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New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview + Dream11

Charbel Coorey

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December 25, 2018 at 2:09 pm

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview + Dream11

Christchurch, Melbourne, Centurion.

The first ball in Christchurch kicks off 18 hours or so of non-stop Test action. After the tourists’ excellent fight in Wellington, one can hope for a competitive battle in New Zealand’s Boxing Day Test. The toss in Test cricket is often crucial for batting first, but given how the Hagley Oval track could possibly flatten out, both teams might be really keen for a bowl to take advantage of any early movement on offer.

New Zealand will be keen for another shot with the ball. After restricting Sri Lanka to three down for not many in both innings, the Black Caps would have been left disappointed to walk away from Wellington with a draw. Despite the slightly disappointing result, New Zealand can take heart from Tom Latham’s incredible return to form, Kane Williamson’s continued dominance of Sri Lanka and Tim Southee’s wicket taking prowess. The weather is expected to be mostly fine throughout the Test, so while the second place ranking is now out of reach, New Zealand’s quest for a series win is something the weather won’t interfere with.

The washed out final day at the Basin is no reason to take credit away from Sri Lanka. After failing to grasp the key moments in their recent home series against England, Sri Lanka displayed the fight and determination necessary for them to compete on their tours of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis batted for the whole of day four against a testing Black Caps’ attack, and those two, along with the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal, will be key again for Sri Lanka to end this series with their heads held high.

Key to a New Zealand win

New Zealand got right into the Sri Lankan batting order twice in Wellington, only to be nullified twice. Can New Zealand get the better of Sri Lanka’s top order again, and this time carry on the job? The Hagley Oval pitch is one that typically offers seam and carry right throughout the Test, but, the importance of Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme in backing up Trent Boult and Tim Southee will be crucial to the result. Of course, Boult and Southee at the top will be most crucial, too.

Without a doubt, one area New Zealand have a clear advantage is their batsmen over Sri Lanka’s bowlers. Sri Lanka have struggled for penetration in their last few tours of New Zealand, and in Wellington, all of New Zealand’s top five, led by Tom Latham, got stuck in. New Zealand will need the same in Christchurch if they are to take out the series.

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview + Dream11 Cricket Blog Cricket Preview CricBlog — New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview + Dream11: Tom Latham was superb

Key to a Sri Lanka win

It is important for Sri Lanka to enter this Test with a winning mentality. Sri Lanka’s batsmen showed fight in Wellington, which can give them hope of going to the limited overs series with at least a drawn series. However, if they are to win, the bowlers need to offer more. If the pitch does offer some assistance to Sri Lanka, can the likes of Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kamara take advantage? If the pitch begins to flatten out, can the tourists find ways to trouble New Zealand? Will they be able to dismiss the likes of Tom Latham and Kane Williamson early to get a foothold into the New Zealand innings?

Also, can the top order provide greater resistance? Sri Lanka were reduced to 9/3 and 13/3 respectively, and were bailed out by excellent efforts by Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella throughout the Test. Here, Sri Lanka need a solid team effort, rather than reliance on a few players to deliver. Will it be the case?

Predicted Playing XIs

New Zealand will likely stick with the same XI. A possible change is Matt Henry coming in for Neil Wagner.

New Zealand: 1. Jeet Raval, 2. Tom Latham, 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Henry Nicholls, 6. BJ Watling (wk), 7. Colin de Grandhomme, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Ajaz Patel, 10. Neil Wagner/Matt Henry, 11. Trent Boult

Dushmantha Chameera could come in for Kasun Raijitha, who was wicketless in Wellington.

Sri Lanka: 1. Dimuth Karunaratne, 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, 3. Dhananjaya de Silva, 4. Kusal Mendis, 5. Dinesh Chandimal, 6. Angelo Mathews, 7. Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8. Dilruwan Perera, 9. Suranga Lakmal, 10. Dushmantha Chameera/Kasun Rajitha, 11. Lahiru Kamara

READ: Five Pakistan players who could do well in BBL!

Dream11

Will New Zealand’s top order have another good outing? Below are my two Dream11 options, with a few pointers.

Team 1:

Team 2 (preferred):

Niroshan Dickwella is more likely to get an opportunity to bat long.
Matt Henry is a chance of playing, and will be a fine option given his superb county season with Kent. However, he is said to be unlikely.
Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne are two of Sri Lanka’s most reliable players.
Kane Williamson has a magnificent record against Sri Lanka. Tom Latham is in magnificent touch after his huge double hundred.
Among batsmen with at least 400 runs in 2018, Kane Williamson (66.77) and Henry Nicholls (61.87) have the best averages.
Spinner Ajaz Patel might enjoy the extra bounce at Hagley Oval.
Tim Southee is my VC. Trent Boult is one to persist with, given the greenish pitch on offer.

Stats and Facts

New Zealand are on track for a fourth consecutive Test series win. If they win at Hagley Oval, it will be the first time ever that they achieve such a feat.
Kusal Mendis needs 59 runs to become the second after Virat Kohli to make 1,000 Test runs in 2018.
Lahiru Kumara averages 26.66 with the ball in Tests in 2018.
Sri Lanka’s last Test win in New Zealand came in 2006.

Prediction

Sri Lanka’s magnificent fighting effort in Wellington has set the scene for the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch.

However, New Zealand look to have more resources to do well in these conditions, and I will back them to win this and secure their fourth straight Test series victory.

Thanks for reading!

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test Preview + Dream11

Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars Preview + Dream11

Charbel Coorey

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December 23, 2018 at 11:49 pm

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Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars Preview + Dream11

A Monday to look forward to in Hobart.

Christmas Eve is upon us, and with that comes an afternoon of cricket at Blundstone Arena. Both sides began their respective campaigns with rain affected matches, and will be looking to build momentum as BBL08 will soon take shape.

Hobart Hurricanes, despite some nervy moments, got the job done on the Gold Coast against Brisbane Heat. D’Arcy Short, while not at his absolute best, was in the runs, which was then backed up by a bowling display that broke the back of the Heat’s batting effort. Can the Hurricanees make it two straight wins?

While the Hurricanes look to make two straight wins, Melbourne Stars will be looking to avoid two straight defeats. The Stars, coming off a last placed finish in BBL07, need to get in the winners’ circle sooner rather than later to help boost confidence. Rain significantly hampered their chances against Sydney Thunder, leaving them with 90 to chase off eight overs. However, their inconsistent bowling display is room for improvement. Can they get on the board in BBL08?

Key to a Hobart Hurricanes win

Can the Hurricanes showcase some of the good skills they showed against Brisbane Heat, less than 48 hours later?

D’Arcy Short will be key at the top again. In BBL07, Short was in magnificent touch, hammering the ball to all parts of the ground at will. However, his form since then has been up and down, and given he wasn’t at his best against the Heat, his 67 would have been very encouraging from a Hurricanes perspective. Can he get stuck in again, this time with greater support from the likes of Matthew Wade and Alex Doolan? Can Ben McDermott and George Bailey also carry on their promising showings against the Heat to propel the Hurricanes to a strong total?

No doubt, runs on the board on a small Blundestone Arena outfield will be key, but the bowlers will also be required to deliver the goods. James Faulkner was excellent on his Hurricanes debut, backed up impressively by Jofra Archer and fellow debutant Johan Botha. The Stars will be relying significantly on their big three allrounders for runs, so the key lies in getting the chance to bowl to them as soon as possible, giving the Hurricanes the best chance of nullifying their threat.

Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars Preview + Dream11 Cricket Blog Cricket Preview CricBlog — Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars Preview + Dream11: D’Arcy Short has started BBL08 well.

Key to a Melbourne Stars win

It is easy to say that D’Arcy Short’s wicket is crucial. However, the Stars were in the wickets against the Thunder, restricting them to 59/3 and 99/4, only to fall away in the death overs. Youngster Sandeep Lamichhane started superbly, and will be key in Hobart, along with Adam Zampa and Dwayne Bravo. However, who else will stand up? Michael Beer and Jackson Coleman were under par, and given Marcus Stoinis is carrying a bit of an ankle injury, each bowler called upon needs to do a job.

Also, with beautiful weather expected in Hobart, the Stars batsmen will be in for a full innings. Ben Dunk, who was disappointing last season, has started off with a low score, and will be key to helping the Stars get off to a good start. A good start from Dunk paves the way for the likes of Maxwell, Bravo and Stoinis to play with greater freedom, which is critical to the Stars’ chances of a first win. Will it be their day?