NZ v Sri Lanka

[Tim]

Stephen Fleming (captain)
Andre Adams
Nathan Astle
Shane Bond
Chris Cairns
Chris Harris
Craig McMillan
Jacob Oram
Scott Styris
Daryl Tuffey
Daniel Vettori
Lou Vincent

Heres the NZ 12 for tonights match, I think 12th man will either be Andre Adams or Scott Styris. Lou Vincent will keep which is a shame because he's an excellent fielder, but I think he is better keeping cause it balances the side.

This game will be a hard act to follow after the excitement of last night but if Astle & Jayasuriya get into the act aswell as some exciting bowling from Bond & Murali and we could get a good game aswell.

 

[PY]

You have any news on Sri Lankan team cos got 3 Sri Lankans in my Fantasy Cricket side with Daily Telegraph

 

[Tim]

I don't think the Sri Lankan team has been announced yet
I'll presume that its:

Jayasuriya
Attapattu
Jayawardene
Sangakkara
de Silva
Arnold
Tilakratne
Muralitharan
Vaas
Dilhara Fernando
Gunaratne

Thats what i think the lineup will be anyway.

 

[PY]

Cheers

 

[marc71178]

Forget the Telegraph League, we have a superb one going here!

(and it's free)

 

[Anil]

NZ are the favourites going into the match. SL has the team to make a match of it and I wouldn't be too surprised if they win.

 

[masterblaster]

Should be a top game to watch. My prediction is that New Zealand will just beat the Sri Lankans as they have a more potent pace attack.

 

[Kiwi]

NZ don't have a great record against SL but they always seem to rise for the big games. I am interested to see that Lou is keeping but it brings another option to the kiwis attack. I think the 12th will be Styris as Adams it the type of player that makes things happen.

On paper the NZ side should win if they can contain Jayasuriya
and face off Muralitharan.

 

[Tim]

Styris has actually been one of the better players so far for NZ in their trial matches but Andre has pretty much been a success story every time he's played for NZ since he debuted so I think he should get the nod.

It looks as though NZ will have the longest batting lineup in the World Cup with Bond at #11 averaging 25.

 

[Tim]

NZ are gonna hit Sri Lanka with pace it seems because Vettori has been left out of the starting 11.

So Bond, Tuffey, Oram & Adams are in with Styris, Harris, McMillan & Astle to fill in the gaps.

 

[Tim]

Well so far the combination of poor umpiring & poor bowling is not doing NZ any good.

Bond has been pretty good but Tuffey has been plain awful and backs up my theory that he should only tour to countries with seaming wickets.

Jayasuriya was left off with a caught behind & now he's cutting loose so NZ must rebuild, their fielding has been good so its up to the bowlers aswell.

 

[Tim]

Jayasuriya races to 50 & this is exactly what NZ were targeting not to happen.
Some of the good bowling has been made to look bad mind you, Jayasuriya is in sparkling form.

 

[Tim]

Well NZ have done well to restrict Sri Lanka to 272/7, at about the 35th over mark it was favourable odds that Jayasuriya was going to get Sri Lanka to about 320-330 but Astle did the job.

Luckily for NZ they have included the extra batsman Andre Adams because they are going to need some aggressive strokeplay to get this target.

 

[aditya]

With all the New Zealand batsman out of form,I dont think they have a chance.It will be very difficult for them to chase this total.

Their decesion to bowl first on a good track has backfired.I think Stephen Flemming thought it was another game on the damp tracks of NZ where they had beaten India bowling first.

The shortcomings of their bowlers barring S Bond has been exposed.They are ordinary when their in no movement and the conditions are not overcast.

 

[Rik]

With all the New Zealand batsman out of form,I dont think they have a chance.It will be very difficult for them to chase this total.

Their decesion to bowl first on a good track has backfired.I think Stephen Flemming thought it was another game on the damp tracks of NZ where they had beaten India bowling first.

The shortcomings of their bowlers barring S Bond has been exposed.They are ordinary when their in no movement and the conditions are not overcast.

You are being quite unfair on Astle who came in, cleaned 3 batsmen out and stopped Sri Lanka totally running away with it.

 

[Tim]

Well Aditya is right, this is an absolutely disgusting & reckless batting display by NZ.
15/3 with Astle falling to a suicidal run-out, Fleming scratching outside offstump & ditto with McMillan.

Although I was always hoping that NZ had a realistic chance of winning this match, the fact is, is that the pressure really is on them now. They've chosen not to go to Kenya & forfeit 4 points so this batting display really has shown the tension in the team & that they really aren't coping with the pressure at all.

If NZ come back & win this match or even make the Super Six then i'll be the first one at the airport when they arrive home to congratulate them.

 

[Eclipse]

With all the New Zealand batsman out of form,I dont think they have a chance.It will be very difficult for them to chase this total.

Their decesion to bowl first on a good track has backfired.I think Stephen Flemming thought it was another game on the damp tracks of NZ where they had beaten India bowling first.

The shortcomings of their bowlers barring S Bond has been exposed.They are ordinary when their in no movement and the conditions are not overcast.

I dont agree about the bowling I think they are allright in that area and they are a good feilding side.

I really dont rate there batsman though apart from Astle they just dont have any real class One day batsman.

Am I right that they only have 1 batsman avraging over 35 in One day cricket?

 

[Rik]

I dont agree about the bowling I think they are allright in that area and they are a good feilding side.

I really dont rate there batsman though apart from Astle they just dont have any real class One day batsman.

Am I right that they only have 1 batsman avraging over 35 in One day cricket?

Yup and that's Astle. But Harris and Fleming average about 30 and Cairns 29.

 

[Tim]

yeah you're right, I think the average of all the batsmen together in the NZ team is about 30 or something which isn't really good enough if they want to make the semi's.

NZ have a much better test team because there are about 4 or 5 players averaging over 40, but this ODI side is blatantly pointing out that NZ have some serious batting problems in the ODI format.

 

[Tim]

Astle, Fleming & McMillan all played as though they were wanting to leave the ground as fast as possible which is absolute crap which sends a message back to the younger players that "we're on a sinking ship boys so lets forget about this game & go onto the next"

Disappointing, really disappointing but I won't say anymore because NZ might miraculousy recover & win this match.. ha ha ha.