Sri Lanka’sTour Of New Zealand

First Test underway with New Zealand winning the toss and electing to bat first.

A fine ton by Hamish Marshall has given NZ the upper hand after the 1st day in Napier. His 133 n.o. helping NZ to 267-3 at the close - only 84 overs because of bad light. Seven bowlers used by Sri Lanka , but no-one making an impact. James Marshall made a very slow 52 and Astle is still there on 37. Fleming , back at 4 failed again with only 16 to his name.

   Play starts 30 mins earlier tomorrow.

Originally posted by JALRC NZ in a strong position though they were also in a strong position after the first innings on the first Test against Australia....

.....true JAL , but Sri Lanka are hardly Australia...

I don't think Fleming is going to be dropped, but if he was, or he had a "tactical" injury, who would you like to see lead the side in his absence?

Vettori would get my vote although he is sitting out this Test as we know. He's the best of both worlds, a very experienced international who's young enough to do the job for a few years. And an automatic choice when fit.

 

Okay well Styris and Astle have both had experience at domestic level but neither at International level as the deputy to Flemming has always been Cairns and now that he has left the Test arena and while he was injured it has always been Vettori. Flemming's record as captain is pretty bad with NZ failing to win even one in every 3 Tests. His batting record is nothing great with him averaging just over 30 in One Day cricket and just over 40 in Test cricket. I think Styris and Astle should become captain and VC (though not neccessarily repectively) and Flemming should be permanently replaced in the batting line up by Hamish Marshall who has started his career well. New Zealand need to change things as their system is just not working now and they really should have a better record than they do. Sometimes the performances warrant it and they are unlucky but more often than not at the moment their performances haven't been upto scratch with the potential they have in the players and it usually down to the captain and the managment to stir up the motivation in the dressing room and it just doesn't seem to me as if Flemming is doing that. On the field at times he does try and do different things with his field settings and does use his intellegance and say if a bowler is not performing won't just throw him out of the attack but will get him to change ends and he invents new positions for fielders to stand (no dirty jokes) if he thinks he can set the batsmen up like he did against Damien Martyn in 2002 but it still doesn't seem to prduce results unfortunately. Maybe i am being too harsh to drop the axe perhaps i dunno what do you guys think?

Yeah and i think that's what differs those 2 neighboring nations - their attitudes towards the game. That's why Australia re the world champions and possibly the greatest side of all time and New Zealand are still struggling to fullfil their potential but you can't blame that on the players; it is more to do with the managment and the selectors.

I can agree that Flemming is certainly one of the best around in what he actually does on the field and the way in which he thinks and his inovative spirit in which he does usually manage never to let things get so down in which he is seen to give up. Maybe he just doesn't have as good a set of players around him as say i dunno Marvin Attapatu or Michael Vaughan or Sorauv Ganguly (who is another with an equally poor captaincy record who is still leading his side) at his disposal?

Stumps on day 2 and New Zealand were bowled out for a huge 561.
       Hamish Marshall top scoring with 160 , Nathan Astle another ton , 114 and Brendon McCullum unluckily dismissed on the dreaded 99 ! Jamed Marshall and James Franklin chipped in with half-centuries to boost the total.
       Lasith Malinga took 4-131 from 35 overs.

    At the close Sri Lanka are 48-0.

    A long way from safety , Sri Lanka , but have NZ got the firepower to get through them?

Any of Sri Lanka's top 4 could get a 200 on this track against this attack. No way are NZ going to bowl them out twice. It wouldn't surprise me if Sri Lanka got a lead!

 

Remember that match in Colombo when India got 600 (I think) and Sri Lanka replied with 952? This reminds me of that game. Sri Lanka can just bat and bat, against one of the least threatening attacks in international cricket.

Sangakarra's my man fellas - class act - I expect a ton from him at the very least!

New Zealand have finally managed to get a wicket but 100 is now up on the board for Sri Lanka. The animated Chimp is now out in the middle.

At lunch on day 3 Sri Lanka are 148 for 2 with Attapatu out there with Mahaela Jayawardena with the monkey back in the jungle. Attapatu has since made it to his half century but one more wicket and NZ will be in with a sniff.

Atapattu making it to his ton and Jayawardena close to his. These 2 have now put on a stand of 150 and the total by Sri Lanka is now 250. I can see a huge partnership forminghere and possibly even a score of 300 from Atapattu or maybe i am getting a little ahead of myself. But i fully expect Sri Lanka to at least have alead in the first innings now and these 2 out in the middle should at least double their current partnership to 300 with Atapattu making it to 200 and possibly Jayawardena too who i expect to play more agressively even more freely (if possible) once he makes it to 3 figures.

324-3 in reply after 3 days. Masterful unbeaten ton from the stylish Jayawardene and the usual gring from Atapattu.

   It has to be a draw , even though they still trail by 237 runs. The NZ attack is as potent as American beer and about as tasty!

All in all , a nice opportunity for the Sri Lankans to improve their batting averages.

Edited by Inducker

Originally posted by -JP- Originally posted by Inducker 324-3 in reply after 3 days. Masterful unbeaten ton from the stylish Jayawardene and the usual gring from Atapattu. Certainly does look like a draw - but what on earth does 'gring' mean, Inducker?

Steady on JP !! Blimey , perfect spelling of the two players names and a typo gets the treatment - methinks you've had a bad morning!!

     How about grind ?

A-ha, fair enough - I honestly thought it would be a South African term, as I couldn't see it as an obvious typo. I may not have had a great morning, but I'm not one to go round criticising other's English, sorry.