Friday, 20 October 2006

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka preview

Richard Boock continues his early season good mood with a glowing piece on Stephen Fleming. The glow is made extra warm thanks to some unusually positive comments from John Bracewell. What has bought on all this back-slapping and early season joy? I suspect somebody is putting happy juice in the tea of New Zealand cricket's two foremost curmudgeons.

Cricinfo's preview includes the bizarre rumour that industrial adhesives have been used on the pitch to stop it from breaking apart. Even if this is true, I suspect the toss is again going to have too much influence on the outcome. Apart from that comment, Cricinfo does not appear too excited about the game. "Two teams that are more than competent at one-day cricket promise to put up a show worthy of the occasion" is their summary. Given that "the occasion" is a round robin match in a second tier tournament this is not particularly high praise.

As if to dampen down any remaining enthusiasm for the contest, Stephen Fleming predicts that occupying the crease and grinding things out will be the way to win.

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