He's a joy to watch. He hits the ball so softly that he costs himself a lot of boundaries straight and through the off side - but in some ways this actually demonstrates just how good his technique is.

When watching the likes of Crowe, Kane and Jesse Ryder, I wonder why does NZC just totally and utterly fail at regularly making high quality intl batsmen? These are the sole 3 since Turner who one would say are technically sound and make runs (whereas Flem could not convert). Latham looks technically sound, but he undoes his style work with chasing wide ones and offering pop up shots to the infield like he either does not know where the fielders are, or just lacks control of shot placement.

Taylor's onside play is straight up village cricket. Raval is a fighter (which I like - and he is punishing on the drive), but he looks awkward on the onside and struggles to rotate the strike freely. 

Nicholls' technique is absolutely awful. His driving is woeful, his defense is questionable, all he seems to have is one of the best cut shots I have ever seen, and a good sweep shot with his pull shot being rocks and diamonds. But - he is the fittest player in the team, fitter than the pacemen (this is rare for any batsman) runs hard, and has crawled his way into the top 10 batsmen in the world rankings with Smith and Warner still ahead of him). So - he may just make a career for himself just yet despite having a dodgy method.

Will Young is knocking the selection door down, technically sound, but has a massive hundred conversion problem (27 50's to 6 hundreds - and he score one of those hundreds last month...)

The first test between New Zealand and Sri Landa is underway.

NZ bowling and have got an early wicket with Tim Southee bowling an excellent first over to get Danushka Gunathilaka for 1.

Tim Southee is bowling excellently in favourable conditions and now has 2-0 as he gets de Silva caught behind. 

A third wicket for Southee this time a terrible, awful, undisciplined shot from Mendis to Southee's worst ball of the match to be caught at a shortish mid wicket.

Must have been a good seaming track for Southee to get a five for Paddles. 

There was a bit of movement but Southee bowled really well.

Nah - its a flat grassy road to be fair... There's swing - no seam...

Actually I 100% agree with you there Paddles, it didn't have a lot from what I saw of it. 6/68 for Southee, any chance he has Australian relatives? 4th cousin? Dog born in Australia? Is he looking for a coaching job? Remind me again how much he earns a year from NZ Cricket? Less than 200K isn't it. Reminds me of the good old days when players play for the love of the sport and not the cash. Good effort from the New Zealand players. If they win 2-0 against Sri Lanka they could temporarily move up to No 2 on the test rankings and stay there if Pakistan win or draw a test against SA and England don't win 3-0 against the WI. Even if Australia win against India 2-1 and against Sri Lanka 2-0 they still can't climb higher than 5th. 

Paddles I don't want to restart the argument we had on the previous forum but you have to admit Australian players are over-paid prima donnas. So yes I am following NZ cricket at the moment, I really want them to do well, because that is the my problem with Australian cricket, overpaid for their accomplishments. First Double ton for Latham as I write. Declare at 550?

Paddles what's your opinion on Colin de Grandhomme 30 av with the bat 28 with the ball, definitely in the all-rounder category. Do you think he may continue this or is it only early in his career (though he is 32) and will fade with time? Watling progressing up the ladder top 20 all time keepers and an average of 38 with the bat, very under rated IMO, 10 more dismissals he moves past Parore. Best NZ keeper ever?

Colin is a fine all-rounder for NZ conditions. He has a big problem with wrist spinners. He is a genuine new ball bowling option despite his lower pace as he gets swing and nibble, he gets few opportunities to show this - but when he does he succeeds. 

In short - I don't see CdG causing Aus problems with the ball in Aus - but I could easily see him scoring a century-  but he will be absolutely lethal with the ball in England and terrorise them and his runs will be valuable there. He is far from proven with the bat in Asia esp if there's a wrist spinner. 

The thing with Colin - is first his bowling kept him in the team, then his batting, then his bowling again... He is actually useful in a lot of places - even if its only with one skill... If you get what I'm trying to say... When he fails - he fails in only one capacity - its a good attribute because he's always contributing to the test team in some way. (His ODI career is on much thinner ice).

Watling averages over 40 as a keeper bat - he's probably the best NZ's had because of when he scores runs - he scores the backs against the wall big scores that lead to wins and draws that either save or win a series... There's only McCullum in that debate really... I'm more than happy for someone to say Watling is the best on the New Zealand cricket history books.

Latham is a minnow basher - I am far from convinced... In fact - this innings has probably saved his test career with Will Young breathing down his neck for an opener's spot... Latham is like the opposite of Watling.

Rain is forecast for Wednesday so NZC will try and wrap this up tomorrow...

7 wickets needed, lead 276, pitch is a road, but only two critical SL wickets to get in Mathews and Chandimal...

SL need to bad through the day....

I wonder if Dickwella can get Sri Lanka the draw, just love his name. 3/19 from the opening NZ bowlers, sorry just dreaming Paddles of what it would be like to have 2 opening bowlers that could give that return. I'll be dreaming for a while.

They're swing bowlers... there aint as much swing in Aus... you watch - they'll struggle next year in Aus... it will be all about Wagner in Aus...

The Test grounds in NZ are often very scenic, but draw very poor crowds.

IMO NZ is too union obsessed!

Sri Lanka, South Africa and West indies all draw low Test crowds too. When Tests were played in Pakistan they drew reasonable crowds, but in the UAE the don't, because their fans aren't able to get leave from work.

Please - NZC's ODI crowds are poor too except when Aus or Eng turn up or India plays in a city.. :D

NZ crowds are fine for the Ovals and Reserves, esp over holidays, and its much better than NZC stays away from stadium cricket except for the Big ODI games in March.

But yeah - Union rules...

Amazing run down of a world top 10 batsman.

More amazing that he is in the top 10 right now to be fair. Consider me surprised.  If you only knew how many NZC fans wanted him dropped before his last hundred....( 2 DRS reviews later...)

Lets see how many runs he makes in Australia next year - I am going with not many... if he does not sort out his gap between bat and pad defence... I doubt he will even try to straight drive your quicks that much... could see him trying a cover drive on the up to his peril...

If he does make runs - I will reassess how he made those runs... (I am guessing he will be sweating on the long hops and rotate off Lyon)

I am not the kinda fan who says this guy is good because he plays for my team...

He has a FC average under 38 and he is now apparently a top 10 batsman based on some form in the last 8 games... of which only that Pakistan century was all that impressive... given his Eng century came when England was already played out of the game entirely...

Paddles Southee is loving these NZ green tops. 

Its not seam doing it... its purely swing. These pitches are flat roads....

You must have laughed when you saw Baggers post Paddles, you know it was just an assumption. I watched Boult's performance and Latham and Williamson bat on Fox, I just couldn't watch Day 2 of the Aus V India borefest bowling. Flat wicket is an understatement, just brilliant bowling. 

Im getting used to do it...

But, I still like Baggers will treat him with respect, though.

But yes, I agree with you and disagree with him. Entirely.

So Abbas and Philander missed the first test with injuries... but the bowler shoot out of what is probably the two best attacks in world cricket happened anyway.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18649/scorecard/1144153/south-africa-vs-pakistan-1st-test-pak-in-sa-2018-19

Despite Vernon's injury, MMorkel and Abbott's retirements, SA managed to drop Ngidi and play D Olivier... who now has 28 wickets after 6 tests at under 20 a piece.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/southafrica/content/player/486679.html

Shaheen continued on his merry way, and Amir returned with greater continued success for they but  someone has to be dropped for Abbas's return in the nest test - Hasan Ali perhaps?

Amla made a triumphant return to form as he took the match away from Pakistan with Eglar.

But this Safrican production of fast bowlers is just uncanny... what is in the water over there?

Olivier has continued his path of destruction, taking 4/48 as Pak bowled out for 177...

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18649/scorecard/1144154/south-africa-vs-pakistan-2nd-test-pak-in-sa-2018-19

Ngidi and Maharaj have a mountain to overcome as SA just go 4 prong seam...

It's a scary bowling line up SA have at the moment. Steyn even at 36 is still producing. When you have Rabada and Olivier as your No 3 and 4 bowlers your in a pretty good position. Injuries for SA no concern when you have Ngidi and Maharaja as back up.

South Africa mop up Pakistan to take a 2-0 series lead. Steyn is back to his best wrecking havoc.

Philander despite having ATG career stats must be feeling the pressure of Ngidi breathing down his neck for a selection spot.

Interesting times for the Proteas.

I had read that morning that it was a green top at Hagley. No? Southee is a specialist seamer. Does he swing it too?

Southee is only an outswing bowler... stock ball is a big hooping outswinger... his variation is an off cutter where he rolls his finger over it.

 Boult does swing it both ways when there's swing on offer, but his stock ball is a hooping outswinger to the left hand batsman...

Boult and Southee both are all about swing... not seam...

NZ pitches often look green with grass cover, but they're flat roads after the first morning...

I can only think you're mistaking Tim Southee for Matt Henry or Adam Milne... Southee is very much a gentle outswing bowler...

Southee can be rather innocuous when there is no swing? Perhaps a bit like Nathan Brackan.

Innocuous? Just totally ineffective. Southee is a swing bowler. Read his cricinfo profile - they got it right - except he has gone from 145 to 130 since it was written I suspect...

http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/232364.html

He's just an outswing bowler - that's all he is... he lost his pace years ago... but if there is the potential for swing - Boult and Southee will find it BEFORE the English boys - they really do sniff out any swing in the air... their wrists are better than Jimmy Anderson's... And they have proven this time and time against England heads up... On roads - they suck - on non rreversing dustbowls - they suck - on seaming green tops - Philander owns them... But even just a hint of swing that even Anderson struggles to find... - Boult and Southee are in the game... big time... that's when they shine... that's why Boult loves England... Boult is a better swing bowler than Jimmy - Timmy isn't all that far behind Jimmy... for swing... But Boult is the better of the two - 9 days out of 10... and beats Jimmy most days too for swing...

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/18913/scorecard/1158062/west-indies-vs-england-1st-test-england-tour-of-wi-2018-19


England bowled out for 77 vs Windies despite a batting order with Curran at 9 and Foakes at 8...