1st ODI New Zealand v Sri Lanka December 26 2015

[ANTiLAG]

I do hope Sky Sports gets Jeff Wilson back to the commentary team. I find his commentary to be outstanding.

Be nice if Flem and Punter came over for the Australian tour, instead of Tubby and Healey.

I think Flem and Punter may in fact be the two best cricket commentators in the world. They get the mix right of humour with outstanding cricketing analysis at a very high level, made simple and interesting.

David Gower and Slater are very good. I think people confuse Slater for the Channel 9 Healey and Tubby terror show of commentary.

I do not think much of the South African commentators.

David LLoyd can be funny, but is he in the running for best commentator? Atherton and Hussain are a little bit dreary. Botham is okay, but a bit repetitive about line and length. Holding is terrible.

New Zealand? Well we owe the world an apology for Danny Morrison.

 

[Twizzle]

nice win

 

[ANTiLAG]

nice win

Bit early to call the winner don't you think?

 

[Twizzle]

lol, wrong thread

 

[jargan83]

Only a 2 Test series?

 

[ANTiLAG]

Only a 2 Test series?

Yups.

We only had 8 tests all year.

Next year we have 2 v Australia, maybe 2 v Zimbabwe, 2 v South Africa (need the Zimbo tests because there is no warm up tour games), 3 v India, then host 2 v Pakistan and 2 v Bangladesh.

We then host SA for a three test series, making our home summer 7 tests long, that could be an all time record for away test tours (7 test winter - but in the boat days of India, pakistan and SA maybe they fit more in - but they did not tour every year) but it must be a record for a home home test summer (7), but before Kiwis get excited on the down side, we do not play again till November 2017. No test tours at all between home summers in 2017. Ridiculous. There is the Champions Trophy in June in England, but that is it.

Hosting South Africa in late March - which is autumn and well into the Super Rugby season poses it own problems. But 7 home tests is a great effort by the Administrators. For once. And despite that, we still tour Australia for 2 weeks to play in the pyjamas.

We got 2 tests last year due to the WC. Australia managed to get 4.

 

[Lego_Man]

Yups.

We only had 8 tests all year.

Next year we have 2 v Australia, maybe 2 v Zimbabwe, 2 v South Africa (need the Zimbo tests because there is no warm up tour games), 3 v India, then host 2 v Pakistan and 2 v Bangladesh.

We then host SA for a three test series, making our home summer 7 tests long, that could be an all time record for away test tours (7 test winter - but in the boat days of India, pakistan and SA maybe they fit more in - but they did not tour every year) but it must be a record for a home home test summer (7), but before Kiwis get excited on the down side, we do not play again till November 2017. No test tours at all between home summers in 2017. Ridiculous. There is the Champions Trophy in June in England, but that is it.

Hosting South Africa in late March - which is autumn and well into the Super Rugby season poses it own problems. But 7 home tests is a great effort by the Administrators. For once. And despite that, we still tour Australia for 2 weeks to play in the pyjamas.

We got 2 tests last year due to the WC. Australia managed to get 4.

So 11 tests next calendar year? Not bad actually. A 3 test series in India would be attractive. Hope they don't negotiate that away for a couple of hit and giggles. Likewise the full Saffa series in 2017...

 

[ANTiLAG]

So 11 tests next calendar year? Not bad actually. A 3 test series in India would be attractive. Hope they don't negotiate that away for a couple of hit and giggles. Likewise the full Saffa series in 2017...

Well 2 are against ZImbabwe who like turning them into ODI. But we need some test practice heading in SA tests right after.

Given Bangladesh's improvement in cricket- the home tests against will generate a more interest than normal. But with Pakistan at the start of the summer and SA at the end of the summer, they could be our "West Indies" that Australia is complaining about this summer. Albeit, they are performing better of late than the West Indies.

That said, I will be excited to see Mustafizur in action outside of Youtube. Although, he may get some coverage in the World T20 next year.

 

[Meth]

Malinga out of first two ODI's

 

[Twizzle]

shame, they need him

 

[Meth]

How are we looking? With no Williamson, who bats 3? Taylor? Worker?

 

[Meth]

Latham

 

[Meth]

That was a terrible on field decision from Jones- one of the worst I've seen.

That's what the DRS is for

 

[Meth]

Big wicket. Dilshan gone

20/2

 

[Meth]

Great to see Milne bowling tight as well as fast

 

[Iafeta]

That was a terrible on field decision from Jones- one of the worst I've seen.

That's what the DRS is for

Yep, that was a shocker. Massive noise. Deviation. So obvious to everyone but the umpire. Ronchi's reaction was good, "he's smashed that".

Good catch from Nichols, that went up to Jupiter and around the rings of Saturn and back.

 

[Iafeta]

Looks like a belter of a wicket. 300 for mine is par here.

 

[Meth]

Looks like a belter of a wicket. 300 for mine is par here.

I'm picking SL to be out for 220

 

[Meth]

Milne is bowling absolutely fantastically.

 

[Iafeta]

Dead as a door nail. Well bowled Henry.