Sri Lanka vs New Zealand – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World T20 – Match Preview
After an uninspiring opening round of matches, Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 kick-start the business end of the ICC World T20, locking horns in the first Super Eight fixture today, September 27, 2012, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
The seeding system meant that all teams finishing second in their respective groups were put together, while the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, Pakistan and South
Africa playing against each other might just be the impetus the ongoing tournament needed after some one-sided and rain-affected affairs.
For now, the competition gears up for arguably, its biggest game so far with hosts http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 taking on the Black Caps. Both teams have been inconsistent off-late but will enter this game in reasonable form.
Both earned predictable, yet emphatic wins in their opening games against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760, provides
them a relatively easy passage to the knock-out phase but the volatility of the shortest format makes every game intriguing.
Despite being the home side, the Lankans have a tougher task ahead given the fact that they will play on the Pallekele pitch for the first time. Their previous matches have been in Hambantota, where tracks have aided slow bowling as compared to the batting
friendly pitches of their current destination.
Nonetheless, they will be confident of overhauling a strong Kiwi contingent and provide their fans some early optimism regarding their chances to lift the coveted title. They have the personnel to do so, with experience and youth filling up their team.
The only major worry for them is the fitness of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 following his record breaking feat in the opening match. Rumours suggest that he will be fit to take the field but if not, the hosts will have
to decide whether to play the tried and tested left-armer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/HMRKB-Herath-c1559 or include the relatively unknown Akila Dananjaya, whose reputation enhanced after an impressive stint in the inaugural SLPL.
The Black Caps, on the other hand, will be an in confident mood despite suffering a narrow defeat at the hands of the Men in Green. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LRPL-Taylor-c1849, their skipper, attributed the loss to some poor fielding but it was their batting composition which came into
the spotlight.
With http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915. As it turned out, the asking rate was out of their grasp,
and they surely will need to re-think their strategy going into a game which holds significantly higher implications.
Guptill is expected to recover from his injury, which could see the Black Caps going back to their original formation, with Adam Milne, the young fast bowler, in line to make way. In terms of their main man, Jacob Oram’s experience of playing in the SLPL
could bode well for the team, who remain in search for some added insight.
The pitch at Pallekele has offered bounce for fast bowlers with the new ball before becoming increasingly helpful for the batters. One should expect a high-scoring encounter.
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