Of course you're going to compliment your captain like that, especially since he is now a selector. Don't suppose you can talk about that openly on this blog can you?
But of course, no detracting from a great career achievement by Vettori. Meanwhile, what about the apparent defensiveness of the NZ approach in the field. Apart from the odd good spell by you and the other bowlers, it just seems like you guys have a plan that can't be veered from when things inevitably go wrong.
We know the heat must be energy-sapping, but for God's sake why don't you try something out of the ordinary. Bowl a slower ball, try distracting the batsman, become ultra-agressive, inspect the pitch, bowl multiple bouncers in an over to buy a wicket...
A lot of the team seem to lack urgency in the field. Patel gets down on his luck and plods around like a scolded kid, Flynn looks like he'd rather be elsewhere, Oram looks like he's cruising...

Sorry mate no more rain! Give us a good match fighting back very hard

Lain good article, as always. I was actually near Kolpetty when I saw the New Zealand bus today. It was anyway tinted so couldn see anyone. I was actually cursing thinking that it might be some politician who is passing by and the police had blocked the road for everyone's inconvinience. Anyway it was the New Zealand team so i guess it was ok :)
I was actually telling my friends about you and how nice your articles have become. Keep on writing!!!! Pretty soon we will see a fan base from Sri Lanka. Anyway I really hope to meet you in Sri Lanka pretty soon.

cheers Ian, all the best for match

Its getting hard t support yous guys at the moment Ian. Maybe a couple batsmen could trick the NZ public into thinking they care about playing for NZ(Where is Mattew Sinclair???)

hi,
you guys really worked hard.you r very good especially against dilshan..keep it up..
i wanna ask u 1 ques..will u comb your hair?[:)]
Pray 2 god for showers from heaven ...

Nice blog Ian. I agree with what you have mentioned about Dan. He is truly a great servant for NZ Cricket. The way he celebrates a wicket or a century shows how simple cricketer he is. According to my view I think NZ and SL are the only Cricket playing nations who play the game in true spirit these days.
And sorry to say this man. There was no controversy on the way you got out. Not because I'm a SL supporter but you got it totally wrong. Actually SL players appealed for the LBW not for the bat-pad catch. If you watch the replays of it you can clearly see that you were plumb in front.
Any way you guys have to play your heart-out in the rest of the days to save this match.
So best of luck Ian. Like to see a bit of aggression from you tomorrow.

Nice blog series Iain. I have a question on about your team. Now that Shane Bond is eligible to play for NZ, when is he going to take the field? In the near future sometime??

Hi Iain, congrats to Dan the man! Anyone can tell he has the hunger to succeed at the top level. Congrats to you also on bending your back and making a much improved performance with the ball in the 2nd test. I don't know whether the whole team has the same hunger that you and Dan have. Maybe it is inexperience but the body language seems to be not of a team pulling together to win at all costs. It seems rather body language that I read is of a team waiting to get the heck out of Sri Lanka and back into more familiar environs. All departments have not been up to snuff but definitely the batting has let you down consistently. Maybe you fellas need to do a few hours in a local meditation center and just be able to be in the present with all your intensity. :) Heck why not? It can't hurt! Here is wishing you have fun and enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka to the fullest.

Cheers,

Manjula

By looking at the way he bowled and after reading the last line of this article, I've completely lost my respect to OB. Through out the test the NZ bowlers have being bowling defensive lines and according to OB they are expecting more rain in the next few days, which means they are looking forward for a TAME LAME draw. Can NZC be more pesimistic in their approach to test cricket. Cricket is a competitive game and as a major cricket playing nation NZ should have a better approach towards test cricket which will be for the betterment of the future of test cricket. As a big fan of quality cricket I really can't stand test players having negative approaches towards test cricket.

At the moment what NZ players must do is to up the tempo in their game play rather than praying for rain, which makes them cowards. So pls OB, set ur mind on fighting back than planning to draw matches.

I live you guys and am willing NZ to show just how well the team can play. You have so much potential but just don't seem to put it all together. You seem to play as individuals not as a team. Get together and make us all proud !!!

Patience is the key in test cricket. I reckon the NZ team is attempting to go at ODI pace. Both Mcintosh and Guptil were trying to slog every ball. 2 early wickets then results in the SL bowlers to gain their rythem, instead of the batsman tiring them out. look at the SL batting team for compariso. The only two players exceeded a strike rate of 60, thats the keeper and murali.

Welllll...Iain! Do with a bit more rain? Come on. COME ON! We took the "spirit" of cricket award away from you after you'd won two sessions running. I am a Sri Lankan with the deepest love for you blokes. You're team is like ours. We take our cue from our ancient Vedda heritage and you take it from your Maoris. What happened to your spirit? If Australia doesn't know the meaning of it, if India thinks its money or England thinks its all about its colonial dominance or South Africa thinks its their win against external opposition like apartheid or Pakistan thinks its a shot for the Almighty, I can empathize if not sympathize. Dan showed you guys where your roots are. However resistive his path was, however desperate his circumstance, however unheralded his war, "he lived he lived, he died he died". Don't just laud him pal. Emulate him.As a Sri Lankan, regardless of our personal success, I say,You,Us,Ireland play. win? tough. Draw? maybe. BUT PLAY? PETESAKES! PLAY! Don't pray.

well said dude... dan is real master class player.. he is simple and calm which makes him delight to watch....never ever sourrounded by any controversies. Good luck to Dan and wishing him to reach many more milestones.

Hello Iain,
I, like so many others, enjoy reading your comments. It is some what disappointing to see that nothing seem to come Kiwi way despite your hard work. Hope to see you guys put up a good fight in upcoming T20 series and give us a good game of cricket. I wish to emphasize on one thing, Sri Lankan cricket fans not only want their side to win but a good cricket all-round. Wish you all the best for the rest of the game.
Cheers..

Hi OB,
it really was dissapointing yesterday.We needed to bat out time but the batsmen did not do it.The pitch did not help either,playing like a day 5 pitch.

Dan is a really good captain.We admire the faith he has in all his players.He really is "dan the man".

During the series there had been some stupid banners cropping up.but things got a bit too far when they had a go at jesse ryder.it was disgusting and there was nothing humourous about it.Just because there is a banner competition,it does not mean that they can take a dig out at a player's appearance.How would the sri lankan fans feel if there was a banner of a wrinkled old sanath jayasuriya chasing a long way behind the ball and captioned "way to go old man"?

hard luck mate.. but you are an awesome bowler and hope you win the 2nd test against SL.

Good luck Iain, win for us!

Hi Iain,
Congrats to Dan for join 300 W & 3000 runs milestone. He is a handy allrounder. I wish him good luck but I dont think NZ will able to save this match unless the rain will help NZ. Keep writing this blog. It's cool.

Sri Lanka used to be my favorite team however they are becoming a great side, kind of like Australia. Hence they fell off my list. NZ is now on top of my list. I would love to see NZ take Champions Trophy. You've done it before and you'll do it this time. I watched you bowl quite intently and if I may, I'd say try to mix up bowling. How about you send down a bouncer and then followed by three slow balls. Throw in a leg spin or off spin. Remember Aaqib Javed getting Mark Greatbatch out in 1992 World Cup semifinal. You know the game better then me definitely. Tell Chris Martin to do the same. Dan V can't finish the game on his own if he doesn't have support. Wish you all the best for this test and the future.

Hi Iain,
I m a big fan of Blackcaps, but its really hard for me to believe that blackcaps are not performing upto their standards in test matches, i know u guys train hard but some how the results are not coming our way how they should have come. so what i only say is keep trying....
and hats of for Dan what he have acheived.

Hi Iain,
I m a big fan of Blackcaps, but its really hard for me to believe that blackcaps are not performing upto their standards in test matches, i know u guys train hard but some how the results are not coming our way how they should have come. so what i only say is keep trying....
and hats of for Dan what he have acheived.

Dude you are done. I thought you listen to me. Nope. You just bowling like ishant sharma now. ishant sharma lost it after aussie series. You are bowling too many 4 balls. Watch malcolm marshall tape man or wasim akram bowled dravid. What a ball. I never seen it like that. its in you tube. I think that would be the best unplayable ball i ever seen. I think you need to bowl heavy ball. Watch aqib javed (muhammed asif's guru)...they let the ball roll inside the palm i think. When it released it has its own spin.

Anyway srilankan are different nut to crack in srilanka. Unless you have bond in the team .. you can't beat them. You need express pace and bounce.

Hi Ian,

If the Kiwis lose this test, you and your mates can always blame the food for making you sick, or the incompetent umpiring.

Well how about the darn mosquitoes or the monsoon rain?!? You had better dream something up quick before the cricketing public places Kiwi cricket right next to Bangladesh,Zimbawe or kenya!

Iain,

Congrats to Daniel Vettori.
ALL THE BEST BlackCaps.

I'm a huge NZ supporter, so it is hard to watch test cricket at the moment. I think it all fell apart when Snedden was in charge of NZ cricket and NZ didn't play a test for about a year while the built-up to the World Cup. (hope he doesn't destroy the AB's the same way!) Would like to see the ODI's and 20-20 scrapped and NZ given another two tests just so they can practise playing this game. NZ won't improve without more games and these 2 test series are too short. Shame that money means more than developing weaker nations.

sorry to say this Lain, but NZ has been comprehensively beaten. SL at the moment is too good for u guys. kinda sucks thinking how deep u guys bat n the quality of bowling

chuck out patel n replace with bond instead...

no more rains for u buddy... a game against kenya maybe?

Well mate, I think you've come around very nicely since you were hammered by Dilshan in the Galle test.However I would like your team to get over the softie approach in the future talking too much on bugs,rain humidity etc etc if you were to make any impact on the international arena.Sri Lankans had this approach in the eighties which Arjuna changed for good.I wish you've turned a corner by your next visit.
Ranil Herath ,Kent.

Man we really appreciate what u did today u r a real sportsman three chers mate

Hi Ian. Sorry I do endorse the fact the Vettori is a great player but he is not a match winner. He is certainly a good player, a good captain amongst a bunch of not so good players. He is no match for captains like Ponting, Dhoni or Smith who are real match winners and can pull out victory from the jaws of defeat. Sorry but he has to still go a long away to be a match winner.

Great work Iain! Great! You guys may have lost the match but not the spirit. I salute your 12 just as much as I laud Dan's 140. If Jacob had stayed one hour more it could have gone your way. Still, you vindicated yourselves and I am very very glad for that.

How about today's walking off Iainee? I'm with u in the spirit of the sportsmanship, but today mate, after all the hard work u did, and when the last batsman is world's greatest Chris Martin, how can u possibly walk away???!!! Honesty is not always the best policy, not when u've faced 71 deliveries.

You really had to walk OB? Can't really say how it felt. But great sportsmanship nevertheless.

Hi Ian
Just wanted to say that i admired your grit and self belief that you showed with Daniel V. on the last day. Vettori was incredible and shows what is possible with some application and not just rolling over and losing when it seemed impossible.
You also showed some grit with the ball and it was obvious you bowled your heart out.
Well done and all the best for the future.

Hard luck Ian u battered really well with dan. if the top order showed half your courage that game would of gone down in history as the greatest game in New Zealand test crickt.

keep running and bowling hard and digging dip with the batt u truely are a great player.

Ian ... you defended incredibly well against heaps of pressure from the Sri Lankan team. Very well done and it eneded up being a tense contest.

not only did you show your play hard attitude, but you also showed something that is lacking far too much in today's game. You walked when you knew you had edged the ball. Don't see that too often mate - I've seen Sanga do it a few times - but hats off.

The game was played in good spirit! All the best to you and the team.

Your blog is great!

Well done mate for a great effort with the bat alongside your captain. Im a chch lad and a keen follower of the blackcaps and was very impressed watching day 5 of the test.
Keep at it, and the team will always have the support of true fans back home.

Hi Iain, I am a Kiwi who will be in Colombo during the series starting Tuesday. I have no idea how I can go about getting tickets. Any information you could provide would be much appreciated. Chris.

well done ian for complementing ur captain,but truely i want to say dan is fabulous cric,he is one of the best all rounder and back bone of kiwi team,but the player like styris r not in team,he was also referred once as best allrounder,but where he gone,i think kiwi board need good managment of there players otherwise the days r not far when kiwi team will lose their charm.haope u will enjoy the tri series in lanka.

Sorry, I am late to comment on this, but in my opinion Dan Vettori is the player of this decade undoubtedly. Look at the way, he's fought for his team. He's given many gutsy performance for his country. Also, in my opinion he's been the No.1 ODI spinner of the decade. NZ team must start firing to do the justice to the player of such great caliber. I've posted one comment on "How to define class ?" and I m really feeling bad after not mentioning his name in my list of classy players. He is really "CLASSY" laid. One of the great left arm spinner.