[Match Thread] Zimbabwe Pakistan 2nd test

[betterdays]

Well batted Tino so important to stick with guys ...
now Panya? understandable I guess

ohh ffs!!!!

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Unbelievable.

Please don't let there be another wicket tonight. We desperately need Taylor to be batting tomorrow morning if we're going to put up a really imposing total.

[CrimsonAvenger]

That could be a massively wrong decision in the context of this match! Hamilton was looking so solid...

[betterdays]

We're still ahead of what we said would be acceptable: 110/4.
we're only 2 genuine bats down - tough but it was hard going so that in itself will be encouraging for Zim bowlers

[jimbo]

Its all gone a bit pete tong ( all wrong)

still we have the upper hand............Just

[jimbo]

Hopefully Sibanda gets a good nights kip and comes good tommorow if better and then taylor waller chigs mutumbami take the lead to 300

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Panyangara gone. I guess if we were going to have a collapse, at least it was right before stumps (saved by the bell) and included a nightwatchman.

And because of the odd nature of the batting lineup, 4/121 isn't really as bad as it looks. Crucially Taylor is still at the crease and we've still got Waller, Chigumbura and Mutumbami to come.

You'd hope that at least 2 of those guys (and Sibanda, if he's well enough to bat) could scrounge together some sort of partnership. I still reckon we're about 75 away from being in a competitive position (250 won't be easy if Younis and Misbah don't come to the party), and probably about 150 away from being in a dominant position.

We're still ahead of what we said would be acceptable: 110/4.
we're only 2 genuine bats down - tough but it was hard going so that in itself will be encouraging for Zim bowlers

Yeah, good point. That 4/110 we talked about probably didn't take Panyangara's nightwatchman wicket into account.

[CrimsonAvenger]

As Tino faced Rehman for his penultimate over of the day, I thought we could still lose 3 wickets today and get to a horrific position, and lo, that's what happens! Generally, we do well when I'm overly negative about things, but this was horror to watch.

For the day though, kudos to Panyangara and Vitori today with the ball, that was pleasant surprise to come back to, and realize we had got a decent first innings lead. And watched every ball of the Tino-Hamilton partnership without moving anywhere. Despite what happened in the last 3 overs, this was the toughest passage of play we have gone through in a long time in test cricket, and Rehman was superb in his patience and variations. Great rearguard action by these two. Felt sorry for Tino, he deserved to go undefeated and build the innings tomorrow, and seriously hope the wrong decision against Hamiton won't cost us too much. He was absolutely rock solid today.

Vusi tomorrow, in his preferred middle order, simply has to deliver, as a tribute to the Tino-Hamilton partnership if nothing else...

[betterdays]

You'd hope that at least 2 of those guys (and Sibanda, if he's well enough to bat) could scrounge together some sort of partnership. I still reckon we're about 75 away from being in a competitive position

Sibanda looked fine it must be said ... saw him having a chuckle with the guys!
I would like to think we have enough batting to add 100 to this total (but it will be interesting now) which takes us over the 280 mark which I maintain will have me glued [not that I haven't been all afternoon today ]

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Here's something which should inspire a bit of confidence:

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