***Official** Sri Lanka in New Zealand

[pasag]

Murali for 50!

Edit: Too bad, all out for 154

 

[_Ed_]

Entertaining hitting from Murali...helped a bit by Bond dropping two catches, but still all credit to him for doing what a lot of his team-mates couldn't in actually scoring some runs.

 

[BingLeeElectric]

Is Bond the worst catcher in world cricket?

 

[silentstriker]

Does anyone find it hilarious that they are drinking tea while discussing cricket while displaying like four 'Dilmah' tea boxes prominently faced toward the camera.

Absolutely classic. Tony Greig and bunch..please tell me someone is watching. I can't pay attention to what they're saying with all those tea boxes.

 

[Matt52]

Just in regard to state championship scores and batting line ups for the one dayers..

P Fulton 68
R Taylor currently 133 not out
J Ryder 37

 

[pasag]

How gone for a duck..eek.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Pffft, our openers are only there to give Fleming time to pad up. You didn't expect runs from them did you?

 

[Bahnz]

How gone already. Considering how hopeless are openers are, might the selectors be starting to think about going back to an old hand like Bell?

 

[Matt52]

How gone already. Considering how hopeless are openers are, might the selectors be starting to think about going back to an old hand like Bell?

please god no, not Bell....... I propose reversing the order, lets open with Chris Martin.

 

[_Ed_]

If Sinclair gets runs here and Styris is fit for the second test, what do we do?

 

[Bahnz]

please god no, not Bell....... I propose reversing the order, lets open with Chris Martin.

Well he did score a hundred today, and 90 against Auckland last week...

In any circumstances we need to find someone to slot into the opening spot. We can't be 10/2 every single time we go out to bat, or we'll never get anywhere. If Papps can get back into fitness that might solve half the problem, but even he has never looked like he was certain to make it in the opening spot. God I wish Richardson hadn't retired.

 

[Matt52]

Well he did score a hundred today, and 90 against Auckland last week...

In any circumstances we need to find someone to slot into the opening spot. We can't be 10/2 every single time we go out to bat, or we'll never get anywhere. If Papps can get back into fitness that might solve half the problem, but even he has never looked like he was certain to make it in the opening spot. God I wish Richardson hadn't retired.

Mind you its only one inning so far for How. If he scores a hundred or a 50 in the second innings then it will be OK. Id rather persist with How or stick middle order players up to open rather than open with Bell.

McCullum anyone?. In the domestic games he kept and opened the batting, and got some decent scores. Hes more talented than any opener we have and it means Oram can go down to 7 and you can have an extra middle order player. Vincent, Ryder, Taylor, Styris, whoever, will add more to the side I think than Bell.

 

[Bahnz]

Mind you its only one inning so far for How. If he scores a hundred or a 50 in the second innings then it will be OK. Id rather persist with How or stick middle order players up to open rather than open with Bell.

McCullum anyone?. In the domestic games he kept and opened the batting, and got some decent scores. Hes more talented than any opener we have and it means Oram can go down to 7 and you can have an extra middle order player. Vincent, Ryder, Taylor, Styris, whoever, will add more to the side I think than Bell.

I agree about McCullum. He won't be as badly missed in the middle order in test cricket, and he's done fairly well there in domestic cricket. And I also agree that these two should be given the entire current series to try and establish themselves. Still, I think its a bit harsh to rule Bell out purely on the fact he's failed in the past, and has an ugly technique.

 

[Jono]

Disgraceful from SL. Wicket was tough to bat on, but it definitely wasn't a 154 wicket. 300-330 would have been a good score.

Honestly, if in 3 seasons they can't learn to bat on NZ wickets against good but not outstanding bowling (the first session they were great bowling good lines, but it was still an inspired Bond + Martin, Franklin and Oram who can be good but are far from great) there's a serious problem.

Going to have to bowl well, they've got a good start but need a few more before the end of day 1.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I love watching New Zealand play test cricket, thank God they're playing again.

 

[silentstriker]

Yea, I am not sure why they play so little cricket. Is it that they find it hard to find people to play against, or are they just not interested?

 

[Bahnz]

Yea, I am not sure why they play so little cricket. Is it that they find it hard to find people to play against, or are they just not interested?

Bit of both. New Zealand doesn't have too many big name players, and test matches at home rarely attract more than a couple of thousand people.

 

[Jono]

Bit of both. Having SL come down here for the third time is a slap in their face, and I can understand why NZ fans get really pissed off at that and at countries refusing to come down or inviting them for 2 tests only, but at the same time their boards aren't doing them any favours really.

 

[_Ed_]

Commentators called that good running by Cumming - I think he was just really keen to get off strike to Malinga.

Cumming has played well so far though, I'm warming to him as a test opener.

 

[Nate]

Glad Sinclair is being given another shot, was a gun in ICC. Shouldn`t play an ODI ever again though IMO.