depressingly similarly to the first innings last match. Both these batsman were striking at only 30 per 100 balls not long ago and have now upped it to 45.

New ball soonish - hopefully that will do the trick.

 

[andyc]

Vettori the first left-arm spinner to take 300. Congrats

 

[_Ed_]

Vettori's taken the new ball and is now bowling with it. Interesting.

 

[Mahindinho]

Vettori's taken the new ball and is now bowling with it. Interesting.

Hope it's not the "I'm the bloody captain and I'm going to get us out of this mess" mode that he's getting into. Flintoff suffered really badly from that one.

Hopefully Mahela and Samaraweera will see out the session and carry on tomorrow. If ever there were two batsmen capable of scoring big...

 

[Lostman]

Mahela will probably have a stand named after him at the SSC once he retires.
Including todays innings 22 matches 2358 runs, 9 hundred, 6 fifties @81.31.

 

[tooextracool]

Did NZ go in with an unchanged side?