[Match Thread] 1st 'A' Test (Zimbabwe v New Zealand)

[Conant]

should be

1.S.Marillier
2.V.Sibanda
3.S.Williams
4.C.Ervine
5.F.Mutizwa
6.M.Waller
7.R.Chakabva
8.K.Meth
9.T.Panyangara
10.N.Mushangwe
11.T.Chetara

That's exactly what my team would be. Will be interesting to see how Tinasche Panyangara goes about his business

Two wickets already for Tinashe Pannyangara. After this its straight into the national team. THRILLED!!!

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Current partnership 124 runs, 18.2 overs, RR: 6.76

Ouch. NZ A making Zim A look terrible. I'm not sure if it's bad bowling or good batting, but you'd have to consider bowling an ultra-defensive line with a defensive field set just to stop the bleeding - even for a few overs. Picking such an inexperienced bowling attack is starting to hurt now.

Not sure why Ncube hasn't been brought back, but credit to Panyangara - not getting much support from the other bowlers, he's playing the lone ranger at the moment...

[eugene]

This New Zealand A side is a quality team which would compoare favourably with the senior Zimbabwe side. There are many players with extensive international experience such as Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel, James Franklin, and Jamie How. The Zimbabwean team is mostly a team of young inexperienced players. I think we just need to look for individual performances and not focus too much on the result.

[sanchez]

Current partnership 124 runs, 18.2 overs, RR: 6.76

Ouch. NZ A making Zim A look terrible. I'm not sure if it's bad bowling or good batting, but you'd have to consider bowling an ultra-defensive line with a defensive field set just to stop the bleeding - even for a few overs. Picking such an inexperienced bowling attack is starting to hurt now.

Not sure why Ncube hasn't been brought back, but credit to Panyangara - not getting much support from the other bowlers, he's playing the lone ranger at the moment...

Tea time on first day N Z 281 for 3 in 59overs.At this rate N Z will get close to 450 by close of play.Very weak bowling attack the same as in the franchise.

[aydee]

Overall not too bad a performance to be honest, especially considering that it was 250+ for 2 at one stage.

However, I think that there was some poor selection and captaincy. After Ncube and Panyangara had bowled excellent opening spells, keeping it tight, and picking up a couple of wickets, Jamie How and Daniel Flynn were faced with an attack of Masvaure (19 wickets in 23 fc matches @ 50) and Sibanda (18 wickets in 70 fc matches @ 57). Neither of these two would be regularly used as first change options by their franchises, and both have very ordinary career records with the ball. They are frankly not front line bowlers, and whilst Masvaure's mediums might be a useful option in one cricket, I doubt Sibanda's will ever be even that good... Secondly, on the captaincy, Sibanda kept this attack (to 2 new batsmen) as Masvaure bowled 5 for 30, and Sibanda himself 3 overs for 23. Surely it should have dawned on him that a lot of free runs were given away, and he should have gone to spin much earlier... That said, it was not his fault that the selectors provided him with only one frontline seamer...

Well batted Dan Flynn, I've watched him play test cricket, and he looked an organised player. But, his test strike rate is 40, so for him to have scored 160 at a run-a-ball, there must have been some pretty average stuff being sent down.

[raaghav]

aaghavs Lineups back again.................


Twenty 20

G.Flower----can bowl left arm spin
H.Masakadza----can bowl tooo
B.Taylor
S.Williams----can ball handy spin
C.Coventry
K.Meth---ALLROUNDER
E.Chigumbura--ALLROUNDER
A.Blignaut---ALLROUNDER
G.Cremer--leg break
P.Utseya---off spin
R.Price--left arm
extra
E.Reinsford


ODI
G.Ballance
H.Masakaza
G.Flower
B.Taylor
S.Williams
T.Taibu
A.Blignaut
E.Chigumbura
R.PRice
G.Cremer
E.Reinsford
Extra
P.Utseya


TEST

G.Balance
H.Masakadza
S.Williams
G.Flower
B.Taylor
C.Ervine
T.Taibu
A.Blignaut
R.Price
G.Cremer
E.Reinsford
Extra
S.Marillier

[raaghav]

aaghavs Lineups back again.................


Twenty 20

G.Flower----can bowl left arm spin
H.Masakadza----can bowl tooo
B.Taylor
S.Williams----can ball handy spin
C.Coventry
K.Meth---ALLROUNDER
E.Chigumbura--ALLROUNDER
A.Blignaut---ALLROUNDER
G.Cremer--leg break
P.Utseya---off spin
R.Price--left arm
extra
E.Reinsford


ODI
G.Ballance
H.Masakaza
G.Flower
B.Taylor
S.Williams
T.Taibu
A.Blignaut
E.Chigumbura
R.PRice
G.Cremer
E.Reinsford
Extra
P.Utseya


TEST

G.Balance
H.Masakadza
S.Williams
G.Flower
B.Taylor
C.Ervine
T.Taibu
A.Blignaut
R.Price
G.Cremer
E.Reinsford
Extra
S.Marillier


A TEST TEAM

T.Duffin
S.Marillier
C.Ervine(C)
G.Lamb
C.Chibhabha
F.Mutziwa(w)
P.Masuvre
K.Meth
T.Maruma
S.Masakadza
I.Nicholson

[clikcspeed]

avoid follow on please!!!

[shumbat]

avoid follow on please!!!

337/6
No follow on mate, Zim or Zim A, actually do well in the longer version, even if they do not get the 1st innings right, they always bat well overrally, what is letting them down is bowling. Dave Houghton was right about us getting back in tests, where will improve as both bowlers and batsman have time to settle and play their game. Ithink we will draw this match.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Zimbabwe A declared, trailing by 61! A fairly aggressive move which is nice to see, although I still think it will result in a draw. But with Chakabva not out on 103 nobody could have blamed Sibanda for letting the batsmen stay out there and make sure of it.

Unless I'm reading too much into it and the declaration was a directive from the team management to give the bowlers some more time in the middle