Cricket: Sri Lankans not surprised by NZ side [+audio]

Matthew Sinclair, seen here in action for Central Districts, has been recalled into the NZ test side. File picture

The Sri Lankan cricket team are not overly surprised with the New Zealand squad for the first test in Christchurch starting on Thursday.

Batsmen Craig Cumming and Matthew Sinclair and seamers Ian O'Brien and Michael Mason were recalled into the New Zealand side as the selectors reverted back to a policy of choosing specialists for the only test matches of the summer.

The visitors are coming off a drawn rain-affected four dayer with Otago in Dunedin where they had an early look opener Cumming, who notched up a half-century in the first innings.

Sri Lankan coach Tom Moody was not taken aback by Cumming's recall or the selection of Central Districts batsman Jamie How.

However, what he was not expecting was that a knee injury would keep out swing bowler Kyle Mills.

The good news for the tourists was that every one of the Sri Lankan top seven batsmen scored a fifty in the match against Otago, and every bowler took at least one wicket.

Moody says with the tight international cricket calendar these days there is not much time for match practice ahead of the internationals so the time in Dunedin has been invaluable.

- NEWSTALK ZB