Sri Lanka v New Zealand – Only T20I – Kiwi bowlers to watch out for [Part 1]
As most teams look to move on from the recently concluded http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lions-c808’ territory for a comprehensive tour which kicks off on October 30 with an Only T20I, scheduled to be played at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Judging by the Kiwis’ recent performances in the World T20, the tour is likely to be a tough one. The Black Caps’ batsmen struggled visibly on the Sri Lankan pitches, particularly against spinners such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BAW-Mendis-c1127 and youngster Akila Dananjaya. Similarly, the New Zealand pacers also had their work cut out for them as they looked to exploit the sub-continental surfaces to their own benefit, while the spinners fared better by a small margin.
Out of the five matches the team played in the World T20, they only managed to win one – a 59-run victory over http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Doug-Bracewell-c1394 will only be joining the team for the 2-match Test series, missing both the Only T20I, and the 5-match ODI series.
The last T20 the team played against Sri Lanka was a World T20 Super Eights match, at the Pallekele International Stadium on September 27, which they lost after the host team won the one-over eliminator, with the Kiwi bowlers struggling to make http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 have played a total of 10 T20Is against each other, out of which they have both won 5 each – an even record.
While tackling Lankan batsmen such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TM-Dilshan-c2691 on their home turf is a daunting prospect, the Black Caps have a fair few bowlers in their arsenal who are likely to be up to the challenge.
Tim Southee
One of New Zealand’s prime pace spearheads, right-arm swing bowler http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TG-Southee-c2659 has shown a fair amount of attitude on spin-friendly surfaces, and is likely to be among the more prominent performers in Sri Lanka.
After having made his international debut in 2008 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Allan-Anthony-Donald-c43680, as a cricketer who has the ability to become one of the best swing bowlers in the world.
During New Zealand’s dismal tour of the Caribbean earlier this year, Southee registered excellent figures despite his team’s defeats, and was the second highest wicket-taker during the ODI series, claiming 10 for 196 from 5 matches. During New Zealand’s next assignment – a tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 – Southee impressed yet again, claiming a total of 8 wickets during the second Test, with first-innings figures of 7 for 64.
In addition, Southee was also the team’s highest wicket-taker during the World T20, claiming 8 wickets from 5 matches. Given his impressive performances of late, the right-armer is bound to play a vital role during the Kiwis’ campaign in Sri Lanka.
Continued in Part 2 ...
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