http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 v New Zealand – 2nd Test – Kiwi batsmen to watch out for [Part 1]
Having suffered an absolute collapse against spin bowlers on the sub-continental pitches during the first Test of their ongoing 2-match series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand will be looking to make a swift turnaround in order to level the series – however,
much will depend on how well the Kiwi batsmen manage to handle the spin bowlers in the second match, due to be played at the P Sara Oval in Colombo, from November 25 to 29.
The turn in the surfaces, and wily spin bowlers featured as the prime challenges for the Black Caps prior to the series. The team’s previous Test assignment had been a 2-match series in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, where the tourists had lost 0-2 to their hosts, in addition to
losing a total of 31 wickets to Indian spinners http://www.senore.com/Cricket/PP-Ojha-c2198.
Alongside recent performances, New Zealand’s past Test record in Sri Lanka was anything but encouraging. Barring the ongoing series, the Black Caps have played a total of 6 extended-overs series in Sri Lanka against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808, out of which they have only
won one – a 3-match series played in 1984. In addition, their last victory in a Test match in Sri Lanka was back in May 1998.
However, with the retirement of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/M-Muralitharan-c1864 having depleted the Lankans’ spin bowling arsenal in a big way since the Kiwis last visited Sri Lanka for a Test series, the Black Caps went into the current series with considerable confidence.
“We don't have to contend with Muralitharan and it's always a nice thing to not have to contend with him,” said Kiwi skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LRPL-Taylor-c1849 prior to the first Test. “We've still got to play well ourselves and concentrate on what we can do well. But definitely
their bowling line-up is an area we can target.”
Any hopes that the batsmen might have had of keeping the Lankan bowlers down, however, were ground into the dust as left-arm spinner http://www.senore.com/Cricket/HMRKB-Herath-c1559 scythed through the visitors’ batting order, claiming a hefty 11 for 108 – the best bowling performance by
a Sri Lankan bowler against New Zealand in the extended-overs format.
The Black Caps’ first innings featured just two notable performances, and the second innings resulted in a complete collapse, turning out to be the second time in cricketing history that the Kiwis were bowled out in an innings against Sri Lanka with none
of the batsmen managing to pass 20.
The Kiwis’ bowlers fared considerably better during the match, which means the responsibility to improve the team’s chances now rests on the batsmen’s shoulders. Faced with the prospect of having to level the series, whilst facing Herath on a tricky Sri
Lankan track, New Zealand’s batsmen will need to bring their A game to the field, and a handful appear to have the potential to put their team back in the running.
Daniel Flynn
27-year-old http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Daniel-Flynn-c1309 was among the few batsmen who managed to hold out longer than the others against the Sri Lankan bowling attack. The left-hander contributed 53 – the second highest score by a New Zealand batsman during the recent Galle Test – during
the first innings, and top-scored (albeit with a meagre 20) during the second innings.
While he has yet to score a century in the extended-overs format, Flynn, who made his Test debut in 2008 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 at Lord’s, has gone on to play a total of 21 Tests for the national side, and has 963 runs to his credit. His record in first-class matches
has been promising, with the left-hander having scored 4388 runs in 76 games, in addition to having 12 centuries to his credit (the most recent of which – a 182 – came earlier this month for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Northern-Districts-c825 in the ongoing Plunket Shield).
His recent performances, in both the domestic circuit and the international arena, indicate that Flynn is on an upward path, and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 will be hoping he manages to grow accustomed to the conditions in time to deliver during the second Test.
Continued in Part 2 ...
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: