Sri Lanka tour of New Zealand (2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 1 T20I)

[Sammo360]

New Zealand's summer of cricket is a strange one this year. 2 tests now vs Sri Lanka, then 3 ODI's vs Sri Lanka, 5 ODI's vs India, 3 ODI's vs Bangladesh and then 3 Tests vs Bangladesh in March. I understand its a World Cup year, but still.

Good that the Bangladesh series is going ahead as per FTP. Not doing an Australia and telling them don't bother coming.

 

[sherb]

Lakmal ripped through the top order, but Watling and Southee have restored respectability. Southee closing in on his high score, which he made in his first Test innings.

Didn't make it, out for 68.

NZ lost their last 4 wickets for 6 runs to be all out for 178.

 

[Plugger35]

178 isn't a great score but it would have been a disastrous one without that partnership from Watling and Southee.

 

[The Speaker]

Two down, including Chandimal after he decided to move up to three.

 

[The Speaker]

Gunathilaka is not a Test match opener.

 

[Plugger35]

Sri Lanka off to the same sort of start as NZ, going to be a short test match by the looks of it.

 

[Ishikawa]

Pretty good day for Southee!

 

[Doss]

Christchurch seems to be making a habit of turning out raging seamers in recent years.

 

[Ishikawa]

There he is again

 

[Doss]

Suddenly 178 doesn't look like such a disastrous total.

 

[Doss]

Three wickets in one over for Boult. A triple wicket maiden! SL 100/8.

 

[Kyptastic]

There's not much better than watching good left arm swing, and Boult's probably the best in the world at the moment.

 

[Doss]

There's not much better than watching good left arm swing, and Boult's probably the best in the world at the moment.

Boult is a beautiful bowler. By the end of his career, I suspect he will be seen as second only to Hadlee among Kiwi fast bowlers.

 

[Doss]

And another one for Boult. He has 5 for 30, SL 104/9.

 

[Plugger35]

Sri Lanka folding like a deck of cards this morning, NZ should end up with a decent first innings lead.

 

[Kyptastic]

Boult is a beautiful bowler. By the end of his career, I suspect he will be seen as second only to Hadlee among Kiwi fast bowlers.

Think it's hard to go past Shane Bond as the second best, although longevity will work in Trent's favour there.

 

[Doss]

Think it's hard to go past Shane Bond as the second best, although longevity will work in Trent's favour there.

That Bond didn't have a longer career is a great tragedy, but when Boult winds up with 350+ Test wickets I think it will be hard to make the case against him.

 

[newblueo]

How good is it to see a green pitch. I couldn't tell where the pitch ended as it was greener then the outfield lol

Feel for Taylor he batted so well an played the pitch so well little battle like that keeps test cricket alive for me.

 

[Doss]

And all out, Boult gets his sixth. Sri Lanka lost their five wickets for four runs, and their last six wickets for just ten runs. Boult's last four wickets were all LBW.

New Zealand now bat with a 74 run lead.

 

[PhatBoy]

Boult - wow.

Mathews couldn’t even get on strike to have a tonk

 

[Doss]

So 20 wickets have fallen in 91 overs. Meanwhile in Melbourne, 2 have fallen in 89!

With so much time remaining New Zealand don't need to rush here; they can bat for two days and still have two days to then bowl Sri Lanka out. Then again, with the behaviour of this pitch, I'd think NZ would be pretty much safe if they can get a lead of 300.

 

[newblueo]

We can't lose to Sri Lanka surely in the up coming tests lol there 3rd seamer has a horrible bowling action.

 

[Plugger35]

I thought the Indian tail was bad but 4 ducks from the Sri Lankan tail is hard to beat for ineptitude.

NZ probably only need to match their first innings score to secure a win.

 

[red+black]

NZ 0/32, already the 3rd highest partnership of the match

 

[Doss]

Kiwis now 100/0; SL are pretty close to already out of the game you'd think.