Cricket: Sri Lanka will give Kiwis a pre-tournament workout

By RICHARD BOOCK

New Zealand should at least have a much better idea of their Champions Trophy prospects after tonight's final shakedown against Sri Lanka.

The 50-over warm-up match against the world's No 2 ranked one-day side might not carry full ODI status, but it will still provide New Zealand with an assessment of their tournament hopes.

Eliminated in the first week of the 2002 tournament, New Zealand will launch their campaign with a match against the United States on Friday, before coming up against world champions Australia in a virtual quarter-final the following Thursday.

If the Kiwis - who have won their past nine completed ODIs - were hoping for a reality check after comfortable wins against county combinations last week, they will probably receive their wish in London this evening.

Fresh from handing out a 5-0 shellacking to South Africa, Marvan Atapattu's side have lifted one place clear of the New Zealanders on the ICC world rankings, and have been tipped as a strong contender for the tournament silverware.

Sri Lanka shared the title with India two years ago after rain washed out the final at Colombo, but have been hurt by the withdrawal of star spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan.

The world's most successful test bowler (532 wickets) had surgery on his right shoulder last month, and is hoping to be fit enough to tour New Zealand in December.

But even without him Sri Lanka were able to whitewash Graeme Smith's South Africans at home, and are expected to prove a dangerous bowling side on England's late-season pitches - just as they did at last year's World Cup.

With that in mind, much interest will surround the team that coach John Bracewell settles on this evening, and particularly his preferred bowling attack.

With four bowlers - Ian Butler, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey and Chris Harris - effectively vying for two places, the former Gloucestershire boss will have a tough job coming up with the ideal mixture.

Butler and Harris have recent match play in their favour after stints with Kent and Lashings, respectively, while Mills is viewed as a valuable death-bowling option, and Tuffey a prospect if fully fit.

Bracewell's problems pale into insignificance when compared with those faced by the United States in their first ODI against New Zealand at the Oval.

Not only are the Americans almost assured of comprehensive defeat in both their trophy fixtures (the second is against Australia), but their tournament build-up has now been marred by Hurricane Frances.

Most of the squad are already in London preparing for the trophy opener, but allrounder Tony Reid, 42, is stranded in Florida by the storm.

"Three of us left Florida just in time," US coach Faoud Bacchus told the Guardian newspaper yesterday.

"We drove eight hours to Atlanta to catch a plane to England, but Tony had just returned from Jamaica and wasn't prepared. He won't get out. The airports are still closed, phone lines are down, there mightn't be electricity and, even if you could drive a car, you would struggle to get gas.

"We are not confident that he will be here by the weekend."

The teams

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain) Nathan Astle, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey.

Sri Lanka (from): Marvan Atapattu (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Saman Jayantha, Avishka Gunawardene, Upul Chandana, Kaushal Lokuarachchi.