** Official ** Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour

[JASON]

the pitch is always good here,we should see a high scoring game
the captian who wins the toss should bat first,there will be a bit in it for the seam bowlers early on but if the openers can stay in there will be some high scores

My gut feeling is Team winning toss should put the other in first, to make use of any favourable advantage and assistance from the pitch !
Afterall its seamers who are going to pack the punches in this Test !

 

[JASON]

I'll be disappointed if they have turned McLean Park into a green seamer. This is the first chance for NZ to play intense, "both teams genuinely know they're a chance" test cricket since they were in England 10 months ago ("surely you mean v. SA, 13 months ago?" - one of the CW poms), so I'd hate to see a low intensity similar to the Boxing Day ODI before the tour was aborted. That Eden Park pitch did a bit, the Lankans were underdone and lacked resolve, and I'd pretty much turned off the TV within an hour or two.

With places in the African tour squad up for grabs, the last thing I want is someone like Mills or O'Brien taking soft wickets and perhaps booking themselves a plane ticket, only to get whacked around Centurion or the Wanderers this spring. If we suffer the rare indignity of getting dominated by an Asian batting line-up at home, at least it will prevent NZ from feeling too smug (or the NZ selectors too lazy) over the winter.

I would say this pitch would do a bit ! Eden Park was not expected to either going by what everyone was predicting before the ODI. But we all know it did !

So winning the toss is crucial in NZ conditions and can go a long way in winning a game , you have to say !

 

[cric_manic]

Both teams there batting is the strength,so they bat first and get a big score to protect there seemers,especially the SL bowlers who should'nt trouble the NZ's at home

The slower bowlers will be key from both sides

 

[chaminda_00]

I would say this pitch would do a bit ! Eden Park was not expected to either going by what everyone was predicting before the ODI. But we all know it did !

So winning the toss is crucial in NZ conditions and can go a long way in winning a game , you have to say !

Jason it didn't do that much it just our batsmen were very under done, just look at the way the Kiwis batted on it, but if your players aren't match harden their doing to struggle on Kiwi pitches cus they generally do more then pitches around the world. Just look at how the World XI played with a bunch guys who hardly played any cricket, except the Aussies. I think this might be the only proablem we have of getting over this Kiwi side, were not match harden, we hardly played any cricket in the last 6 months.

 

[chaminda_00]

Both teams there batting is the strength,so they bat first and get a big score to protect there seemers,especially the SL bowlers who should'nt trouble the NZ's at home

The slower bowlers will be key from both sides

Outside Franklin i can't see any of the Kiwi quicks troubling the Lankans, unless the pitches are green mine fields. But from what i've heard of Napier that is unlikely.

 

[cric_manic]

Mills will be a big suprise if he plays i think he can become a good test bowler at home
but yeah the nz quicks arnt great
that's why the batters will have to bat well

 

[chaminda_00]

Mills will be a big suprise if he plays i think he can become a good test bowler at home
but yeah the nz quicks arnt great
that's why the batters will have to bat well

Mills is nothing the only reason he continues to get selected is because Bracewell loves him. Martin and Tuffey have abilty and could be good test bowlers, they had bad series aganist Australia, but who doesn't.

 

[dinu23]

i'm wondering how the seam attack will be for the SL. Vass and Malinga are obvious choices. then I guess Mahroof is in. then who will ti be, perera or Kulasekara. I'd go for perera.

 

[Right arm fast]

it will b interesting to see which bowlers the sri lankan selectors pick

 

[psxpro]

I'll be disappointed if they have turned McLean Park into a green seamer. This is the first chance for NZ to play intense, "both teams genuinely know they're a chance" test cricket since they were in England 10 months ago ("surely you mean v. SA, 13 months ago?" - one of the CW poms), so I'd hate to see a low intensity similar to the Boxing Day ODI before the tour was aborted. That Eden Park pitch did a bit, the Lankans were underdone and lacked resolve, and I'd pretty much turned off the TV within an hour or two.

With places in the African tour squad up for grabs, the last thing I want is someone like Mills or O'Brien taking soft wickets and perhaps booking themselves a plane ticket, only to get whacked around Centurion or the Wanderers this spring. If we suffer the rare indignity of getting dominated by an Asian batting line-up at home, at least it will prevent NZ from feeling too smug (or the NZ selectors too lazy) over the winter.

Seaming tracks are always more exciting than boring flat tracks.
Especially if it seams around for the whole match, it makes for better cricket.

 

[chaminda_00]

i'm wondering how the seam attack will be for the SL. Vass and Malinga are obvious choices. then I guess Mahroof is in. then who will ti be, perera or Kulasekara. I'd go for perera.

Four quicks that would be a first for Sri Lanka, i can't see that happening. My guess would be Vaas, Malinga and Maharoof or Perera. They would proabably go for Maharoof cus he is a better batsmen. My side would be:
1. Sanath
2. Shanatha
3. Marvan (c)
4. Jayawardene
5. Thilan
6. Kumar (wk)
7. Dilshan
8. Chaminda
9. Maharoof
10. Hearth
11. Malinga

Pretty balanced side, i think playing Shanatha in the top 3 allows Kumar to bat lower and hopefully that will get the most out of his batting and keeping. I think batting at 3 or 4 and keeping is too much for him. I would open with Shanatha as u may as well let him bat in his prefered position cus Atapattu is as effect at the top or at 3. Hearth for me is a better bowler then Chandana and has more chance of getting through the Kiwi batsmen.

 

[JASON]

My selection would be- In Batting Order - In fact I would move Samaraweera to even open, because he has a very solid defense and is very suited to opening . I have added a 4th seamer over strengthening the batting, because Vaas and Maharoof are capable batsmen and adding a total newbie in Kalavitigoda into the batting line up is going to add very little to the batting . But an extra bowler may mean the difference between attacking the Kiwi batting line up head on and going for broke !! I hope our selectors take this sort of pro active approach rather than taking a safety first approach !!

Sanath Jayasuriya
Marvan Atapattu
Thilan Samaraweera
Mahela Jayawardene
Kumar Sangakkara
TM Dilshan
Maharoof
Chaminda Vaas
Kulasekera
Herath
Malinga

 

[JASON]

A Superb Super 12 Weekend for all NZ Teams (apart from Chiefs) (Highlanders over Reds, Blues over Brumbies, Crusaders over Waratahs and Hurricanes over chiefs) - I just hope and pray this bloody good luck doesn't carry on into the cricket as well for the Kiwis.

 

[JASON]

I am just hoping that the 2 guys with the longest names in Test Cricket today -Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas and Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerti Bandara Herath will do the trick for us !!

 

[psxpro]

A Superb Super 12 Weekend for all NZ Teams (apart from Chiefs) (Highlanders over Reds, Blues over Brumbies, Crusaders over Waratahs and Hurricanes over chiefs) - I just hope and pray this bloody good luck doesn't carry on into the cricket as well for the Kiwis.

The super 12 this week was awesome. See Nick Williams for the Blues?

 

[Blaze]

A Superb Super 12 Weekend for all NZ Teams (apart from Chiefs) (Highlanders over Reds, Blues over Brumbies, Crusaders over Waratahs and Hurricanes over chiefs) - I just hope and pray this bloody good luck doesn't carry on into the cricket as well for the Kiwis.

And the Warriors beat souths in the league.. all is well temporarily for NZ sport

 

[Kippax]

Seaming tracks are always more exciting than boring flat tracks.
Especially if it seams around for the whole match, it makes for better cricket.

Once in a while I don't mind seeing it because there are clearly skills (especially the mental skills) in combating seam movement that deserve to be appeciated. For the most part though I agree with boring old Shane Bond's recent assessment.....

New Zealand needs to produce cricket pitches that make bowlers work harder, Shane Bond believes.

Bond said he preferred bowling on flat wickets because it prepared him for international level.

"I think for us to succeed internationally, we need wickets where we have bowlers who need to work hard and bowl quick to get wickets," the Black Cap, who is working his way back from injury, said.

"If you can just run in and bowl with no plan, a lack of energy and allow the wicket to do the work, then you are not going to succeed at the next level up."

 

[lord_of_darkness]

Btw.. im really ****ed off neither 3 or prime is showing live telecast of the test match to non sky (cable) viewers..!!! a damn home series and no coverage is bs.. and they wonder why we dont get any future talent or interest in our summer national sport dropping off.. arggh

I just have to contend with a 1 hour highlight at 11:30pm on Prime !......

 

[anzac]

Once in a while I don't mind seeing it because there are clearly skills (especially the mental skills) in combating seam movement that deserve to be appeciated. For the most part though I agree with boring old Shane Bond's recent assessment.....

this is what the likes of Fleming & Co have been calling for since b4 the last WC.........more pace & bounce & less sideways movement...........not just for the bowlers but also for the batsmen..............

I understand that it would be unlikely for NZL to ever produce the same sort of pitches as AUS - & nor would I want to................

I don't mind of they do not have the same pace & bounce, and likewise I like the NZL quirk that overnight dew & early morning cloud cover can assist seam bowling in the 1st session if the ball is hard enough..............

but I'd also like to see a variety in the pitches to test both batting & bowling skills..........including at least 1 pitch that favours spin...........

IMO the dedicated venues are the key & should have the best pace & bounce - currently we only have 1 at intnl level & even when Hamilton comes back that will only be 2 - we need more dedicated grounds...............

lastly we also need to avoid the recent situation where IMO the intnl pitches provided a better playing surface than our players are confronted with at domestic level - it seemed to me that the AUS players had an easier time adjusting than our own..............esp the bowlers..........

 

[anzac]

for this series on paper I'd tip SRL as slight favs even without Murali & even with their 'poor' overseas record..............

a lot will depend on how much the AUS series has taken out of NZL, but IMO the biggest factor on the ground for the 1st Test esp will be how quickly SRL can come back after not playing top level cricket for so long.................and this IMO should give NZL the edge....