Daniel Vettori doesn’t have a lot to smile about yesterday, but hopeful to start anew with the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka after the defeats in the Test matches. Though New Zealand were didn’t play at their best in both Tests, there is still abundance of limited-overs cricket for them before returning home the two Twenty20s preceding the tri-series, also featuring India, with the Champions Trophy in South Africa to follow.

This New Zealand side is superior suited to one-day cricket, having won six and drawn one of their last eight series, including wins over England and West Indies. However, they have struggle in one-dayers in Sri Lanka, winning ten of 27 games. Vettori is confident of improving that record. I’d say we’ve been stronger in the limited-overs cricket. The experience out here will strengthen a few of the players for the limited-overs series. There’s no hesitation this is a group of batsmen and I have high hopes of them.

New Zealand have some recruits changes, such as fast bowlers Kyle Mills, Shane Bond and Ian Butler and relative rookies Brendon Diamanti and Neil Broom, but the core group stays the same. And I expect we’ll see a rotate in our limited-overs performance. We require winning these games as we build up to the Champions Trophy. It’s a short and spiky competition and you need to hit it running.

New Zealand will welcome back Bond, who, Vettori established, will mark his international return in Wednesday’s first T20. Bond’s leaving to the ICL in 2008 was vital as when Richard Hadlee stepped down in 1990, and while Vettori was quick to allow Bond some gasp room, he know how important he is.

Vettori said that I don’t want to put a great deal pressure on the guy because I can see it building from a distance. People are viewing him as a sort of saviour to some recent woes but I feel we need to let Shane relax and build his way to return into the team. Bond will be a very important player for New Zealand in the 50-over games.

New Zealand cricket fans have accepted, if unwillingly, that their team can badly compete in one-day and Twent20 cricket, because from the depths of No. 7 in the ICC Test rankings there’s not much room for hopefulness. Though his instant aim was to gee this team up for the limited-overs fixtures, Vettori obviously had an eye on the home Tests against Pakistan in November. The two Tests in Sri Lanka were a methodical disappointment and Vettori, when he sits down with the selection board on returning, will have his plate full. New Zealand does not have a reservoir of second-tier players presenting a believable case for selection and Vettori wanted to stick with these players ahead of Pakistan’s visit. Our guys have faced some unconventional bowlers that they don’t get back home, so for them to face that kind of bowling and to be successful, at times, is a very good experience.

Sri Lanka, refined by an unbroken 68-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, bolstered their grip on the second Test with a lead of 339 and eight wickets in hand – and two days to go. A heavy downpour at 4.10pm curtailed play on another day of local domination, the tone for which was set in the first session when New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 51 runs to spin. Out-of-form opener Tharanga Paranavitana was alert, mindful of the information that this was his last innings of the series, while Dilshan made 34 before chipping Jeetan Patel to long-on. Paranavitana, moving ahead slowly and discreetly, looked set for his first substantial contribution but was incorrectly ruled out caught behind by Harper when he obviously missed a sweep down the leg side.

That prove to be New Zealand’s last achievement on a slow day. Sangakkara and Jayawardene relied mostly on singles, aided by New Zealand’s weary fielding effort. They built the lead wisely, the captain handling Daniel Vettori and Patel quite carefully. Sangakkara used his feet and extended fully forward to negate the turn from the rough and used the width of the crease to rock back and cut when Patel pitched it short. The good mates were at no difficulty against the harmless line of the quick bowlers and Patel, who didn’t get a great deal turn from the track. Sangakkara brought up his second half-century of the series off 80 balls and, two intended sweeps later, had to run off when sudden rain required an early close.

New Zealand struggled a deficit of 257 was a massive disadvantage to start the day with, and it got worse for New Zealand when Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor fell in the first 40 minutes. Having for a short time held up Sri Lanka and taken New Zealand past the follow-on mark, Vettori and Jacob Oram departed within 14 deliveries leaving the home side in complete control. Sangakkara started the day with his best spinners Muttiah Muralitharan began with an perfect line and restricted the batsmen largely to singles. The quality was set in Rangana Herath’s first over, the second of the day, when he beat Taylor and McCullum with superior turn away from the bat. With three fielders around the bat, and the ball spinning, there were more than a few appeals and gasps as Murali and Herath spun a web.

Herath be supposed to have had McCullum on 13 twice in one over but Paranavitana drop a catch at silly point, his second drop of the game, and Thilan Samaraweera miss a low chance to his left at second slip. In the next over Harper twisted down a convincing appeal for lbw when Taylor missed a sweep. McCullum was the man first to go when he edged a Murali doosra to offer Jayawardene 150th catch in Tests. At the end of day’s play Sri Lanka were 157 for 2 lead by 339 runs. New Zealand all out for 234.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting is release to the idea of handing deputy Michael Clarke the guidance responsibilities for the Twenty20 and one-day teams, and preserving himself for Test cricket. Clarke, 28, has already captained Australian team in 11 overs and two T20 internationals while Ponting has been rested. He was called as Test vice-captain subsequent to the retirement of Adam Gilchrist, and led all Australian batsmen with 448 runs at 64.00 during the 2009 Ashes series.

Ponting understood the one-day leadership in 2002 while Steve Waugh was still at the wheel of the Test side. The two players shared the captaincy until Waugh’s retired from Test cricket in 2004. Ponting has been the choice of leading Australia team in Test, ODI and Twenty20 sides ever since. If that’s the method that I or others outside of what I’m thoughts to decide (is) the right way to go, there’s completely no reason why that couldn’t happen Ponting said of sharing the captaincy with Clarke. It is episode with other teams around the world right at the moment.

Paul Collingwood is captain of the England T20 team and Andrew Strauss is captain of the one-day and Test teams. Those things are belongings that need to be thought long and hard about, but if it means that I’m going to be better off for Test matches and better series when they come around. ponting return to Sydney on Wednesday after becoming the first Australian captain since Billy Murdoch to twice give in the Ashes in England. The defeat at Lord’s ensure Australia the added humiliation of slipping to fourth place on the ICC Test rankings, having lost three of their past five series.

Australia’s middle issues have led to calls from convinced sections of the local media for Ponting’s axing as captain, however he has reaffirmed his desire to play on until the 2013 Ashes series. He told that having a attractive bitter and sour taste in my mouth at the end of that Test match, I’d love to be clever to go back and give it one more crack. I’ve got to be anxious about the next 12 or 18 months and see if all that hunger is still there.

I still believe I’ve got a lot to offer the team, as a batsman and as a captain and as a leader. If it tops up getting to the point where I’m not the captain, my hunger and determination to keep playing this game are as good as ever. Australia’s returning cricketers have spoken their ongoing support for Ponting, with Stuart Clark telling calls for his sacking as ludicrous.

For the second Test running, Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera batted with a cleanliness of purpose, which New Zealand have been unable to make all tour, to help the hosts share the first day’s honours. The shortened first session was common by both sides, the second saw Kumar Sangakkara control with a sweep-fuelled 50 before he became Daniel Vettori’s 300th Test victim, and in the third Sri Lanka fully unspoken control as Jayawardene and Samaraweera put mutually an unspectacular alliance of 147 that chipped away at New Zealand’s spirits.

A sparse crowd at the SSC witnessed a slow-paced, gritty fight between bat and ball leading into tea. Neither Sri Lanka nor New Zealand really took manage on a slow surface and under continually threatening clouds, but the final session solidified the hosts’ position. In the first session Sri Lanka scored 62 and lost one wicket; in the second they made 83 and lost two; and in the final session they scored 116 without loss of wicket. New Zealand are still one wicket away from an inexperienced lower middle order but need amazing spectacular things tomorrow because conventional wisdom says that day two is best for batting at this venue.

Jayawardene batted as if he predictable to score yet another century at the SSC. It was a distinctive effort, full of careful leaves and textbook pushes to the off side played with vertical front elbow and resourceful tucks off his pads. By the time Samaraweera walked out, Jayawardene had ease himself in; all he needed was an important person to reciprocate. They blocked their way through the start of their association with hardly a shot in anger. After he get settled Samaraweera began to use his feet well and looked to score off Jeetan Patel. Jayawardene scored his half-century and then prepared for his 118th delivery. The pair step up a mechanism as they built on their platform. Samaraweera twice played Patel for fours and Jayawardene paddled Jacob Oram to fine leg and then play a pearling drive on the up off the same bowler. Samaraweera scored his half-century in a Jesser Ryder over in which he clipped, drove and edged 13 runs.

Vettori used pace and spin at the same time and later on brought himself on with the new ball, but a flat pitch and twinkle-toed batting from Jayawardene and Samaraweera ensure the ball was worked all across the field. Vettori bowled with a slip and short leg with spin, for the most part, but put one man out for the pace bowling. He could possibly have been more creative with an inside-out field when the clouds passed over in the afternoon.

Vettori was New Zealand’s best bowler, maintain a steady line and length to take 2 for 65 in his 30 overs. There wasn’t much nibble in the track, which presented slow spin, and Vettori had to rely on flight and variation to test the batsmen. He was not given much hold up, though, by his spinner partner Patel, who the batsmen were clever to drive off both front and back foot with ease. Patel hardly ever threatened as he was a bit flat and often dropped short. Dilshan left early in the session, popping a edge back to O’Brien. Sangakkara had a plan against Vettori, maybe because he’d heard him say how sweeping unsettled him the most. He swept two of his first five balls from Vettori for four and show a favorite to get on the front foot, looking to drive anything on the fuller side. At the end of days play Sri Lanka where 262 for 3.

Indian Cricketer Harbhajan Singh believes the Sri Lanka tri-series will serve up as a build-up to the upcoming Champions Trophy. The Indian cricketers will start their long season with the tri-series in Colombo that involve New Zealand in addition the hosts.The Indian Cricketers will then be leaving for South Africa for the Champions Trophy that begins on Sep 22.

The Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said India will be the favourites to win the Sri-Lankan tri series. We have played well against New Zealand in New Zealand recently and also we have performed well against Sri Lanka in the recent ODI series. Singh said that if we play to our latent, we will win the tournament.

The series at Sri Lanka will be a good build-up for the season ahead with Champions Trophy starting straight away after that.There is a first-class players of youth and experience in the team. Also, the return of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will increase the batting order.

Bhajji said that we miss Virender Sehwag and Zaheer two important members in team and also it will be an opportunity for other players to deliver.After Australia’s fall from the wheel of the Test rankings, India rose to third spot behind South Africa and Sri Lanka. We have worked and played hard in the last few years and that’s why we are third in the rankings now.

At the moment of victory,England’s players hurried into a group on the edge of the square – all except for one, that is. In his minute of Test retirement, Andrew Flintoff’s first character was to seek out and cheer up the dejected centurion Hussey, whose 121 from 263 balls had given his side a hope of deliverance, but whose careless running between the wickets during a fraught afternoon session had been the single biggest factor in their demise. Flintoff is the man who wrap show from the Australians. He might not be the thrashing batsman of old in this series, while his bowling – though roaring at Lord’s – faded cruelly as the concerns about his right knee began to mount. But as a occurrence, and as a man who can make things happen on a cricket field, his spell has barely diminished.

However the choice went to a replay, Flintoff was in no doubt. He raise his arms to give pose, and waited to be enveloped by his jubilant team-mates. It was a moment harshly evocative of Gary Pratt’s series-turning shy at Trent Bridge when Ponting once again was the fall guy, and it uncorked the tensions in the crowd as surely as the champagne was uncorked in England’s dressing-room some three hours later. Michael Clarke ran himself out for a duck after a snip off the pads ricochet to Andrew Strauss at leg slip, and Australia could not pull through their bearing. Though Hussey was dropped by Collingwood at slip on 55 off Swann, in Swann’s next over, Marcus North drag his back foot out of the crease as he swung at a big ripper, and Matt Prior, having gather well high to his left, flicked off the bails almost as an afterthought. Target of 546 had become a far-away creation of their imagination, and at 236 for 5, their only residual hope was to bat out the final four sessions of the series.

Haddin chose pugnacity as the means to reboot Australia’s innings, and he signalled his intention with two fours in first nine balls, including a sparkling cover-drive as James Anderson overpitched. But Anderson might have dismiss him three times in a single over, including a directive clip to short midwicket that was spilled by the substitute, Graham Onions. As Hussey took their seventh-wicket position to 91, an ever-anxious crowd began to drag your feet in their seats. On 34, though, his luck finally ran out, as he advanced down the track to Swann and picked out Strauss with a lofted flick to deep midwicket.

Strauss, regularly the coolest of characters in the field, celebrated euphorically as The Oval erupted once more, and seven balls later, the end truly was nigh. Steve Harmison – up till now muted on a pitch that did not suit his style – extracted enough life for Mitchell Johnson to fence to second slip, where Collingwood, to his relief and joy, finally held on. Then Peter Siddle played about his front pad to lob a straightforward chance to mid-off, Harmison had his second scalp in the space of 12 balls. That rapidly became three in 13, as Stuart Clark fenced nervily to Cook at short leg, and though Hilfenhaus averted the hat-trick with a stabbed defence straight back down the track, there was no longer any way to stem England’s tide of emotion.

Some six hours earlier, England’s day of fate had dawn with more than just a frisson of worry in the air, thanks to the ease with which Australia’s openers had pushed along at four runs an over on the third evening of the match. But Swann soothed the nation by claiming the initial breakthrough at the end of his second over, change a succession of sharply rotating offbreaks past Simon Katich’s edge, before nailing him plumb lbw with the arm-ball. Swann bounce for happiness in the middle of the pitch as a huge roar of relief and ecstasy erupted from the stands, but almost straight away the fervour morphed into a respectful standing ovation for the incoming Ponting, in his 136th Test and almost certainly his last in England after four memorable Ashes tours.

Before he faced a delivery, however, England had struck again, as Broad this time hurried Watson on off stump and beat the inside-edge of his defensive prod. Watson did not appear best pleased at the decision, but replays suggested there was nothing wrong with the appeal at all. For all Watson’s inspiring form in five innings at the top of Australia’s order, it was yet the fourth time this series he had fallen in such a manner. In the first over after lunch, Ponting lace a first-ball full-toss from Broad all the way through the covers for four, then tickled Swann around the corner to bring up a battling and brilliant half-century from 76 deliveries. Broad then received a warning for running on the pitch to get deeper the crowd’s growing concerns, who had just seen Collingwood at slip parry a rare Ponting edge with his left boot. But then up popped Flintoff, and once he’d had his say, there was no asset back the predictable.

New Zealand’s prediction of uneasy Sri Lanka’s quest for victory in the first cricket test hinges on worsening weather and an illness-ravaged team’s improving health during tomorrow’s final day at Galle International Stadium.Set a fabulous 413 for victory, New Zealand limp to stumps on the penultimate day on 30 for one, a pallid quandary to match the medical status of the majority of the team. Guptill was not out on 17 alongside Ross Taylor, who scored eight.

New Zealand now face current three sessions to refute Sri Lanka a series lead — and will be relying on forecast showers.A rearrange batting order negotiate a difficult hour before bad light ending events 13 overs early though not before makeshift opener Daniel Flynn was brightly caught by Jayawardene at second slip in Kulasakera’s first over.

Once Sri Lanka declared a blazing second innings closed at 259 for four at the tea interval, New Zealand had to rise their rearguard action without opener, and first innings top scorer, Tim McIntosh.Flynn innate the difficult task of facing the new ball and shuffle off three balls later for a duck.While New Zealand ended towards stumps Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum were in separation at the team hotel, their prospects of participation tomorrow in the balance.

New Zealand’s 2nd innings delayed by an hour and the tourists will surely welcome more of the same tomorrow to irritate a Sri Lankan side dominant since the morning.Dilshan played the hosts advantage by stroking a stylish unbeaten 123 to erase the dissatisfaction of his first innings’ 92.Dilshan again collared the bowling as the home team chase fast runs after ending New Zealand’s first innings on 299, 11 overs into the morning session.His rollicking close to century on Tuesday set the stage for Sri Lanka’s position of power but he was not as savage today as he completed a relatively sedate century by his standards.Dilshan’s last 50 runs took 80 delivery as Vettori finally latched on a leg stump line, a defensive ploy to temporarily curb the attack.

But Dilshan, who reached his half-century from 35 balls, still hit nine fours and a six in his century as Sri Lanka plundered at will. At the end of days play New Zealand where 30 for 1 need 383 to win on Final day.