** Official ** Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour

[Tim]

Yeah but thats not going to stop McMillan falling down the rankings.

 

[Cam7]

Why oh why does this test have to be Monday - Friday?

Because all the weekend options clashed with Super 12 rugby. These Tests were supposed to have been played in January, remember, so it was a case of having to reschedule them around other fixtures that were already in place.

 

[chaminda_00]

Bracewell says Mcmillan is in his future plans

Bracewell says a lot of useless crap and has no idea when it comes to top players and picking sides. The day he gets sacked as coach should be a day of celebration in New Zealand.

 

[JASON]

I guess they are just trying to set a base.. they will play more attackingly tomorrow I guess.

Sri Lanka could be in big trouble if Astle gets going with Vincent and McCullum still to come and Marshall still in.

NZ will be aiming for 550 I would say but quick wickets from Sri Lanka could see that target change to around 400

I think Astle owes Buchnor a few drinks tonight, For his extended stay at the wicket, having been plumb back foot in front of stumps off the very first ball, only a blind Buchnor would give it in Astle's favour !!
However I am not making any excuses for SL performance today. It was a good toss to win. And the rub of the Green and the luck was with the Kiwis. The stupid early miss by Jayasuriya/Sangakkara mess up, the Astle LBW, the Marshall miss by Chandana, The Drop off Herath , Close LBW shouts that Darrell Hair turned down - all went NZ way.
I think SL are in for a long day under the Sun tomorrow. Then they will be under pressure to avoid the follow on. Lets Hope it rains over the next few days .

 

[JASON]

Got to counter-balance it with a weak looking batting line up from 7 downwards though!

Chandana is a very handy batsman too and so is Vaas.
Compared with their current opposition, batting is hardly weakened by the extra bowler .

However we shall see tomorrow. It also depends on whether Hair/Buchnor start giving all the close decisions one way !!

 

[JASON]

Malinga intrigues me. He looks as though that if he consistently bowled 5 or 6 overs on target he could be extremely dangerous..but from what I hear, consistency is a big problem for him.

That's why he is used usually in short spells of 4-5 overs at a time only.

 

[Smudge]

Chandana is a very handy batsman too and so is Vaas.
Compared with their current opposition, batting is hardly weakened by the extra bowler .

However we shall see tomorrow. It also depends on whether Hair/Buchnor start giving all the close decisions one way !!

Watch it - you're sounding a lot like a Kiwi during the NZ-Aus series.

 

[chaminda_00]

Watch it - you're sounding a lot like a Kiwi during the NZ-Aus series.

I was about to say the same thing, u create ur own luck and our fielding was shocking today. You can't afford to mess chance like we did today if be want to be one of the top Test Playing nations.

 

[JASON]

Watch it - you're sounding a lot like a Kiwi during the NZ-Aus series.

Now you know what they mean when some one uses the expression - " swings and roundabouts" !!

 

[Cam7]

I think Astle owes Buchnor a few drinks tonight, For his extended stay at the wicket, having been plumb back foot in front of stumps off the very first ball

It can hardly be "plumb" when he hit it! Astle got quite a thick inside-edge on that one, so Buchnor made absolutely the correct decision NOT to give him out.

 

[Kippax]

I think Astle owes Buchnor a few drinks tonight, For his extended stay at the wicket, having been plumb back foot in front of stumps off the very first ball, only a blind Buchnor would give it in Astle's favour !!

Hang on - unless we're playing Bradman's proposed LBW rule that inside edges shouldn't matter, snicko clearly showed Astle hit the cover of his first ball!

 

[Kippax]

Snap.

 

[JASON]

It can hardly be "plumb" when he hit it! Astle got quite a thick inside-edge on that one, so Buchnor made absolutely the correct decision NOT to give him out.

The replay I saw and the initial response was pretty obviously no inside edge . But I guess if snicko said inside edge one must go with it ! Although it begs the question ? Can snicko be adjusted or altered to manufacture a graph ? And who controls the snicko ? (Now I am starting to sound like sour grapes , I know !! )

 

[meatspx]

The replay I saw and the initial response was pretty obviously no inside edge . But I guess if snicko said inside edge one must go with it ! Although it begs the question ? Can snicko be adjusted or altered to manufacture a graph ? And who controls the snicko ? (Now I am starting to sound like sour grapes , I know !! )

Quite cleary there was a defelction too, along with the noise.
You're only allowed to moan about decisions when they are the wrong ones!

Snicko could be altered by the TV production crew - though it would be difficult to time it with the TV footage.

 

[Smudge]

Quite cleary there was a defelction too, along with the noise.
You're only allowed to moan about decisions when they are the wrong ones!

Snicko could be altered by the TV production crew - though it would be difficult to time it with the TV footage.

Looking at the highlights tonight, I cannot fathom what in God's name Jason was on about with that first ball to Astle. Even in real time it was OBVIOUS it took an inside edge, and besides, it struck him on leg, if not slightly outside.

 

[SJS]

Quite cleary there was a defelction too, along with the noise.
You're only allowed to moan about decisions when they are the wrong ones!

Snicko could be altered by the TV production crew - though it would be difficult to time it with the TV footage.

What is the possibility that the TV crew AND the third umpire were in the payroll of aliens

 

[chaminda_00]

Looking at the highlights tonight, I cannot fathom what in God's name Jason was on about with that first ball to Astle. Even in real time it was OBVIOUS it took an inside edge, and besides, it struck him on leg, if not slightly outside.

Well when i sure it live i thought it was out and threw my Jim Beam can at the TV (it was empty), it looked OBIVOUS that it was out when i first looked at it and looked out until the sniko should a inside edage. It funny how things look different depending on who watching it.

 

[Zinzan]

Well done today NZ. But as I thought, Its a hugh step down from playing Australia. With all due respect to Sri Lanka the intensity and consistency was miles away from what NZ have faced in their last 5 tests. So naturally they should have found life easier and they did. Even the fielding in general was noticable for the drop in level.

Good toss to win for Fleming. Very unlike Napier to be so Grassless first day. I've seen some greeny's there.

I thought Attapatu was disappoining on a couple of occasions today. I also thought Malinga was under bowled. He does look like a handfull.

Sri Lanka's big chance is with Malinga and Vaas (with the new ball) in the first hour tomorrow. If they can't breakthrough, NZ can bat them out of the match.

 

[anzac]

I'm not going to be able to see any of this series - working all week & no longer have cable..........

great to see James get a 50 in only his 2nd Test.............
even better to see (figuratively speaking) 'The Twins' at the crease together for some time and putting a good partnership & foundation together..........
better still with Hamish following on with another ton and still there..........
unfortunately for Flem he doesn't appear to have yet shaken the batting blues..........

 

[anzac]

as for the run rate......

I'm not concerned as of yet - not with a new opening pairing trying to find their feet, atm I'm more concerned about them doing their job to take the sting out of the opening attack to enable the likes of Hamish & Flem to put the foundation together etc.............

it's not only new at the Top, but also thru' the extended order as well - the 'newbies' (including Hamish & Vincent) will be a bit conservative to start so as to try to cement their places for ZIM / RSA.............

it also seems that the NZL batsmen were having quite some difficulty picking Malinga's ball release - hence the Umps being asked to remove their ties!!!!!

my main concern with the batting is to get thru' a series without any collapses - particularly in the 2nd innings...........