***Official*** Sri Lanka in New Zealand

[Zinzan]

S.L should be congratulated on 3 magnificent catches too

 

[Isolator]

Matt Dillon is a great thinker by comparison.

Merv Dillon, you mean... right?

 

[JASON]

Sri Lanka may need to take a lot of steps to get back to a consistent performance mode but one thing that suggests itself so clearly as to be the biggest wonder for me that it isnt done is "GET RID OF FERNANDO" !!

Here is the dumbest fast bowler in the world today. Matt Dillon is a great thinker by comparison.

This guy seems to have been told by some idiot, whose advise he obviously values, that the batsmen in the world are scared stiff of seeing his lumbering grunting frame advancing at the wicket.

He seems to think he second name is Larwood or Thommo or Tyson the way he comes in and delivers short pitched delivery after short pitched deliver at his pitiable 130 kms per hour. Batsmen continue to slaughter these long hops that sit up and scream "please. oh please hit me somewhere hard".

And whats wrong with Atapattu or Moody ? This is suicide.

Vaas bowls has seven overs for 15 and this guy has 6 for 48. How are the others supposed to make up for his profligacy.

RIDICULOUS

The truth is there isn't much better else back in SL.

Anyway today his first 2 overs were shockers , a la Zaheer Khan v Australia in World Cup final - 2 overs for 28 , but he came back well in the end , although not a match winning performance - he restricted scoring when NZ were struggling to pick up pace in latter overs.
Overall figures look bad 9 overs for 61, but take away the first 2 bad overs and its 7 oovers for 33 , Thats a good come back from a bad start.

I agree he is stupid to ball short over and over when he is getting carted, but unfortunately SL has no better ATM, and we have to make do with him and hope he can learn from his canings and improve. Lets hope he can do better over the next few matches and the VB.

 

[JASON]

Merv Dillon, you mean... right?

No he means Matt Dillon from Hollywood of course !!

 

[JASON]

Great win by the Black caps.

Good steadying innings from Astle. Sorry for Marshall, given out LBW off the glove .

SL needed another 30 runs to make it a winning defendable total.

I can't see SL doing any better over the next 2 games either.

The Senior Batsmen are all still struggling and the bowling options are very limited.

Nuwan Zoysa should have been included as he would've been able to use NZ conditions better than in India.

IMO, for the VB series SL need Zoysa, Chandana and Kaushalya Weeraratne.

Ruchira Perera should probably be given a go either at Wellington or Napier to see if he does any better in NZ conditions.

 

[marc71178]

Congratulations Christopher Cairns on 200 ODI wickets

I wonder how many cricketers have done the 2000 runs and 200 wickets double in both forms of the game ??

Only 11 have done it in Tests:

Benaud
Botham
Cairns
Hadlee
Imran
Kapil
Pollock
Sobers
Vaas
Warne
Wasim

Of those, only Cairns, Pollock and Wasim have done it in ODIs as well (although Streak retired 10 Test runs short of the "double double double")

 

[Zinzan]

Well done Nathen Astle. Still doesn't look in great touch but did well as the anchor throughout the middle stages of our run chase.

Huge 6 from Cairns

Yep, may not be his best form, but at least he seemed to conciously play straighter and more to the leg side and more importantly occupied the crease.

Astle's now put more pressure on the NZ selectors with Fleming likely to play on Friday.

Blaze - whats your lineup for Friday?

 

[JASON]

Here's one man from Cricinfo staff who does not know what he is writing about !!

New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Christchurch

Astle takes New Zealand home
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
January 2, 2006

New Zealand 256 for 5 (Astle 90*) beat Sri Lanka 255 for 7 (Tharanga 103, Atapattu 52) by five wickets

New Zealand - held back by an elegant century from Upul Tharanga and the Christchurch rain - scrambled to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Jade Stadium, and took a 2-0 lead in the five-ODI series. Sri Lanka, put in to bat, managed 255, and New Zealand, powered by Nathan Astle, overhauled the target after a being given a serious scare towards the end of their chase.

 

[Blaze]

Here's one man from Cricinfo staff who does not know what he is writing about !!

New Zealand v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Christchurch

Astle takes New Zealand home
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
January 2, 2006

New Zealand 256 for 5 (Astle 90*) beat Sri Lanka 255 for 7 (Tharanga 103, Atapattu 52) by five wickets

New Zealand - held back by an elegant century from Upul Tharanga and the Christchurch rain - scrambled to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka at the Jade Stadium, and took a 2-0 lead in the five-ODI series. Sri Lanka, put in to bat, managed 255, and New Zealand, powered by Nathan Astle, overhauled the target after a being given a serious scare towards the end of their chase.

It is correct?

We looked pretty bad for a while.

 

[JASON]

Only 11 have done it in Tests:

Benaud
Botham
Cairns
Hadlee
Imran
Kapil
Pollock
Sobers
Vaas
Warne
Wasim

Of those, only Cairns, Pollock and Wasim have done it in ODIs as well (although Streak retired 10 Test runs short of the "double double double")

Jayasuriya (the old guy who has now dislocated his shoulder after slipping in the bathroom floor in his old age ) If I remember correctly needs 7-8 wickets to achieve the so called "Double Double Double" , having already got the ODI double in the bag .

Edit - That was a blooper by me - he needs 8 wickets to get 100 test wickets not 200 !!

But 100 test wickets is considered some sort of Test all rounders double as well !

 

[JASON]

It is correct?

We looked pretty bad for a while.

2-0 lead in 5 ODI series !!

Come on Blaze , its 3-0 now !!

 

[Blaze]

Blaze - whats your lineup for Friday?

My line up would include Jesse Ryder but that isn't going to happen so my realistic line up would be -

Fleming
Vincent
Astle
Fulton
Marshall
Styris
Cairns
McCullum
Oram
Vettori
Mills

Bond - Super sub

Vettori hinted that we will bat first if we win the toss and Sri Lanka will probably want to give bowling first a go since they have had little joy batting first so Bond would be my super sub.

I think Astle has to play after his 90* and should stay at three. I was impressed with how he handled the middle overs and his tactics against Murali (sweeping) seemed to work well.

How misses out but I would play him in the last game and rest Fulton or one of the other batsman so that he gets 3 games.

 

[Blaze]

2-0 lead in 5 ODI series !!

Come on Blaze , its 3-0 now !!

Oh sorry.. I thought you meant about the content.

 

[Zinzan]

My line up would include Jesse Ryder but that isn't going to happen so my realistic line up would be -

Fleming
Vincent
Astle
Fulton
Marshall
Styris
Cairns
McCullum
Oram
Vettori
Mills

Bond - Super sub

Vettori hinted that we will bat first if we win the toss and Sri Lanka will probably want to give bowling first a go since they have had little joy batting first so Bond would be my super sub.

I think Astle has to play after his 90* and should stay at three. I was impressed with how he handled the middle overs and his tactics against Murali (sweeping) seemed to work well.

How misses out but I would play him in the last game and rest Fulton or one of the other batsman so that he gets 3 games.

Pretty good side. Marshall's would be a tad lucky , but i suppose he is worth 15 runs in the field.

Risking the toss a bit with Bond as SS though

 

[JASON]

http://content-nz.cricinfo.com/nzvsl/content/story/231463.html

Considering the above, I think the Sri Lankan Team management are stupid not to get a replacement IMO.

It would have been an ideal opportunity to bring any one of the 3 potentials in Michael Van Dort, Chamara Kapugedera or Ian Daniel with a view to giving them a go at Wellington or Napier.

Mubarak and Avishka are an absolute waste and sooner they are dropped the better .

 

[James]

Another good win to the kiwis, and the Sri Lankans seem to be improving slowly which is a good sign leading up to what will hopefully be a good VB Series.

What really gets me is this new umpire on the blocks, Backster is it? Poor decision after poor decision with this bloke.

 

[Craig]

Talk about a super-sub with Astle - a run out and a match winning knock!

So who drops out when Fleming comes back?

 

[Zinzan]

Another good win to the kiwis, and the Sri Lankans seem to be improving slowly which is a good sign leading up to what will hopefully be a good VB Series.

What really gets me is this new umpire on the blocks, Backster is it? Poor decision after poor decision with this bloke.

Yep, its fair to say the "murali factor" has got to Baxter on a couple of occasions now. Doesn't really look up to it IMO

 

[Craig]

Pretty good side. Marshall's would be a tad lucky , but i suppose he is worth 15 runs in the field.

Risking the toss a bit with Bond as SS though

Somebody like How would be a better choice IMO.

 

[Zinzan]

Talk about a super-sub with Astle - a run out and a match winning knock!

So who drops out when Fleming comes back?

How or Marshall