You wouldn't know it from their profiles or from the hype, but cricket's most fascinating rivalry is getting its World Cup installment today.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka have a lot in common: they are both small islands with limited talent pools, professional teams with a hard work ethic and no real douchebags to mention. Naturally, they are often outshined by their bigger, flashier neighbours, but both of them have the strange ability to always remain competitive and keep any contest interesting.
The two teams have seen a lot of each other in the past few years, most recently during Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand late last year. The results from that tour: Drawn Test series (1-1), drawn Twenty20 series (1-1), drawn ODI series (2-2). Apart from the fact that even-game series should be banned, that just shows have evenly matched and aware of each other's abilities both teams are, and how unpredictable their matches can be.
With that in mind, what better opportunity to shake off the morning-after fog of another night of cheap rum than a nice stream-of-consciousness summary in 10-over segments:
10th Over
... The moment I turned the TV on, the Hawkeye replay of Fleming's lbw wicket was being shown. I then went to get some orange juice from the kitchen and Ross Taylor got out before they even had time to show his ODI record on the screen. New Zealand could get spanked out of the ground today -- this is the first time they've had to play quality opposition in the tournament. Are the Kiwis really in form and dangerous, or did they blow their load too early against the dregs of world cricket? We'll find out very soon ...
... Scott Styris, the man with the second highest strike rate in World Cup history and a face only a mother can love, finally gets off the mark after playing out about 7 maidens of perfect Vaas balls ...
... Farveez Maharoof, the walking barometer of Sri Lankan fortunes, comes on to bowl in the 6th over. If the Lankans are bowling well, applying pressure, and taking wickets, Maharoof looks a tight, economical seamer who is awfully hard to get away. If the team is getting carved, he looks slow, predictable and deliciously hittable.
20th Over
... Judging from his posture, I'd say Chaminda Vaas went to the same pediatrician as Forrest Gump. You could rest a champagne pyramid on that back ...
... Wicket off a no-ball for Maharoof. That surely won't affect him mentally, right? ...
... Wrong. He then gets hit for two consecutive fours by Styris. Sangakkara doesn't mess around after that. He just dons the helmet, stands up to the stumps and cramps the batters into slowing down. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried it with Malinga bowling one of these days. …
... Further proof that not even Kryptonite can stop Sangakkara at the moment: he was standing up to the stumps (what else?) to Vaas, and he caught a sweep off the face of Styris' bat with his balls. That's right, with his testicles. Asad Rauf, with the vacant visage of a man with nothing but tumbleweeds and lbw decisions in his mind, gave it not out. ...
30th Over
... Craig McMillan coming in at no. 5 to stave off a top-order collapse? Is it 1999 again, or something? What's next, get Chris Harris to open the bowling with Shane Bond? ...
... The Mid-Life Crisis Pair are at the crease right now. I don't know if they consulted each other on the matter, but Oram and Styris have the same ridiculous set of blonde highlights in their hair, which go great with their budding laugh lines and crow's feet on their faces. ...
... Where would NZ be without Scott Styris? He has only gotten out once during the whole World Cup, and today he's the lone reason why the Kiwis weren't skittled out for 70. I don't where they found the guy, I don't know what he was doing for those 11 years of professional cricket before he joined the national team, but he's now a genuine match-winning batsman and the most complete player in that team since Chris Cairns. ...
40th Over
... The trademark SLankan strangulation by spin has begun, and is already reaping benefits. McCullum complains about his dismissal, claiming he never hit a ball that went straight to bat-pad. Too bad the umpire actually gave it out lbw, Mr. McC. ...
... How the hell did New Zealand manage to get itself two 9-foot-tall freaks in their lineup? You could probably fit three whole Sri Lankans into Fulton's left sock and another three into Oram’s protective box.
... Is it that hard to get someone who actually knows how to bowl for local TV ads? As is to be imagined, the cricket theme is being used for a lot of ads here in Tobago around this time. The problem is that they've chosen actors who have obviously never played cricket, so you get egregious throws off five-pace run-ups, clonked off the front foot with awkward tennis shots. Hell, couldn’t they just have asked Sherwin Campbell or Ricardo Powell to play a few strokes in front of the cameras for them? I’m sure they need the work. ...
50th Over
... Dilshan bowls a maiden to James Franklin in the 46th over. Fuck 1999; are we back to 1979? ...
... A commentator's wet dream of a century by Styris: he came in under pressure, started slowly and looked shaky, could have been out a couple of times; but he dug in, worked the ball around, was there for the close, and ended the innings with a flourish after scoring more than half his team's runs. As far as degree of difficulty, I'd say that was easily the best hundred of the tournament so far. ...
New Zealand did well to post a score, let alone a competitive one. It still doesn't seem like it will be enough, though, unless Bond can get Jayasuriya (and a few others) out early. Even so, games between these two teams usually manage to become thrilling no matter what, so who knows what can happen?
Well commented dan, but as usual, your players seem to be the only ones giving a shit at how they perform on match day. Oram was hitting countless 6's and half centuries in australia and nz on bigger grounds. You'd think he would be certainty to light up the smallish carribbean stadiums. yet both times in the last two innings he has been caught on the boundary... did he leave his daily dose of steroids back home? or is he too busy getting whacked whilst watching new zealands top order and giggling himself stupid.
And even when bond doesnt get on the wickets chart, he takes a couple of catches.... i think its match fixed. I think you are getting high with all the players in fantasy and bribing our players to do shit personally or they aint getting more of the good stuff. am i on the right track?
Well, in he last couple of games joe and i may have thought we were slightly cutting down your unasailable lead... but yesterdays game proved it an impossible task. every player you have did something, especially with the bat. the only possible thing that rose could be bowling average or economy rate but i doubt it.
oh yeah, am i sensing a new love for new zealands saviour and number 4?... he bats like martyn, has a face like ponting (maybe worse) and facial hair only known to pedaphiles... loik it.
Posted by: George Hayward | April 12, 2007 at 07:44 PM
dudde, that styris innings was amazing. Such tough conditions, and he just got his man on and carried his boys. Should have got man of the match for it too. Me and Dan love him cause he was so amazingly shit when he came in, and it's just so unlikely that he become a Cairns.
Anyway, we were making such good headway to Dan, till that Devilliers bullshit effort, now dan's got the confidence again and he's plucking all sorts of stats. Like, even when you get a wicket, you know he's getting a piece of the stat with a cheap third man catch... what a scum-basin.
But man, we're still in it. we've just got to strangle his strike rate a little more, and pray for his tailenders to actually have to bat for once.
yo, is watson still around? if he's gone, you should pick up some of the free agents around, although i got seriously burnt on Bell (duck) and fleming (duck), but panesar got me 3 wickets and 2 maidens. Just got to play them against non-australia/sri lanka.
aight word
Posted by: J'Paul | April 12, 2007 at 11:24 PM