** Official ** Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour

[anzac]

The techincal faults im talking about is his footwork, not the fact he got hit by a bouncer. His footwork and overall game is not good enough at present to play test as a batsmen.

agreed....................

both these current openers are not only trying to work a partnership and see off the opening attack, but also trying to play for their squad berths for ZIM & RSA next season...........

Cumming looked aggressive enough v AUS but is probably concious of the need to bat with James and to protect the likes of Hamish & Flem esp...............

James is likewise still finding his feet - if he's like Hamish then his SR will improve the longer he remains at the crease - it will be interesting to see if he can have the same effect on putting partnerships together as Hamish does - if so he will go a long way to putting his name in the squad for some time..............

so far as their so rate of scoring - IMO it can't be as bad as when Riggor was at the crease - the only way runs were scored was by his partner having to force the pace & risk their wicket.............

it seems a bit strange that the run rate has not improved with the increased batting lineup as yet, but IMO they are still sorting tactics & playing for positions...............esp with Styris & Oram to come back from injury & Bracewell saying that McMillan is still in his plans (or is that a kiss of death!!!).............

 

[anzac]

as it appears unlikely that the pitch will break up to sufficiently aid any of the bowlers - if I was Flem I'd look to bat into the last session and then declare.......

try to get partnerships going & bat in a positive manner & work on strategies to counteract their 2nd innings collapses................

keep SRL in the field as long as possible & then have a short burst at them to set up the 2nd Test...........

 

[anzac]

I don't think NZL will make any changes to their batting lineup - I hope like hell they retain the 6-4 split & are not tempted to drop a batsman thinking that Mills & Franklin will make up the difference..............I still maintain that the best way to compensate for a weak bowling attack is to 'advance the game' thru batting to gain time & runs to bowl at the opponent...........

Mills or Wiseman could be replaced depending on the pitch at The Basin..............although I doubt Bracewell will remove another of his go to players in Mills, even if it appears he managed nothing re swing..............let alone reverse..............

 

[Kippax]

I agree with Bond's comments as posted earlier - as opposed to producing out & out green tops.............and again think that this is yet another case of NZL playing on a pitch that they are not used to at domestic level..............

yes I'd like to see a bit more life, but not as per the IND series..............

I think the day 4 effort showed exactly what I was angling at last night. I'm not sure whether they got a more suitable second ball, but NZ's bowlers actually showed a bit of art for once today (namely reverse swing and the odd plan), and they took 7/145, admittedly including the SL tail.

Malinga then showed some skill towards the end of play, and what I watched tonight included a lot more interesting cricket in it than Tuffey sending down a scrambled seam and being proclaimed as a genius when it deviates both ways.

As someone who agrees with Bond's suggestion that most NZ bowlers are lazy because a lot of home wickets do the work for them, the "oh no, this pitch is far too flat" moaning is not unlike those who are willingly unskilled asking for a government hand-out.

 

[Kippax]

I don't think NZL will make any changes to their batting lineup - I hope like hell they retain the 6-4 split & are not tempted to drop a batsman thinking that Mills & Franklin will make up the difference..............I still maintain that the best way to compensate for a weak bowling attack is to 'advance the game' thru batting to gain time & runs to bowl at the opponent...........

Just out of interest Anzac, what would be your batsmen-keepers-bowlers balance of a test squad to tour Africa (say they take 15)?

Also, who would be your bowlers if the season concluded tomorrow. Would you take Butler?

 

[Blaze]

oh my god........hahahahahahahahahahaha



are the crowds chanting that? They need to be!!

"We dont need no water, let the...."

The Barmy Army would make good use of that one (if they dont already)

What crowds?

 

[JASON]

I've never really been that impressed with Kulasekera, he doesn't look up to test or ODI standard for me. I would replace him for Maharoof for sure for the next game. It is very likely that the pitch might be fairly green from what some of the Kiwis have been saying and from my memory of Basin it is generally pretty seamy. If that the case then i might be go for 4 quicks and and the extra batsmen. This would mean that both spinners would be droped and Ruchira Perera and Shantha Kalavitigoda come in. If the pitch isn't green then i would go for Herath over Perera. So my side would be:
S Jayasuriya
S Kalavitigoda
M Atapattu (c)
M Jayawardne
T Samaraweera
K Sangakkara (wk)
T Dilshan
C Vaas
F Maharoof
R Herath/R Perera
L Malinga

Dropping both spinners is a bad option, because the Basin has favoured spinners -if you look at Basin Test NZ v SA - Boje took 8 wickets in the match and even if you scroll through previous matches there, spinners have taken moderate number of wickets.

Chandana seems very predictable and even on turners he has failed to capitalise. Herath always look the better of the two when it comes to getting wickets.

I certainly would not bring Kalavitigoda for this Test, which now will be the decider !!
So my Team would be - if the pitch looks green and there is assistance for seamers -

Atapattu
Jayasuriya
Sangakkara
Jayawardene
Samaraweera
Dilshan
Maharoof
Vaas
Herath
Kulasekera
Malinga

If pitch looks not too different to Napier -only change bring Maharoof for Kulasekera.

 

[Cam7]

oh my god........hahahahahahahahahahaha

are the crowds chanting that? They need to be!!

Haha. Noooooo... it's just an in-joke amongst the Sky TV crew. :P

 

[marc71178]

Against Australia -
Mat I NO Runs HS1 HS2 HS3 Ave 100 50 0

unfiltered 14 21 1 548 92 76 43 27.40 0 2 0
filtered(v Australia) 4 7 0 146 43 27 19 20.85 0 0 0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Runs Pos Dismissal I R Match

12 8 caught 2 W 1st Test v Aus in SL 1999 at Kandy [1459]
DNB - - 4
27 8 caught wk 2 L 1st Test v Aus in SL 2003/04 at Galle [1685]
43 8 caught 4
14 9 caught wk 2 L 1st Test v Aus in Aus 2004 at Darwin [1705]
17 8 bowled 4
19 8 stumped 2 D 2nd Test v Aus in Aus 2004 at Cairns [1706]
14 8 stumped 4

I beg to differ. If anything Chandana's problem is in making good starts and then giving it all up without buiding a fifty from thereon .

You'd want someone with that sort of record at 7?!

For the record that one Bangladesh knock does significantly increase his average.

 

[JASON]

Malinga gets Wiseman, and Flem retires hurt .

 

[chaminda_00]

Dropping both spinners is a bad option, because the Basin has favoured spinners -if you look at Basin Test NZ v SA - Boje took 8 wickets in the match and even if you scroll through previous matches there, spinners have taken moderate number of wickets.

Chandana seems very predictable and even on turners he has failed to capitalise. Herath always look the better of the two when it comes to getting wickets.

I certainly would not bring Kalavitigoda for this Test, which now will be the decider !!
So my Team would be - if the pitch looks green and there is assistance for seamers -

Atapattu
Jayasuriya
Sangakkara
Jayawardene
Samaraweera
Dilshan
Maharoof
Vaas
Herath
Kulasekera
Malinga

If pitch looks not too different to Napier -only change bring Maharoof for Kulasekera.

Maharoof at No 7, i know like you he is capable of being an all rounder, but i think it is too much pressure for him to come into the side as a all rounder. Also in all the matches he played with Chaminda he generally batted below him anyway. He also has to improve his batting in FC first to bat at No 7. Not a good move IMO.

If it is a spinners pitch then keep Hearth and Chandana in the side, bring Maharoof as a BOWLER and replace him with Kulasekera. If it not a spinners track then i say bring in Kalavitigoda, the guy not some youngster they picked from U19, he an experienced FC cricketer, with over 100 FC games to he name.

 

[chaminda_00]

Malinga gets Wiseman, and Flem retires hurt .

What happen to Fleming i'm at uni can't see the game live. Did Malinga get him, was it a good one, any blood.

 

[JASON]

You'd want someone with that sort of record at 7?!
For the record that one Bangladesh knock does significantly increase his average.

He bats at 8, but for the current series, SL batting doesn't need to be any stronger considering the Top 6 are capable and need no further strengthening of the batting, on the other hand strengthening the bowling attack by adding an extra bowler to increase variation may be decisive in forcing a result. In that context it wouldn't be too bad to have Chandana bat at 8 and Vaas at 7.
Because the SL batting and top 6 look pretty good and are accomplished against current opposition.

 

[JASON]

What happen to Fleming i'm at uni can't see the game live. Did Malinga get him, was it a good one, any blood.

I'm not watching either. But Cricinfo says injury from yesterday. Nothing to do with Malinga .

 

[chaminda_00]

He bats at 8, but for the current series, SL batting doesn't need to be any stronger considering the Top 6 are capable and need no further strengthening of the batting, on the other hand strengthening the bowling attack by adding an extra bowler to increase variation may be decisive in forcing a result. In that context it wouldn't be too bad to have Chandana bat at 8 and Vaas at 7.
Because the SL batting and top 6 look pretty good and are accomplished against current opposition.

I think we need another batsmen their no reason why Jayasuriya and Thilan can't bowl more overs, but it seems most Lankan don't agree with me.

 

[JASON]

BTW Chaminda, did you see your namesake wear a black arm band throughout this Test ?

Being a devout Roman Catholic, who once considered becoming a priest (and still holds that desire to do so after cricket), my guess is Vaasy is in mourning for Pope John Paul !!

What do you think ?

 

[chaminda_00]

BTW Chaminda, did you see your namesake wear a black arm band throughout this Test ?

Being a devout Roman Catholic, who once considered becoming a priest (and still holds that desire to do so after cricket), my guess is Vaasy is in mourning for Pope John Paul !!

What do you think ?

I would say so too, if i was that reglious as he is, i think i would find it hard to consentrate on cricket. But he seems to be doing an ok job, shows his pride in playing for his country.

 

[chaminda_00]

Back to the cricket Jayasuriya gets another wicket, James Marshall out LBW, i ask myself and my fellow Sri Lankan supporters why do we need a fifth bowler.

 

[marc71178]

In that context it wouldn't be too bad to have Chandana bat at 8 and Vaas at 7.

Any context with them at 7 and 8 puts immennse pressure on the top 6 to perform.

 

[JASON]

Back to the cricket Jayasuriya gets another wicket, James Marshall out LBW, i ask myself and my fellow Sri Lankan supporters why do we need a fifth bowler.

Because the Prime intention of playing A Test Match should be to Win and not be avoid losing !!

And secondly , our key wicket taker is not playing and the others while capable of getting wickets need complimenting with another .

And thirdly our batting is pretty strong and the top 6 are pretty adequate for this opposition !!