*Official* New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2012

[Bahnz]

no way. the cut is for short off side filth and the sweep for full legside filth. you need to cash in on those or it becomes far too easy. a seamer can just settle on back of a length outside off, completely negating the front foot drives and in your plan causing a reliance in pulls and hooks from outside off to the onside, or the back foot drive.

If their bowlers want to waste the first session of the test bowling short and wide, let 'em. Also, Sri Lanka's seam bowling attack Kulasekara aside, is young and inexperienced, I'd wager they'd go search for something after too long.

[Flem274*]

If their bowlers want to waste the first session of the test bowling short and wide, let 'em. Also, Sri Lanka's seam bowling attack Kulasekara aside, is young and inexperienced, I'd wager they'd go search for something after too long.

driving is far more dangerous than cutting. on the cut you can only be beaten by bounce, not movement. sure you might edge it behind but you should get bat on it if you get the length right. for a back foot square drive you need the line and the length judged correctly. no one should ever shelve the cut unless they really can't play it, like Ponting has for whatever reason.

if sri lanka bowl short and wide, they need to be smashed because attack when its in the channel or on off is inhererently more risky, so width and legside filth needs to go the distance because Kula and Herath aren't going to give us much of that.

taylors main problem is he can go walking too much. thats when youre more likely to **** up the line of the ball because the further from your castle you are the harder it is to remember where they are to the exactness you can if you stay nice and still. its ironic because i suspect he goes walking in order to cover his stumps, but then he doesn't leave the danger balls.

[Flem274*]

just like that, KW gets four from the first ball by cashing in on the rare filth.

[Flem274*]

hey its like KW has remembered he's a total gun again.

[Bahnz]

driving is far more dangerous than cutting. on the cut you can only be beaten by bounce, not movement. sure you might edge it behind but you should get bat on it if you get the length right. for a back foot square drive you need the line and the length judged correctly. no one should ever shelve the cut unless they really can't play it, like Ponting has for whatever reason.

if sri lanka bowl short and wide, they need to be smashed because attack when its in the channel or on off is inhererently more risky, so width and legside filth needs to go the distance because Kula and Herath aren't going to give us much of that.

taylors main problem is he can go walking too much. thats when youre more likely to **** up the line of the ball because the further from your castle you are the harder it is to remember where they are to the exactness you can if you stay nice and still. its ironic because i suspect he goes walking in order to cover his stumps, but then he doesn't leave the danger balls.

Not the way Taylor is playing it at the moment. His driving is confident and technically correct, and he's picking the line and length well. There's no movement off the surface on this pitch, and while there is some bounce, it's true and consistent.

His cutting looks awkward. He's crouching low and swinging his arms wildly, and is often cutting when the ball is way to close to him. He might start to play it better after some time spent at the crease, but for the moment, he should be playing within himself and sticking to his strengths.

Anyway, Kulasekara isn't really offering up much of the short and wide variety, so it's a bit of a moot point for now.

Lovely couple of shots played there by Williamson. .

[wellAlbidarned]

He's batting so well he's sent my internet back to the stone age

[straw man]

I know in theory Williamson is good with his feet vs spinners but to actually see him do it twice .

It makes me nervous. Things can't be this good

No idea why SL are still bowling seamers.

[wellAlbidarned]

A quality spinner being hit out of the attack against NZ - there's a first

[Flem274*]

filth from randiv

watch him get a wicket

[Flem274*]

herath was really trying to nail taylors pads in those two balls. got it wrong but itstl.

[wellAlbidarned]

Urg, Kane still hanging his bat away from the pad there. He's earned a couple of gold stars though I'll let it slide.

[Hurricane]

Good stuff only two down at lunch. For another team they might be dissapointed to have lost more than 1 wicket but for us it is good.

[Flem274*]

that went well. i mean the openers being crap was always going to happen but these two have played very well. KW looks the best ive seen him since his debut.

so to be our usual 150/5 it looks like flynn will have to resign himself to a low score. room for these two to get to 50 though.

[straw man]

Well, that was a surprisingly good session. Well done Taylor and Williamson - both had some luck early but after surviving that they have a chance to go on.

[Bahnz]

Not much turn on offer. No reason why these two shouldn't go on and make hundreds today. We'll need it with van Wyk at 6.