CSB - Tom Blundell - Blackcap

Ahead of the 2nd test against Sri Lanka that gets underway this afternoon NZT. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sport, the Latest from the Land and just great rock.

(00:03):
It's the Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport,
your home of live commentary. We're talking international cricket now
on the show where the black Caps and Sri Lanka
get underway for Test number two of two tonight, same
venue as Test one in lovely Gore joining us on
the show this morning as black Caps wicket keeper Tom Blundell. Morning, Tom, morning,

(00:25):
thanks for having me on. Oh look, absolute pleasure. I
guess the big question is going to be how's the
weather shaping up for the next three or four days.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, I think it's going to be good. You know
this place, you know, when the rain does come, it
doesn't really last long. So hopefully it's going to be
a nice, nice five days of Test career.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
And it looks like a nice place to actually play
cricket in from the images we're getting back here.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, it's a beautiful place. You know, where the Graham's
situated right on the water. We get a nice sea breeze.
As players, it's not too hot, but yeah, it's a
lovely place and you know, enjoy coming here and you
know the people are really welcoming.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
All right, before we look ahead to the test, just
look back at Test number one. How do the back
Caps sort of get the feeling that you let that
one slip?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, you could say that, but I think you know,
for the game to go five days in the subcontinent,
it's you know, that's it doesn't happen too often, but
if you look at it, you know, probably that first
and things where you know, we sort of let that
little sort of lead slip and you know, for a
few more runs there, you know could have played played
you know, played it into our hands at the end.

(01:35):
But you know it's a hard place to win here
in Sri Lanka and the subcontinent. But you know, I
think the way we went about about it with a
with a bat and ball, we can sort of take
it take into this next next game and.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
You personally, I think twenty five and thirty with the
bat took us through the challenges batting on that surface
and facing the mighty spinners. Shrill Ankan's what was that like?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yeah, you know, it's it's something that I've sort of
worked on this whole winter, is you know, preparing for
these conditions and you know, as the game went on,
you know, the balls started to turn a lot more
and you know became quite challenging, especially on day four
and five. But you know, that's that's the hardest thing
about coming to these conditions. The ball is going to turn,
and that's to challenge for us, us bad as and

(02:20):
it's a challenge that I think we sort of you know,
we betted pretty well in periods and you know, hopefully
we can take the learnings of what we learned in
this game into the second test coming up.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
And not often that you you play back to back
tests at the same venue. I take it is it
going to be a different pitch for for test number two?
I mean, what do you expect it to play pretty similar?

Speaker 2 (02:41):
I'm not entirely sure. I think with the with the
wicket being you know, you know, out baking in the
sun over the last five days during that first test,
it could play a little bit different. It could be
a little bit drier and probably turn earlier. But we
but you never know, so we're just have to wait and.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
See to know. I mean, Wiki keeper behind the stumps
no tests, most tests in New Zealand, you stand a
wee bit further back behind the pace bowlers, but with
bowling so much spin during the Test, you enjoy being
right up there almost against the stumps. I do.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
I think, you know, when you come to these conditions,
you know, as a wicket keeper you're always in the
game and always have a chance to change the game
in some some fashion. So for me, this this is
this is what I enjoy, you know, keeping the age
as kinda sat in there and and Glenn Glenn Phillips.
So it's for me, it's it's something that I really enjoy.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
And such a turn a short turnaround between tests too.
Has has training been limited ahead of Day one this
afternoon New Zealand time.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Yeah, we had a we had a day off after
the after the day five and then we trained trained yesterday.
So you know, it's it's been very you know, quick turnaround.
But you know we've we've prepared pretty well and we're
just looking forward to the next five days.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
All the boys fitting well, rare in to go.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yep, you run first. Everyone's recovered pretty well, so I
think we're keen to get out there and hopefully pull
off a win.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Fantastic Tom Hey, thanks for joining us, mate, and good
luck over the next five days.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Thanks mate really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
Let cap, we could keep it, Tom Blundle, the first
ball being bold four point thirty this afternoon, weather permitting.
He said, The weather seems to be okay, but it
does it does change over there, very very quickly. Indeed,