Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 2012

First topic message reminder :

Placeholder for the series.

Series is 1 T20, 5 ODIs and 2 Tests

SL squad:
T20: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-new-zealand-2012/content/squad/588109.html

NZ squad:
Limited Overs squad http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-new-zealand-2012/content/squad/586320.html
Test squad http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-new-zealand-2012/content/squad/586322.html

1st T20 was due to start around now (13.30 GMT), however it's "pelting down" at Pallakele according to Cricinfo

Superb from Watling, Maling going for plenty at the death again, 15 of his last over, and NZ are 174-6 after 32. Watling on 90, going into the last over, but Nathan McCullum on strike for the last over. He turns it over with a first ball single.

New Zealand finish with 188 in their 33 overs. BJ Watling not out on 96.

msp83 wrote:New Zealand finish with 188 in their 33 overs. BJ Watling not out on 96.

96 off 88 for Watling - considering he had 30 off 56 at one point a pretty handy effort. 67 runs off the last 5 overs for NZ would be useful in T20. D/L target for SL is 197 in 33, you'd expect them to be favourites.

Pete, how would you rate Watling's keeping skills? Better than Van Wyc?

good from watlig...i like the guy...he impressed against india in the second test match also

msp83 wrote:Pete, how would you rate Watling's keeping skills? Better than Van Wyc?

To be honest, I haven't actually seen him keep. I'd expect van Wyk to be better at the moment, as Watling only took the gloves back last year after 5 or so years as a specialist batsman.

I'm pretty sure Watling is regarded as a better batsman, though van Wyk does bat up the order for Canterbury.

Watling certainly looks far better with the bat, though vanWik could be plucky and determined as he showed in that 2nd test against India.

Southee gets Tharanga, Sri Lanka 30-1 in the 5th over.

Mills gets Sanga, superb catch by Taylor at mid-wicket off a long hop, SL 65/2 after 13. D/L target at 20 overs is around 100

Apparently the dew is very heavy, so McCullum may struggle

McCullum gets Jayawardene, reverse sweep straight to short 3rd man. Now 77/3 after 16, D/L par score with 3 down after 20 overs is 105.

104/3 after 21, we have a match!. SL are slightly behind on D/L, asking rate is over 7.5.

122/3 after 23, couple of good overs for SL. McCullum really struggling with the dew, though I think he only needs to get through 1 more over.

NZ could do with a wicket.

An unbeaten 123 run partnership between Dilshan and Angelo Mathews makes it Sri Lanka's game. Dilshan remained not out on 102 and Mathews not out 54.

sri lanka win on D/L...why on earth are game schudled in monsoon season?!

CF wrote:sri lanka win on D/L...why on earth are game schudled in monsoon season?!

Monsoon season is over in Columbo - unfortunately the ground there is still flooded from the southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon runs from now until Dec, just a shame Dambulla is on the outer as weather and pitch are apparently OK there at the moment (admittedly when I was in Dambulla in Dec 09 the heavens would open like clockwork at 3pm).

sri lanka win today on D/L

NZ has been unlucky with the weather.
Hope we get better weather in the test matches.
Given that Lanka these days prefers to make "sporting " pitches.......NZ will compete well in tests.

NZ is underrated...but has a developing test matzch side...and may surprise Lanka with 2 draws( if weather plays a spoil sport) or a 1-1 win......so given their No.8 ranking even a draw will earn them rankling points vs. No.6 Lankans

NZ's seam bowling is pretty competent in the hands of 2 leaft arm seamers, Bracewell and veteran Martin .......at par with Eng, Pak, WI ...and probably better than Lanka and India........batting not bad with McCullum and Taylor as I believe their stars.......and from what I saw of Van Wyk the WK....he was plucky and impressive with the bat.
they just had some practise in 2 tests vs. India in subcontinent conditions.

With Vettori not playing ansd what I saw of Jeetan in India...I believe that's their weak link.
Nathan Maccullum is no worse than Jeetan IMO as a spinner and brings better batting skill.......they should have him in stead of Jeetan.

dunno how is Todd Astle.....as a bowler...he is listed as a leggie ?
any relations to Nathan astle ?

It is so disappointing that the SLC is on a warpath with test cricket.

msp83 wrote:It is so disappointing that the SLC is on a warpath with test cricket.

they are a poor board and a nation not too rich either...torn apart by 3 decades of guerilla war with the LTTE...only now begining to rebuild with the civil war ending a couple of years back.

For nations like WI and SL and even BD and Zim........economics comes before the "test match cricket the pristine form" type statements-

In social economics for Hiuman Beings....there is something called Maslow's triangle where self actualization comes right at the steep top end of the triangle.

Test match the most pristine form falls in the category of self actualization of human needs in cricket....after alll the basic needs have been fullfilled

They were playing far more tests during the days of the war. And anyways they don't usually play as many test matches as Australia/England or India at times do. I am absolutely sick of these India Sri Lanka ODI matches, they seem to play 20 matches a year!. What a travesty!.

msp83 wrote:They were playing far more tests during the days of the war..

that's not the point.
the point is that there is more money availbale now throuhg IPL and ODIs sponsorships ...than there was during the peak of war.

But I agree it's sickening to see Ind-SL games..and I undertsand that there will be a Ind-SL_WI triangular soon sometime.

NZ have finally won a toss and gotten to bowl first this series. SL in some trouble at 44/4 in the 13th. I wonder when the rain is due to start?

SL experimenting a bit with their order, Sangakara batted 5 and Jayawardene is in at 6.

SL now 110/6 after 27. Tharanga in on 55 off 90 balls

123/8 in the 29th, and the rain has arrived. Sigh.

Pitch inspection at 3pm GMT, latest possible resumption time is 4.15. Lots of water on the covers.

GAME OFF

#farce

Lets hope the weather is better for the tests. Cricinfo has a nice wee article on Todd Astle http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/591415.html

and their series preview
http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-new-zealand-2012/content/current/story/591556.html

New Zealand 60-3 against Sri Lanka. All the wickets so far going to the seamers, 2 to Eranga and one to Kulasekhara. Brendon McCullum is not out on 25 and Flynn has joined him.
Sri Lanka giving a debut to opener Karunaratne, and Herath and Randiv are their spinners.
New Zealand have gone with just the one spinner in Jeetan Patel, meaning no debut to all-rounder Tod Astle. Boult, Bracewell and Southee in charge of the pace department, so no place for the most entertaining batsman in the planet. That has significantly reduced my interest in the match!. Hope the fantom will be back soon!.

McCullum reaches 50. New Zealand recovering to 103-3.

McCullum goes for 68, of a superb ball from Herath right after he was hit for a 6. NZ 130-4.

New Zealand 158-6. Herath really getting into the act now. Flynn the last man out for 53.

New Zealand are hitting back pretty well, haveing been bowled out for 221, they have taken 7 Lankan wickets for 215 runs. Lanka had lost their way at the start but recovered through a big partnership between Angelo Mathews and captain Mahela Jayawardene. Then James Franklin got the wicket of Mathews, his first test wicket in 3 years, and then Jeetan Patel dismissed Prasanna. Mahela is still there and he's the key for Sri Lanka.

The India match has allowed my attention as much on this game.....but now I see NZ's bowling has lived up to expectations.

SL are batting 4th and I dunno what the pitch is like

WANTED: 3 or 4 batsmen who know one end of a bat from the other in subcontinental conditions. Please apply to NZ cricket HQ.

118 all out

And a heavy defeat, after competing in the first innings with bat and ball, this has been a horrible capitulation from New Zealand.
But a terrific match for Rangana Herath. Yet another 6 wicket performance and he has 11 for the match. He has really taken on the challenge in the Post-Murali days.

feel sorry for Ross Taylor as its not as if he star performers to turn to with the ball either, put that along with an under-performing batting line up and he is fighting a losing battle.

NZ 202/2 after tea on day one, Taylor on 106 and Williamson 87.

No doubt it'll all go horribly wrong soon, but in the meantime

Rain came in towards the edn of the day, so 223/2 at stumps, Taylor 119* and Williamson 95*, 209 run partnership for them so far

Tea on day 2 and NZ are 396/8, Daniel Flynn on 50 batting with Patel. Earlier Taylor made 142 and Williamson 135, they added 262 for the 3rd wicket, which is twice as good as any other partnership for NZ this year!

Herath has 4-100 off 47 overs.

NZ all out 412, Herath finished with 6. Dilshan's just been cleaned up by Southee, SL 7/1

Pete C (Kiwireddevil) wrote:NZ all out 412, Herath finished with 6. Dilshan's just been cleaned up by Southee, SL 7/1

And 2 balls later Sangakara clipped one straight to Boult on the fine leg boundary. Double wicket maiden for Southee, and SL in a little trouble at 12/2!

Jayawardene edges Boult to Williamson at gully. 12/3!

Bad light ends the day, SL recovering slightly via Mathews and Paranavita, 43/3 at stumps.

Great start from NZ, Taylor is one of those batsmen that could have been a top great player instead of a good one. Just that little bit missing.

another cracking day for NZ...can they press home the advantage and win the test?...

Mathews and Paranavita batted well for the first hour, however both fell to Southee in his second spell after Taylor earlier shelled Paranavita off Patel.

SL 107/5 at lunch, follow on still a ways off. Southee has 4-35.

169/6 currently, New Zealand doing much better in this Test than I thought they would. I thought they were in for another hammering!

SL 177/6 at tea, Samawareera finding support from Randiv, odds are SL will avoid the follow on unless Samawareera goes straight after tea.

New ball is due in 7 overs though, so we'll have to see what Southee can do then.

Bad light stops play, still 25 overs left today.

SL are 225/6, 97 run stand so far.

It appears that SLC bought a dud batch of cricket balls - so far this match four have needed replacing - granted one landed in a puddle when Mathews hit a six, but 3 have gone out of shape, the most recent one was only 2 overs old!