[ Poll ] Who should be the Test openers?

[Kriterion_BD]

Hami & BT would be the best opening combo but I doubt they'll want to risk both against the new ball.

Why would you want your arguably (Ervine?) Best batter opening.

Ervine and Taylor must bat at 3/4 really.

[Mueddie28]

Hami & BT would be the best opening combo but I doubt they'll want to risk both against the new ball.

Why would you want your arguably (Ervine?) Best batter opening.

Ervine and Taylor must bat at 3/4 really.

Highest averages
Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
CR Ervine 2011-2017 12 24 2 835 160 37.95 1647 50.69 2 3 1 99 5
BRM Taylor 2004-2014 23 46 3 1493 171 34.72 2922 51.09 4 7 2 150 15
T Taibu 2001-2012 28 54 3 1546 153 30.31 3732 41.42 1 12 5 182 7
TMK Mawoyo 2011-2016 11 22 1 615 163* 29.28 1660 37.04 1 3 2 78 0
H Masakadza 2001-2017 33 66 2 1820 158 28.43 4228 43.04 4 6 9 218 17
RW Chakabva 2011-2017 10 20 1 524 101 27.57 1294 40.49 1 3 2 46 3
ADR Campbell 1992-2002 60 109 4 2858 103 27.21 6843 41.76 2 18 10 355 4
AM Blignaut 2001-2005 19 36 3 886 92 26.84 1292 68.57 0 6 6 102 23
NC Johnson 1998-2000 13 23 1 532 107 24.18 1107 48.05 1 4 3 60 4
MN Waller 2011-2017 12 24 1 540 72* 23.47 1052 51.33 0 4 3 65 1
V Sibanda 2003-2014 14 28 0 591 93 21.10 1177 50.21 0 2 3 86 6
E Chigumbura 2004-2014 14 27 0 569 88

[ZIMDOGGY]

Hami & BT would be the best opening combo but I doubt they'll want to risk both against the new ball.

Why would you want your arguably (Ervine?) Best batter opening.

Ervine and Taylor must bat at 3/4 really.

Highest averages
Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 0 4s 6s
CR Ervine 2011-2017 12 24 2 835 160 37.95 1647 50.69 2 3 1 99 5
BRM Taylor 2004-2014 23 46 3 1493 171 34.72 2922 51.09 4 7 2 150 15
T Taibu 2001-2012 28 54 3 1546 153 30.31 3732 41.42 1 12 5 182 7
TMK Mawoyo 2011-2016 11 22 1 615 163* 29.28 1660 37.04 1 3 2 78 0
H Masakadza 2001-2017 33 66 2 1820 158 28.43 4228 43.04 4 6 9 218 17
RW Chakabva 2011-2017 10 20 1 524 101 27.57 1294 40.49 1 3 2 46 3
ADR Campbell 1992-2002 60 109 4 2858 103 27.21 6843 41.76 2 18 10 355 4
AM Blignaut 2001-2005 19 36 3 886 92 26.84 1292 68.57 0 6 6 102 23
NC Johnson 1998-2000 13 23 1 532 107 24.18 1107 48.05 1 4 3 60 4
MN Waller 2011-2017 12 24 1 540 72* 23.47 1052 51.33 0 4 3 65 1
V Sibanda 2003-2014 14 28 0 591 93 21.10 1177 50.21 0 2 3 86 6
E Chigumbura 2004-2014 14 27 0 569 88

Do you honestly think anyone will be able to read that pile of jumble?
It needs to be filtered hardcore.

You really need to think things through before you post Mueddie.

[zimdan]

Justice and Hami In tests. I haven't seen enough of More to workout if he would have the mindset for the longer game. Happy to be corrected. I guess it depends on if we need him to bowl as he is probably superior to justice.

[jaybro]

Hami & BT would be the best opening combo but I doubt they'll want to risk both against the new ball.

Why would you want your arguably (Ervine?) Best batter opening.

Ervine and Taylor must bat at 3/4 really.

Purely looking at who would be the the best openers in the Zimbabwe squad, IMO Hami & BT would be the best.

I’m not saying I Would open with BT because his best spot is 3 or 4.

Does that make sense ?

[sloandog]

Justice and Hami In tests. I haven't seen enough of More to workout if he would have the mindset for the longer game. Happy to be corrected. I guess it depends on if we need him to bowl as he is probably superior to justice.

Always good to hear from you Zimdan! Get posting more bud!

I chose Mawoyo and Hamilton, but I think it's a poor choice on my part are the former hasn't been scoring or playing enough to warrant selection.

Mire is indeed scoring runs up top, so perhaps he's worth a go? Then again, Raza would probably be just as good. We have options, which is only a good thing!

[TapsC]

The problem is that if we are saying Hami's best position is number 3 but Taylor batting at 5 is too low then what must happen? Also if the main goal of our openers is to shield our best batsmen from the new ball then Mawoyo should be an automatic pick because he chews up deliveries. We don't want another Sri Lanka situation where our high run rate was probably the reason we lost as it gave SL enough time to even think of winning.

I'm willing to sacrifice Taylor from the top 4 if he then keeps wicket. I think he can bat at 5 and keep, it's not impossible especially because Streak likes to play 8 batsmen so it's kind of like he is batting in the top 4 anyway in terms of the number of partners to come.

I think the ICC rules changed too where your 12th man can keep if Taylor just fakes an injury if he scores big so that he takes a break for 20/30 overs. Regis as 12th man ( better keeper than Taylor but it is what it is)

So for me I would go with Tino and Chamu as openers . Hami in his best position at 3. Ervine at 4, Taylor at 5 and our keeper. Williams at 6. Raza at 7. Waller/PJ/Tari/Mire/Burl/kaia to all fight it out for that extra batsman slot at 8

[Clone]

I'm guessing Hammy and Mawoyo but is he playing any cricket at all. If not then Chibhabha should get the nod. He lost his place to Mire in the short format stuff but he really had some good knocks against Namibia and Canada in the run up to the the European and Sri Lanka tour.

[CrimsonAvenger]

I'm willing to sacrifice Taylor from the top 4 if he then keeps wicket. I think he can bat at 5 and keep

+1. And I don't think 5 is too low in tests anyway. Steve Waugh scored about 10000 runs batting at 5 or below most of his career. And this way, he gets to share good partnerships with his best mate Cremer down the order and frees up the 3 and 4 positions to Hamilton and Ervine.

[Robbo]

I still think Mawoyo is the best opener we have had since coming back into Test cricket. He's shown both the techinique, and definately the temprement. I read he had failed a fitness test, but we need him to open against the new ball in a test match, not run a marathon...