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New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - 2nd Test - SSC - D3
Just a quick one tonight cause I’m tired and I’ve still got some work to do tomorrow.
On Day Two Dan joined a very, very special club. He became just the eighth player to reach 3000 runs and take 300 wickets. I know this meant a lot to Dan but you wouldn’t have known that by any of the actions Dan makes. He goes about his business, reaching his own milestones, sometimes some of them go unnoticed, and doing his job without the ego lesser players carry. He doesn’t carry on after taking wickets like some; he doesn’t run about pumping the air after scoring a ton. He is Dan, he is what you see; strongly motivated to be the best player he can be and take this, and the next, NZ team to the top of our sport. And while being a great player, team mate and Captain, has made me a better bowler and it’s still a great thrill to walk out alongside him.
This morning, again, didn’t go to plan. Five down overnight and we needed to bat and bat and bat. We were back in the field just before lunch 182 behind. I was pretty angry, angry at getting out how I did and also about having to be back out fielding before lunch. I took the new ball straight after lunch and went as hard as I could. I put my anger into the ball and bowled a good spell. No wickets but the intent I was trying to bring was something I hoped we could keep going with.
157/2, 339 runs in front when the rains came. I almost got stuck out in the middle when the covers came from all corners, I had to get a bit of a sprint on to avoid being trapped in the middle in the pouring rain! We could sure do with a bit more of it!!??
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Awesome performance Iain,
Needless to say, but the way you played was exceptional, you know, you play much better than you think and added more value to it when you just walked out by yourself, wish my team could do so !
And if others had batted like Vettori, you and Jacob, situation might have been different, but hey, no worries, am sure remaining matches are yours !
Very well Played
I watch the Black Caps play 24/7 no matter if i have school the next morning or so forth. I really enjoy watching you guys play. I was very happy to see you bat out the number of balls you did to help vettori get his 100 and give nz more of a just to save the test match. I read one of your earlier posts and you said you wanted to stay in longer and you have obviously been working on that and it is credit to you by showing your resiliance. Well done Iain and hoping to see many more good innings like that one.
Thanks
Hey Iain i just want to say thanks to you, Oram and of course Vettori who kept me interested in the 5th day of the match between NZ and SL. You guys really restored my faith in the lower-middle and lower order of NZ's batting line-up. For a while there i thought we were actually going to win which made me very excited, and i was happy to see that you were able to stick to a game plan better than the top order and see out the good balls and leave the ones you didn't need to play at. I would also like to mention that i was very dissapointed in the way Petal batted. I think after his one good innings in the warm up games he believe's that he is almost an all-rounder and has a licence to play his shots when he shouldn't. In the circumstances he had no right to play at that ball and there are no excuses for getting out to a half fit bowler even if it is Murali.
Anyways awesome batting effort and i have a lot of respect for you for walking when it looked as if the umpire was not going to give you out. After serveral replay's i am convinced you hit the ball and you showed very good sportsman ship for walking like that.
Thanks
Aaron
p.s. Good luck for the 20/20's and one day series, oh and tell Chris Martin that i watched his learn to bat video's and it has really improved my batting:).
Well Played Iain!!!!
You gutsed it out really well yesterday. Proud of you mate, i hope Dan made mention of it when he had a go at the useless top order. They can be given only so much leeway and it's gutting to watch them get out the same way time and time again. They are more or less wrecking your chances of having a decent rest too as your out there bowling only 60-70 overs after your first stint. Its bulls***!!!
Have a word to them would you Iain
btw do you still catch up on a bit of indoor when your back in NZ?? We have a Prems team that would kill to have you in the side
Sri lanka v New Zealand
Ian,
You did show grreat application yesterday and I do feel you have the potential to become as good as Jimmy Anderson of England in batting.
Well done Ian
Hi Ian,
Disappointing to lose and get out, but well done for stickign around so well - 75balls was longer than most - 5th highest number of balls faced for the team - not bad for a number 10.
You went up in my esteem for walking. Sadly, there's been controversy of late, particularly in Australia about that, but it is an honourable practice, and only benefits you in the long run (as in the back of their minds umpires are more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt next time.
It's a pity a few more people didn't stick around longer - one or two more wickets in hand...
Huge congratulations to Dan
Huge congratulations to Dan for his massive achievement. It's a shame that the test series didn't go your way - but roll on the ODIs!
Congrats Dan!
Dan's feat was one of the major points to take away from this match for you. You are bang on, he's more of a statesman rather than a sportsperson, has a very calming presence on the field and during the press briefings.
Ryder's not coming good with bat may have cost you one precious day here and there, and you never know with these rain scenarios... the results might have as well read a different sroty then. Though you've all but lost this match, I'd say keep trying mate, may be in the next series you'd be able to pull one off. The improved show of touring NZ teams would be a great sight for Test Cricket (and is severely needed too.)
~
I know that it is not easy to
I know that it is not easy to play under hot and humid condtions, but I hope the inexperienced NZ'S batsmen have learnt playing late on the slower wickets is the key to success. Yes, subcontinental batsmen being more wristy can help them to play better on the slower wickets as they can use their wrists to find the gaps, but on slower wickets a batsman shouldn't lunge forward.
Sri lanka v New Zealand
Ah congrats on getting that wicket of Jaya with a fine delivery. Only if NZ'S bowlers had made the batsmen play more and tempted the Lankan batsmen to come forward as they are all hesitant to come well forward and like to play late by staying more on the backfoot on slow wickets things could have been a little bit different.
Nice
You guys are bowling really well against a top team its just your batting that needs a little bit of work but still doing really well against top bowlers. Keep it up and hopefully you guys can bat it out or score the runs!
Good luck!!!
hii
Oh definitely Vettori is a great player and he deserves it.
Series has been tough for u guys....but theres always a learning curve!!
take care............alll the best!!
Best Of Luck
Hey well, these things happen...I'm a girl, never actually played cricket or any game but am sure it must be hard for all of you. And the fight does count, right ? Just enough for your fans to still have faith on you.
Dunno if its irrelevant but when our Team India was out of the ICC World 20-20, we still had faith, we knew they will fight and they won the series aginst Windies.
Am sure next time you visit the place, the series will be yours.
Good luck :)
And yeah your blog is really interesting.