SL tour of NZ, Dec 21 - Jan 29

[Arthur Crabtree]

24 overs. This is like watching the 1980s West Indies engineering a draw.

[rich1uk]

24 overs. This is like watching the 1980s West Indies playing for a draw.

nz done well considering

not far off 100 runs in the session and only losing 2 wickets after being put in on this pitch puts them ahead imo

[Arthur Crabtree]

There's an overrate below which cricket becomes unwatchable. SL are bowling below it.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes, good session for NZ.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not so much this one. Too many shots to too many wide balls.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Seven down. variable bounce? With the amount of inside edges and dodgy cross bat shots. NZ going at nearly five an over in the session. Too ambitious?

Still, you'd count on the NZ pace attack doing better.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Forty nine overs in two sessions!

Attacks seem to slow down the over rate as a way of frustrating opponents who are scoring quickly.

This is so irritating.

[shankycricket]

This is so similar to the India test at this venue last year. We bowled them out for 192 IIRC. Would be fun if the rest of the Test pans out similarly.

[Arthur Crabtree]

SL have hardly bowled a seam up delivery all day, just cross seam, scramble seam, maybe the odd cutter. And relied on inconsistencies in the pitch and bad batting. That feels a bit unambitious, that they've hardly tried to swing the ball. I fancy NZ to do better than the SL bowlers, however much the SL plan worked.

[shankycricket]

NZ bowled out for 221. A testing session ahead for the Sri Lankan batsmen.

[Gingerfinch]

12000 runs for Sangakkara. The quickest man to this landmark, I believe

[Aidan11]

Looks like it was a bowlers day.

[rich1uk]

went to bed at lunch

didn't expect to see 13 wickets falling in the last 2 sessions

[andy]

didnt see any play last night, is it a green seamer, or have both sides batted badly??

[Arthur Crabtree]

SL didn't bowl that well, and NZ batted poorly. I think NZ could be pleased with their score given the conditions, which were very favourable to bowling first up. SL couldn't bowl the full length necessary to use the swing, without looking awfully floaty. Though Pradeep hit the pitch a bit. A good pace attack would have had NZ out quickly. Didn't see the SL innings.