Ah... I hear that they will continue to start an hour early to make up time lost to rain.

So... Tomorrow Start time Sunday 10:00am NZ... (Saturday, 3:00PM Texas Time)

They make up 8 overs doing that... so 2 more days will make up for 23 overs lost.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

OMG... Rigor Richardson opining about the grass... dying

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Wicket... very faint edge... given not out....SL call for review.... the third umpire agrees it was there... on-field ump's decision overruled... player OUT!!!


Sri Lanka 292
New Zealand 168/6 (62.1 ov)

(New Zealand trail by 124 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Oh.

My stream is about an over behind .... delay.

Now I see it. LOL

Try and keep up Molly

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

What is going to happen today?

With time running out, can they get all the overs in?

My Math... suggests they need to bowl 98 overs today... another 11 (on top of NZ's 71)..I just heard

I think 6:00pm is cut off time? so they have 42 minutes.

I actually think another 3 should be bowled? Maybe they take 3 off for innings break?

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Thank you .. I couldn't figure out the possibilities!

Wicket ... Watling out



Sri Lanka 292
New Zealand 196/7 (71.2 ov)

(New Zealand trail by 96 runs with 3 wickets remaining in the 1st innings)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

My GENERAL observations... both sides performed at about same level... looks like SL will have a slight lead on 1st innings? Not that important.

The second innings will determine the result.. and SL have the ADVANTAGE of batting first while wicket still good to bat on. If it does deteriorate????? Then It is NZ who will be batting on it.. trying to make a target score.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I went to eat dinner.. and ANOTHER wicket falls.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

You can click the little arrow on espncricinfo ... and see the Watling wicket replay. But the arrow is not there yet. Just discovered this yesterday.

And ...


It's been a while since I've seen a warning.

Not so much a "warning" as just informing bowler that he has had his one bouncer in the over... any more will be called no ball

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

K

I see now how EVERY test match is different.

Wagner.. OUT!!!

They have ended days play

Commentators have been opining that even with the extra half hour.. players STILL failed to bowl the overs scheduled... everybody KNOWS this is not good enough in test cricket.. but it continues.

90 overs in 6 hour day is NOT a big ask... 1st class cricket manage 96 ( I think)... and for this match they used extra half hour at end of day.. and still failed???

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Stumps - Day 2


Sri Lanka 292
New Zealand 232/9 (78.4 ov)

(New Zealand trail by 60 runs with 1 wicket remaining in the 1st innings)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I haven't done the math but it seems like NZ did well after Southee's wicket to close up the gap.

Thanks for your expertise, Rumpole.

See you tomorrow, Day 3 ... same time, same place.

Day 3 - about to start - my thoughts

Sri Lanka should be able to get the last NZ wicket early... though it is possible for a final wicket to remain, dribble on for hours.... annoyingly.

IF needed SL can take a new ball in an over and a bit (after 80 overs).... new, hard ball, bowlers fresh first thing in the morning... look out tail-end batsmen

They should end with about a 50 run lead? Having a lead is a psychological plus, but 50 runs either way is no big deal really

Anyway.. as I said already.. the two second innings will (of course) determine the match outcome. As always ( in NZ) weather could interfere? So there needs to be some attention to getting on with things.. ya never know if RAIN will steal a few overs, or even a whole day

Sri Lanka should bat like hell all day today and into tomorrow. IF they were to declare it would only be with a lead of 500+?

They do need potentially more than a day to bowl NZ out.... I would say.. declare and put NZ back in early tomorrow... so they do need to get a move on and score a few runs today

From a NZ perspective:
They need to bowl like they actually HAVE a bowling attack!!
4 or 5 wickets in the first session... knock the rest over after lunch (maybe a short time after tea. Get SL out with their lead <300 Then get in and bat themselves with 2 days+ to make a target ( around 300)... not a big ask NZ has always had good top and middle order batsmen ( apart from Taylor).. and a tail that can bat OK as well.. 300 - 400... easy peasy.

Speaking of Taylor.
IMO he is past his use by date. I know he has good record and all, and is a "senior member" bringing experience to the team, but he fails more often than he succeeds.. he is simply out of form (or past it). He is in the team as top batsman only and he is failing at that job. NZ has never been short of good middle order batsmen.. there are a gaggle of them around now playing 1st class cricket. A few of them NEED to be given a go at test level... take Taylor's place. If they "fail" then nothing lost since Taylor fails most innings anyway... and at least the new player will likely be a young guy a bit more athletic in his fielding than Taylor.. Gnomesayin?
Taylor will be retiring in not too distant future, as will McCullum.. all the more reason to "blood" a few new batsmen at test level.. have a few "in stock" as it were.. with some test experience.. who can be brought in to replace Taylor and McCullum when he goes.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Note:
They are supposedly making up the 23 overs lost due to rain on day 1 by starting half an hour early each day.. that half hour in theory gains 8 overs, but....... The bastards are STILL as slow as... even with and extra half hour overtime they failed to make scheduled overs yesterday ( 3 short).

So....... they make up 8 in the morning, but lose 3 in the evening...

NET make up is only 5 even with early start and late end!!

We have still lost 18 overs due to rain on day 1

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Kick off....

The good news is... weather looks great in Hamilton..

The other good news is.. no sign of Rigor Richardson

Ken Rutherford commenting.. not a regular that I have heard.. but he is a good, well spoken analyst of the game.. he was a great batsman back in the day. Former NZ captain.


And.... catch... last NZ wicket down... all out!!!

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light