[Match Thread] Zimbabwe Pakistan 2nd test

[betterdays]

Stupid shot by Utseya...

no worse than the one immediately before .. but he isn't an opener and it's now 77/1 so no real harm done

What do you reckon a target that we can defend is?

If we make 185 in the second innings... so a 4th innings target of around 250... I reckon we could have a game on our hands.

A good partnership early on would go a long way towards achieving that.

yes, I think if we set them 250 the boys can be very proud of themselves ... but I don't think they'll defend that (I still get a strong feeling that there is a certain contentment in competing in the team - there' no genuine belief they can win). If they set 280+ I would get seriously interested because PK also have collapse issues (but they would not want to lose to Zim and at least have two or three who believe they'll win from any position)

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Yeah, the Younis/Misbah factor worries me a bit. These bonafide star batsmen like to cash in against teams like Zimbabwe, and one good partnership can take the game away from you (as we know from the previous Test). Defending 250 would be dependent on getting those guys pretty cheaply.

[betterdays]

Yeah, the Younis/Misbah factor worries me a bit. These bonafide star batsmen like to cash in against teams like Zimbabwe, and one good partnership can take the game away from you (as we know from the previous Test). Defending 250 would be dependent on getting those guys pretty cheaply.

yup, and although YK is due a fail, Hafeez is due a biggie.
That said, if we can somehow (maybe pitct-assisted) wheedle out Ali, YK and MuH then I will start getting excited (but even the tail-enders in the last test came in with shoulders straight, chins up ... unperturbed by the occasion, joking with YK...)

[Jemisi]

Wow, I missed a couple of hours, great effort Vitori! Hope we can get a big lead.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Lovely on drive by Masakadza.

[betterdays]

here we go

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I'll give that session to Zimbabwe
Vitori and Panyangara were awesome, and we've added a bit more to the lead.

Where would you guys be happy to see Zimbabwe at by stumps? I think realistically we're going to lose a couple of wickets... I'd take 4/110 considering there are a few demons in the pitch although hopefully we have more wickets in hand than that.

[betterdays]

Where would you guys like to see us at stumps? [sik]
I'd take 4/110 considering there are a few demons in the pitch .

Well, these two keep going back to Ajmal so I would defo take 110/4 (considering one is Utseya) ... would be nice if one set bat was there overnight too if I'm allowed to get greedy

[betterdays]

Ed has the camera on him and shadows his "favourite shot": the pull but it looks like a very scratchy cut shot

[betterdays]

What do you reckon a target that we can defend is?
.

Gavin Rennie reckons "nothing less than 350"