** Official ** Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour

[anzac]

in all honesty I don't see many changes to this NZL squad atm simply because they were v AUS...........

the only potential change I see at this time is possibly McCullum v Hopkins.............

IMO the possible bowling options are in the warm up game v SRL atm & they will need a blinder to oust the current incumbants...............not because they've been doing so well v AUS, but because of a lack of depth & wanting to see if it was the AUS factor & if they've learnt anything from it..............

 

[psxpro]

You gotta be kidding if you want to drop mccullum. Hopkins isn't as good.
Mccullum will do well against Srilanka imo. He just had an off series vs Aus. I beleive he is class, I know it won't happen but I'd love to see Mccullum open, he showed even in the 20/20 match he could handle guys like lee with the new ball.
He also showed in england when harminson was in form that he could play the new ball at no 3 and he hit a brilliant 96.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

whats up with bonds progress. isint he back playing domestic cricket now? get him back in the frame god damn it..

 

[Kippax]

My NZ Team, If Oram and Styris are both fit, thats a big if becasue ive heard nothing.

Styris is out of contention, but hopes to be playing for Middlesex early in the county season - http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3230248a1823,00.html

That article also mentions that Oram isn't available to play SL, and presumably Butler (who was back bowling in the nets a few weeks ago) isn't in contention seeing he didn't play for the Major Associations XI.

 

[Kippax]

in all honesty I don't see many changes to this NZL squad atm simply because they were v AUS...........

I hate to say it, but I suppose there should be some consideration of McMillan as a 'horses for courses' selection against SL next week. If there's one thing he's probably done better than any other BC in his career, it's been toying with Asian medium-pacers and spinners who aren't world-class.

His record against SL in particular isn't very impressive though. Just the one big test score (142) that helped us win in Colombo, and a 20.7 ODI average.

%%%%%%

A pity that Fulton ran himself out on Monday from what I heard (interesting that he was played as an opener "at the request of the national selectors").

That dismissal may end up costing him a chance of an African tour spot with the BCs in Sep/Oct, if they take a squad of 15 (which is what they took back in 2000).

With about 10 days of relevant cricket left (the tour of ZIM and Styris' form for Middlesex will have a pretty limited influence IMO), this would be my guess at the current pecking order for the test squad to tour SA:

Batsmen/batting all-rounders
1. H Marshall
2. Fleming
3. Oram
4. Astle
5. Cumming
6. Styris
7. J Marshall
...........
8. Vincent
9. Sinclair
10. McMillan
11. Fulton
12. Ryder

Bowlers
1. Vettori
2. Bond (providing he declares himself ready for tests)
3. Franklin
4. Wiseman
5. C Martin
6. Butler
..........
7. O'Brien
8. Mills
9. Tuffey

Keepers
1. McCullum
2. Hopkins
............
3. Papps

 

[lord_of_darkness]

^ God damn that doesnt look too bright..

 

[Blakey]

whats up with bonds progress. isint he back playing domestic cricket now? get him back in the frame god damn it..

Yawn mate, he has said he doesn't want to be picked just yet. So let him ease back into it. You want to risk him another injury to end is career just because we lose a few games?

Get real.

 

[Will Scarlet]

I thought Bond stated he would be available for selection for the ZIM/SA tour. At least that's what the RadioSport site reported last week.

 

[chaminda_00]

I thought Bond stated he would be available for selection for the ZIM/SA tour. At least that's what the RadioSport site reported last week.

He will unless he get injured again, he has ruled himself for SL but

 

[Zinzan]

I think NZ will do Sri lanka 2-0 unless whether intervenes. I just feel NZ although smashed by Australia will be so match hardened now and will simply find it is a much easier game after playing the best in the world for 5 tests in a row.

For the NZ batsmen, Suddenly they may feel some respite, after being used to seeing off Magrath and Gillespie and then having to contend with Kaspa and Warne, the foot has never come of the throttle. I believe even if the S.Lankan bowlers are in form, it will still be a massive drop after facing the Aussies.

From a bowling point of view, the margin of error just becomes a little larger after having to bowl to that great aussie batting lineup, particurly Gilchrist.

I'm not suggesting that NZ can bat and bowl in an average way and still win easily, im just suggesting that its kinda like a school-kid that has been playing against the school master and at last gets to play against another school kid again.

Excuse the poor analogy

 

[dinu23]

the NZ batsmen will probably do alright against SL bowlers. but i don't think the NZ bowling attack will be dangerous without some of their key bowlers.

 

[chaminda_00]

the NZ batsmen will probably do alright against SL bowlers. but i don't think the NZ bowling attack will be dangerous without some of their key bowlers.

Even with Vettori on form i think over batsmen should be able to cope with their other bowlers, if our batsmen turn up that this (they don't always do overseas ).

 

[Kippax]

I thought Bond stated he would be available for selection for the ZIM/SA tour. At least that's what the RadioSport site reported last week.

AFAIK he's only committed to the Zimbabwe ODIs at this stage, and whether he plays any tests in Africa is still up in the air.

I get the impression they'll only make their final decision on that after evaluating his OD efforts.

 

[Right arm fast]

do you think they will pick him if he declares himself ready but isnt in good form???

 

[Sir Redman]

Lets hope that we dont relax against SL and just expect to win because theyre not as good as Australia.
Ive got a feeling Fleming will score a truckload of runs this series. Part of the problem against Aus IMO was that he had too much to think about while batting (mainly how weak our bowling attack is). If our other players all stand up and take responsibility themselves it should make Fleming's job a lot easier and hopefully will allow him to just concentrate on batting while he is at the crease.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

Yawn mate, he has said he doesn't want to be picked just yet. So let him ease back into it. You want to risk him another injury to end is career just because we lose a few games?

Get real.

I doubt he will be back to play cricket for a good while anyway.. whenever he is back there is no doubt he will be injured again.. the injury he is facing with isint something that just goes off after a while of resting and recovery..

 

[Kippax]

do you think they will pick him if he declares himself ready but isnt in good form???

It probably depends on what they see him doing.

If he's maintaining his new action and bowling at a consistently good pace, they'd probably take his word for it and hope he shakes off the rust as the tour goes on. I heard a report he was "quick, but all over the place" in his first comeback game in New Plymouth, then by the third game James Marshall said "he's bowling at an international standard to be honest". That was after Bond took 4/60 on a flat pitch and broke a player's hand.

If he looks out-of-sorts technically and he's slipping into his old action, that would be what sets off the alarm bells at NZC and gets him brought home.

 

[Kippax]

I doubt he will be back to play cricket for a good while anyway.. whenever he is back there is no doubt he will be injured again.. the injury he is facing with isint something that just goes off after a while of resting and recovery..

I doubt a qualified surgeon would've bothered inserting titanium rods etc. if he didn't think it might work though. There was a (very small) risk of Bond's spinal cord being severed during the operation and him being left a paraplegic, so it's not something you'd choose to have done lightly.

I agree with people not getting their hopes up too high about Bond's health, but I'm not cynical enough to say "he's 100% certain to break down" if a surgeon clearly disagrees.

 

[psxpro]

I want Bond back now! But I get the feeling he will never be what he was. Come on who else can do what he did to the aussies in that VB series and the world cup? And not just once, it was simply amazing, I will never forget it.

 

[JASON]

I think NZ will do Sri lanka 2-0 unless whether intervenes. I just feel NZ although smashed by Australia will be so match hardened now and will simply find it is a much easier game after playing the best in the world for 5 tests in a row.

Even if whether doesn't intervene I don't think NZ will be that lucky . Even 1-0 will be inflating the NZ team's image on current performance.

SL without Murali is still formidable . Underestimating will only lead to more Kiwi despair !!

My guess is 2 draws from interrupted weather . or 1 close result which could go either way and a weather interrupted draw.

For the NZ batsmen, Suddenly they may feel some respite, after being used to seeing off Magrath and Gillespie and then having to contend with Kaspa and Warne, the foot has never come of the throttle. I believe even if the S.Lankan bowlers are in form, it will still be a massive drop after facing the Aussies.

Vaas, Malinga, Maharoof ,Kulasekera are all exceptionally capable of using useful conditions. So the drop may not be that massive .

From a bowling point of view, the margin of error just becomes a little larger after having to bowl to that great aussie batting lineup, particurly Gilchrist.
I'm not suggesting that NZ can bat and bowl in an average way and still win easily, im just suggesting that its kinda like a school-kid that has been playing against the school master and at last gets to play against another school kid again.

Excuse the poor analogy

Sanath Jayasuriya is the guy who took attacking batting to new heights in ODI cricket and has done that equally well in Tests . If he gets into his stride , NZ bowlers may find Gilly has been replaced by an even greater exponent of attacking batting !!

Jayasuriya, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Atapattu, Dilshan, Samaraweera are all quality batsmen capable of ruining bowling figures and racking up big scores. So the margin of error may not be that large after all !