We walked off after day one at 293 for 3, as I said, not the best day in the field; that’s obvious. Day two was better though. We picked up the remaining seven wickets for 159 with Dan (Vettori) and Tommy (Chris Martin) both thoroughly earning their four wickets each. Dan bowled tightly throughout the innings and it was just a matter of time before he’d pick up wickets. Dan and I normally, in the past, have bowled well together, we’ve both been able to control the runs and then put scoreboard pressure on the batters to score. The ends we like to bowl from normally works that it suits us both too. I couldn’t hold up my end in the way I’ve been able to do enough in this first innings. So it took a change of ends for Dan so that he and Tommy could bowl together. And it worked, perfectly; the last four wickets for just eight runs, all of them off Muralitharan's bat. We love the way he bats, we all wish we could be that free.
It’s raining right now, it’s almost 9am and we’d normally be at the ground by now.
An amazing storm came through around 5am this morning, thunder banging about and lightning as bright as I’ve ever seen; with it, torrential rain. The rain has eased but is still steady and doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. We’ve watched the covers go on and come off, an amazing mission by the lads at the ground. The whole ground gets covered; I don’t know if there are that many covers in New Zealand, I’ve never seen anything like it. As we’ve watched them being taken off we know that it’s about a 90-minute even so there is no point going to the ground until the rain stops completely. There’s nothing we can do about it so it was a longer breakfast than normal and most of the boys will be in their room resting up some more.
Yesterday afternoon we got through to stumps two down and 87 on the board. McIntosh played a traditional Test match openers role. He blunted the bowlers and scored where he could; quite the opposite of how Dilshan played. Dilshan attacked us and put us, bowlers, on the back foot. His style comes with risk but when it comes off, and he’s good enough, it is a tough style to work plans to. The thing about the way Dilshan played, especially in a first innings is that it gives the fielding team a chance of an early wicket and some early momentum. Obviously if he comes off it’s the opposite, but as we saw yesterday we know that if we can get early breakthroughs in the top order then the tail isn’t going to add as many as some line-ups in the world.
As I type this a big black cloud has worked its way over the hotel and heading its way to the ground, the rain has just got heavier and it looks like we’ll be at the hotel for a while yet.
Hi Obrien,
How is it going there? I know it might not sound easy to pick yourself up after a tough day in a test, how do you intend to bounce back in the second innings? What do you normally do to relax and wind down?
Posted by: Thameem Irshad at August 20, 2009 4:49 AM
I can't fathom the reason why Dambulla is not given test status. IF my memory serves me correct, there has not a been single match which was interrupted by rain over there.
Posted by: Vix at August 20, 2009 4:52 AM
Hi Obrien, if you can get as much wickets as Murali got, you too will be allowed to bat the way he does :)
Posted by: Vini at August 20, 2009 4:53 AM
Hey you bowled nice, and took two wickets as well!
Good luck :)
Posted by: abs at August 20, 2009 4:53 AM
nice work ian
keep the hard work up
hopefully u can make some runs for nz
and we can post a competitive total
Posted by: Hakim at August 20, 2009 4:55 AM
Nice and Interesting blog, quite a different side to the normal story of people commenting from outside the boundary ropes, 1st time I've read a players blog... and heck it's not boring like the traditional blah blah..
Keep up the good work. All the best for the rest of the tourney and the ODIs but we are going to beat you any way.. LOL...
Some advice from a laymen, just don't bowl monotonously, make changes, take risks and it might pay off, Dan takes too little risks and lets the match drift...
All the best
Posted by: Janaka at August 20, 2009 5:14 AM
Brilliant Ian. Hope you guys are enjoying tropical wheather conditions in SL. Also the hospitality services. Yes, I agreed with you, this is the only ground in the world can cover entire ground when raining to protect entire field.This is how Srilankans are crazy about their cricket. When they rebuild this after the Tsunami, that is one of their commitment. So Ian, I wish you & your team for a very good serious & enjoy your time in SL.
Posted by: Jonte at August 20, 2009 5:20 AM
Hope we can get at least one full days play in this test match, too many delays! Iain, although you've been expensive, I think you have been unlucky. At the times you bowl well you dont really seem to get the momentum up to scare the batsmen. I think you need to be a bit more aggressive.
Posted by: Osada at August 20, 2009 5:20 AM
O'Brien are you hurt lot from Dilshan?
Posted by: Ninad at August 20, 2009 5:32 AM
Hey Ian,
Good to see your blog.... quite interesting as usual... I hope the rain stops and u guys will get a chance to bat...
all the best for rest of series... I hope to see u in the champion trophy as well...
All the best..
Cheers!!!
Posted by: Russell at August 20, 2009 5:49 AM
Great to see the kiwi's playing test cricket again and I am hoping for a good result. This is an exciting SL team to watch, both batting & bowling (and Murali never stops smiling, got to love it) and what a change to watch two teams play who appreciate good cricket, i.e., hand shakes between opposing players during play.
Posted by: Sam at August 20, 2009 8:11 AM
Dear Ian & the gang, Welcome to my birth place, Galle. I love to read your nice little stories. Though, I am not living in Galle anymore but watching the test match on t.v.in Hong Kong. Enjoy Galle & Sri Lanka hospitality. Oh, by the way, don't forget to visit UNAWATUNA beach area. You guys will love it though sea is not perfect this time of the year due to monsoon :-)
Posted by: CricFan at August 20, 2009 8:22 AM
Iain,
Bowl well in second innings.
ALL THE BEST BLACKCAPS.
Posted by: Anuj at August 20, 2009 8:24 AM
hi Ian, just wish Jesse good luck from my side want to see him bat for long. i hope he does. just loves his batting.
Posted by: Ed at August 20, 2009 10:47 AM
Get to the ground! You're in next!
Posted by: Anuj at August 20, 2009 12:18 PM
i am a big fan of jesse. he played well but disappointed for the way he got out. i am hoping for some big knocks from him on this tour. Carry on Jesse.
Posted by: Biju George Paul at August 20, 2009 1:02 PM
Hi Iain, how are you doing. I had visited Galle 2 days back and was at the hotel lighthouse for lunch and dinner on the 17th. Did take a picture with you guys sitting outside the lounge facing the sea. when you bowl please try for back of a length as anything full or short will be punished severely. Also to the left handers try to come around the stumps and pitch or off or a shade outside off and let the ball straighten,iam sure you will find many edges to slips. Wish you all the best.My regards and best wishes to the entire team. Mcullum lookds very dull, what happened. He should always play the positive game going for the shots,whenever he is sedate he gets out pretty fast and he needs to play his natural game.
Iam sure you and Dan can bat for a long time,put a millio dollar tag on your wicket Iain and the rest Dan is capable. Wishing you all the very best
Posted by: rajitha hewabandula at August 20, 2009 1:12 PM
dont write any thing today to ur blog..i think u dont have time to concentrate as u have a tough task on tomorrow to bat to get ur side to reach SL total..all the best..chersss
Posted by: TAHA at August 20, 2009 1:58 PM
I think newzealand batted well especially how the cope with the spinners only thing that was just missing was big ones they all got starts like mcintosh taylor ryder but noone went on to big 1 if they learn how to score like mahela and samaraweera i hope they will get upper hand in next test match...
Posted by: Juzzie at August 20, 2009 2:22 PM
Hey mate, Juzzie from Riverside, just saw ya blog so thought I would say Hi. Good to see you promoting Petone. Always following your scores, good luck mate you deserve it!
Posted by: Dark ferns at August 20, 2009 2:43 PM
Hi OB,
nice to see you support Dan.just hang in there till we have aleast 300 on the board.Beautiful cricket from mcintosh.shame that he could not get his hundred.a bit dissapointing on how the batsmen could not capitalize after good starts.Jake didnt deserve that unfair dismissal(sri lankans over-appeal a bit too much and put pressure on the umpires).It was a bad decision-he was going on well.
Just hang in there tomorrow.you can be stubborn if you want to.Go for it OB!
Posted by: arun at August 20, 2009 3:09 PM
hi,
u guys did a good job by showing some resistance.
score more than 19 tomoro..!!
Best of luck!!
Posted by: Vishal Joshi at August 20, 2009 3:23 PM
Hi again Iain. The irony is, prior to start of every game, we as spectators always wish it never rains. But when our favorite team is under pressure, we wish it actually does rain. Day 2 was pretty ordinary for you guys as you have lost too many wickets. I am sure you'd be hoping it rains so that you can save the test match. All the best though.
Posted by: Shamen at August 20, 2009 3:59 PM
Hi Iain,
I am originaly from southern part of Sri Lanka, although I dont live there anymore.
This is an interesting blog. As some one else said here before, this is not boring at all.I hope people(crowd) are nice and friendly to you guys. have a great time in SL.
Posted by: Johnny at August 21, 2009 3:08 AM
Hey Iain. You've bowled very well over the past year. Please try and develop a slow off-cutter. If you get it right, it will work, I promise you.
ps - Can you tell me was there anything in Samarweera pointing his bat like a gun when he reached his century the other day? I thought it may be some sort of statement on the recent civil war, lingering bitterness re the Tamils etc...
Posted by: Mavubima at August 21, 2009 1:56 PM
Jonny,
Dont look for things that are not there...Samaraweera's batting partner (on the picture) is a Tamil. And Murali is a Tamil. Do you see any difference when they celebrate/hug each other every time? There is no bitterness among normal people. There was a problem against LTTE & now it is no longer there. So every one is so happy. (even the NZ team who had to abandon thier tour due to a bomb blast close to thier hotel some years ago!) Read what Murali said when the LTTE was defeated! Dont always believe what Miliband (or BBC) dishes out!
"lingering bitterness re the Tamils" what do you know?
Posted by: Johnny at August 27, 2009 10:51 PM
Mavubima,
thanks for your reply.
What do I know about the Sri Lanka civil war and all that? Very little.. that's why I asked if there was anything behind his gesture.
Thanks for providing me with an answer.
And I completely agree, don;t believe what Milliband, BBC and whoever tells me. Just like, in a sense, we have to take what iain tells us with a grain of salt too.
It's all subjective my friend.
regards.
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Iain O'Brien
must type as fast as he bowls. After stumps most days he adds to his popular personal blog, covering his take on the play, dressing room snippets and personal insights (he really doesn’t like bouncers). A fast-medium bowler, O’Brien has become a regular member of the New Zealand Test side over the past year and is enjoying his time at the top.
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