Spirited Kiwi faces Lanka tomorrow

New Zealand will carry plenty of form and momentum into their first Champions Trophy pool B clash, when they face Sri Lanka in Cardiff on Sunday.

Despite being outplayed in their recent Test series against England, the Black Caps hit back strongly as they thumped the English in the one-day series.

Star of both games was opener Martin Guptill, who scored back-to-back centuries to confound the local bowling attack which seemed to have no answers for the Kiwi top-order player.

While being out of sorts in their recent games, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor, if they can fire in the Champions League, have the stroke range and capability of dominating any attack in world cricket.

Sri Lanka’s hopes in the game, and for the rest of the tournament, rest largely on their much-maligned bowling attack.

Normally filled with mystique and an ability to shock any side on their day, the Sri Lanka’s enter this year’s Champions Trophy with decidedly less of those qualities.

Lasith Malinga can still shock the odd batsman or two due to his unusual release point in his action, but given he has been playing internationally now for years, it will only catch-out the out of form.

Sachithra Senanayake also has a growing bag of slow-bowling tricks, but the two men Sri Lanka left out – Ajantha Mendis and Akila Dananjaya – are far more enigmatic.

The remainder of Sri Lanka’s bowling options, from nagging right-arm seamers Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera, to Rangana Herath’s left-arm orthodox, pose challenges opponents have encountered before.