*Official* New Zealand tour of Sri Lanka 2019

[straw man]

Good start for Ajaz. Already thought he should be the first spinner chosen in these conditions, but there's always a temptation for selectors to think that the discount version offered by the all-rounder is near enough, so try squeeze someone else in instead. This 5-fer should put that idea to bed.

 

[NZTailender]

I want Patel and Somers Somerville to both play tbh.

 

[Jezroy]

I want Patel and Somers Somerville to both play tbh.

Somerville the only one that turns it the other way apart from Kane though. Otherwise you’ve got two left armers and a leggie. So I’d say he should play.

Guptill should have tried to turn himself into a spin bowling #6 in tests.

 

[Bahnz]

I kinda think the bowling attack for Galle should be CdG, Astle, Sommerville, Ajaz, Boult

If we do go with 2 specialist seamers, I'm more inclined to play Southee, mainly due to memories of how much he swung it back in 2012. For those watching last night, was he getting much swing?

 

[kaetor]

Any highlights of the days play? Weird looking scorecard, not promising.

 

[Kippax]

For those watching last night, was he getting much swing?

Just enough shape, not big swing. Started quite a few on a leggish line almost like he was looking for those bananas of 2012.

Boult: Sort of floaty and too early swing, Kyle Mills swingers.

 

[Kippax]

Any highlights of the days play? Weird looking scorecard, not promising.

Well sort of, go to 6h37m on the stream for a three-minute wrap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2yb5ItywJI&t=23821

 

[straw man]

Now this thread has been pinned, can someone pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease fix the typo in the title.

 

[straw man]

For some reason I feel like Southee will do well this series too - should be hungry after missing most of the world cup at least. Wonder how Boult will go in light of that as well.

 

[Kippax]

Note the new link for viewing later:

@OfficialSLC
Day 2 start delayed due to wet outfield
LIVE: https://youtu.be/NVtWBqyf24E

 

[Moss]

Just enough shape, not big swing. Started quite a few on a leggish line almost like he was looking for those bananas of 2012.

Boult: Sort of floaty and too early swing, Kyle Mills swingers.

Think I detect a change in Southee's action there.

 

[Maximas]

SL squad is in...

- Thirimanne - really? Hopefully gets squeezed out of the XI with either Kusal Mendis or BOP Fernando opening with Dimuth
- Matthews and Chandimal - going to make for some interesting selections with Kusal Perera obviously not moving, Mendis and BOP Fernando having come off that massive unbeaten stand in the 2nd test in SA, as well as Dickwella coming back in and DdS finding some confidence and form with bat and ball of late
- Dickwella back - hasn't really been gone because he played our last test, but plenty of keepers in the squad, having said that he was in decent form in the test side and played well in the A tour to India so should take his place at 7
- Spinners - they've picked 3 contrasting spinners (Akila, Sandakan, Embuldeniya) and left out Dilruwan, who is apparently injured but probably unlikely to play test cricket again anyway unless the aforementioned trio have a lean run.
- Pacers - Lakmal the mainstay of course, Vishwa was instrumental in SA and Kumara is a developing monster, very un-Sri Lankan type fast bowler, Rajitha unlucky to be dropped after SA though, was expensive at times throughout the tests even going back to the Aus tour but was always penetrative


The XI is anyone's guess but I'm thinking something like...

Karunaratne (c)
BOP Fernando
K Mendis
Chandimal
Kusal Perera
Matthews
Dickwella (wk)
Akila Dananjaya
Lakmal
Embuldeniya
Vishwa Fernando

2 pace 2 seam, only other option would be to have DdS open or slot in somewhere else and play the 7th batsmen/5th bowler role, particularly if the pitch looks dry (we can assume it will be pretty spin friendly particularly at Galle)

 

[Kippax]

I wrote a week back. Most of them are in the squad. Gutted not to see Pathum Nissanka in the squad after a such a good first class results.

https://medium.com/the-sports-niche/predicting-the-sri-lankan-squad-for-the-new-zealand-test-series-5e7f593a5608

Yeah always interesting to have a TV game to give you some insight into someone like Nissanka, who's 21 and averaging 61 with nine centuries.

Quite a nervy or careless shot to be playing to his third ball if he was trying to impressively consolidate the mini-collapse that was happening to Ajaz. Maybe they don't rate his nerve yet, or maybe he was just coaxed into the very low key mood of the match.

 

[Starfighter]

Sorry, how the **** does Thirimmane get in the squad again? What has he done? He must have the selector's nudes like Mitchell Marsh apparently does.

 

[Flem274*]

he's the worst regular opener going around in the top 8.

karunaratne really hasn't ever kicked on like i hoped for either. quality player, or should be. far better than an average of 36.

mathews as well. so many of their players just fade away.

looking forward to seeing kumara bowl again if the pitches allow. good to have chandimal back too, madness to drop him.

 

[Moss]

he's the worst regular opener going around in the top 8.

karunaratne really hasn't ever kicked on like i hoped for either. quality player, or should be. far better than an average of 36.

mathews as well. so many of their players just fade away.

looking forward to seeing kumara bowl again if the pitches allow. good to have chandimal back too, madness to drop him.

Eh, Mathews is class. Been a difficult last few years for him, but not that long ago he and Mendis batted all day to save SL at Wellington.

SL are an interesting case, have beaten South Africa home and away recently but also lost to England at home. Should be a fun series, and a welcome change after seeing them tour NZ practically every year in the ladt half decade. Just a shame that a three test series between these sides doesn't seem to be a thing at all.

 

[mr_mister]

Karaunaratne has done pretty damn well I think, last few series nws

I remember in a home 3 test series against us in 2016 his top score was 22. He was hanging by a thread at that point and has scored plenty of important runs since. Openers are never getting not outs so I think 36 isn't too bad for that position. Greenidge averaged 44. He still gets a lot of runs each year generally

 

[Maximas]

Karunaratne has only really shown the kind of player he is in the last 2-3 years, played a lot of tests while still making the leap from domestic to international level (a common SL issue)

Flem is right about some of these guys though, Matthews and Chandimal should be peaking but something is getting in the way

 

[Blain]

Awesome warm up game, with no one getting a bat.. Coming from mid winter to the sub continent with no batting preparation, talk about being under cooked. At least the batting line up is basically set in stone.

Good to see Patel has shown he can do the job, probably our best controlling spinner. With Somerville being our only off spinner, does he get the nod over Astle? I think so TBH. Then it's Astle vs Santner, flip a coin. Astle will go for runs, I don't trust his control. He's a competitor with the bat, though Santner is the batter batsmen. CDG has to play as our 2nd seamer, I don't see the point in playing Wagner or Southee if it's a dust bowl in 32 degree humid heat.

Latham, Raval, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls, CDG, Watling, Santner, Somerville, Patel, Boult

For Sri Lanka, who is their best spinner? See they have the tricky and suspect Dananjaya in the squad. Can't say I know much of their bowling attack besides Lakmal, who is OK.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Hopefully that's all the rain for the tour. A 2-0 win will take us to no 1 in the world.