***Official**** Sri Lanka in New Zealand 2014/2015

[hendrix]

It's the bounce though that the likes of KW has proven to be susceptible to.

 

[Athlai]

It's the bounce though that the likes of KW has proven to be susceptible to.

And I think the other 5 are more dangerous because of that. Finn is average.

 

[Flem274*]

It's the bounce though that the likes of KW has proven to be susceptible to.

In tests maybe, but in ODIs he's proven.

Technical weaknesses aren't as easily exploited as issues like the inability to access all parts of the ground etc in ODIs anyway.

 

[hendrix]

Agreed, but we have been relying an awful lot on KW over the past year or so (disregarding game 5), so any potential weakness he has is a weakness for our team.

 

[Flem274*]

Nah Baz, Taylor, Anderson and Donkey have all been firing for ages. Guptill last summer as well.

He's our best ODI batsman so him failing is always a big blow, but the team has won convincingly without him often enough.

 

[Athlai]

Williamson is our best ODI batsman for about 5 minutes guys. Settle down.

We've probably never had this many 'good' ODI batsman in the team at once, obviously losing out on someone who looks like they may become our best ever is rough, but it's hardly game over.

 

[hendrix]

Williamson is our best ODI batsman for about 5 minutes guys. Settle down.

We've probably never had this many 'good' ODI batsman in the team at once, obviously losing out on someone who looks like they may become our best ever is rough, but it's hardly game over.

5 minutes is about the length of time we've been considered amongst the top 4 prospects for the WC. It's no coincidence.

Dispatching subcontinent teams with weak pace attacks has been our major success. It's not being negative to say we haven't been fully tested against a proper pace attack in recent times.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

I wish I shared this optimism. I tend to think that NZ might be brittle against the likes of Steyn & Morkel, Finn & Broad, Starc & Johnson.

Possibly, but everyone else might be brittle against Southee and McClenaghan. It's swings and roundabouts to some extent.

 

[cnerd123]

Because it's much better to have Mahela in the early and middle overs than Dimuth or Thirimanne or whoever else.

No real proof that Mahela is a great finisher, there's proof that he does well starting though. Thiri is meh wherever you put him. More likely to waste overs coming early on.

I have to disagree. Mahela is fantastic in guiding an innings in the middle of the innings. So great at rotating the strike and pinching sneaky runs all over the field. The innings doesn't get bogged down in the middle overs when he is batting. He may not be a big hitter, but he is fantastic to have in that 15-40 over period.

 

[Greenlite]

I have to disagree. Mahela is fantastic in guiding an innings in the middle of the innings. So great at rotating the strike and pinching sneaky runs all over the field. The innings doesn't get bogged down in the middle overs when he is batting. He may not be a big hitter, but he is fantastic to have in that 15-40 over period.

I think Vettori has the wood on him, just my 2 cents =P

 

[Jimbo the giant]

It was good to see Ross get some runs yesterday. He looked a lot more assertive and didn't let the bowlers dictate terms to him. He still didn't seem 100% back though, even after 100 balls he couldn't put that full toss in the stands. He missed a number of full tosses which should have been boundaries. Also his running is worse than the average 10 year old. He really is a lazy runner.
Kane should have got 150 the only thing that looked like getting him out was a run out.

Guptill has been disappointing but I think it's too late for Latham so where stuck with him imo. Hopefully he goes well when it matters, plus he's probably the best fielder in the world.

I was really happy with Boult. He's a gun and will just get better with more game time. Mills is a good bench option has all the experience we need if injury strikes. Hopefully he gets a few overs in before the cup.

Corey bowled well I thought. He looks a much more difficult proposition to face when he's up around 140 imo. I was just thinking if he can keep that up we might just have the best 5th bowling option in the cup especially given the pitch conditions.

 

[Jimbo the giant]

I do agree it's a bit worrying we haven't faced a decent pace attack for a while but it is what it is.

The batsman do face our bowlers regularly I would think and they're not too bad.

 

[hendrix]

The batsman do face our bowlers regularly I would think and they're not too bad.

current form Guptill vs Southee or Mills must be hilarious...

 

[YorksLanka]

His overall record vs his opening record says that when he opens he makes 10 more runs at a +10 strike rate. He just made a couple of big scores recently which doesn't change the fact that he prefers opening (he said so himself in the India series) and he has a better record there (and can make a bigger impact). All this "SL will be too top-heavy" is bull**** imo.. doesn't matter how you set it up, if one of the Big 4 don't fire SL is ****ed anyway, so why not give them the best chance to make an impact?

i can see where your'e coming from in terms of giving our best players the early overs but it also can go against us in terms of the fact that if the ball is swinging a mile at first when its hard and then calms down as it softens then we want to keep our best players away from that also surely? I still maintain that for me, thirri and dilshan are the best odi opening partnership we have at present and where we struggle is the lower middle order(proved by the fact that these guys probably havent collectively scored double figures for a while now)we need to either add a genuine bowler to give us some death over bowling or add a specialist batsman at 7 to shorten the tail..

 

[Greenlite]

Bondy did break Lou Vincent's wrist in the net prior to the 07 WC, so maybe it's a good thing in a way we are not facing too many fireballs on and off the field??

 

[otagoman]

it looks like Boult vs Mills, McClenaghan vs Milne, Vettori vs McCullum....Boult is looking good, but I wonder if he beats out Mills whether it favours Milne over Mitch so there are 2 left afters and 2 right armers rather than 3 left armers and southee....Vettori bowled too well last time up to not be in the lineup as well

 

[Jimbo the giant]

it looks like Boult vs Mills, McClenaghan vs Milne, Vettori vs McCullum....Boult is looking good, but I wonder if he beats out Mills whether it favours Milne over Mitch so there are 2 left afters and 2 right armers rather than 3 left armers and southee....Vettori bowled too well last time up to not be in the lineup as well

Vettori and Southee seem certainties. I prefer McClenaghan and Milne to diversify things. Milne may not have the wickets on the board but he's overdue some luck and he has been bowling well. McClenaghan has such a great ability to take wickets it doesn't matter how many runs he concedes. We should have Corey, Elliott and Kane to bowl the extra's when required.

 

[Flem274*]

ATM for a WC final tomorrow I'd go Southee, Henry, Milne, Vettori. Boult doesn't have the number of performances under his belt (why didn't they send him to the UAE???) and Mills doesn't have the overs.

But of course we know that's not happening. I think they're going to roll with Southee, Boult and Milne. They rested Boult from the UAE because they've decided the Southee/Boult combo in tests will translate to ODIs. Milne pips Mitch because they won't want three left armers in the side.

 

[Greenlite]

it looks like Boult vs Mills, McClenaghan vs Milne, Vettori vs McCullum....Boult is looking good, but I wonder if he beats out Mills whether it favours Milne over Mitch so there are 2 left afters and 2 right armers rather than 3 left armers and southee....Vettori bowled too well last time up to not be in the lineup as well

If Boult can show he can take early wickets and restrict opposition at the death then he might take out Mitch or Mills, I think we won't have Boult and Mitch in the same team...

 

[hendrix]

I'm going Southee, Boult, Milne.

All three are capable of taking wickets as well as restricting the scoring. Milne may lose out to McCleneghan but it's touch and go.