[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka (Tri Series 3rd Match)

[sloandog]

If you look back at the match, we were never in the game. From the moment we started to lose wickets we looked shaky and never looked like getting to a good score. Bowling was just poor, full stop. But I don't want to be too critical. Our boys are still learning, and one has to take note that it was a shortened game which didn't work in our favour. Good luck for Thursday lads !

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

If you look back at the match, we were never in the game. From the moment we started to lose wickets we looked shaky and never looked like getting to a good score. Bowling was just poor, full stop. But I don't want to be too critical. Our boys are still learning, and one has to take note that it was a shortened game which didn't work in our favour. Good luck for Thursday lads !

Likes

[zimfan1]

I don't think we need to panic yet as we were all pretty positive after the first match. Its just a shame we can't play more consistently.

Short games often lure the batsmens. Be patient, evrything fill b fine at HSC

And HSC will over less turn for Mendis.

Blignaut showed that he still has the pace as he was bowling in the mid 130's but can be afford to have him batting at 7, i would rather leave Cremer out and get another batsman in which would probably be taibu if fit.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Cricinfo bulletin

The nature of Taylor's dismissal set the tone for Zimbabwe today: He stumbled out to the leg side, almost like a tailender, to a short-of-length delivery and had a lame fatal poke at it. It highlighted the urge to attack that the reduced game demanded of the hosts, but also perfectly caught the confusion in the mind of the way to go about it.

Zimbabwe also faltered in their strategy. Why was Greg Lamb, a batsman with a strike rate of about 41, sent in at No.3 in a 26-over game? The pitch wasn't so bad that they needed to stitch one end up. Lamb crawled to a 19-ball 10 which was neither here nor there and only piled pressure on Masakadza.

Craig Ervine's struggles against spin further hurt Zimbabwe. He could only eke out three runs from 18 deliveries of spin from the combination of Ajantha Mendis and Randiv.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Very bad result, if anything, we need to try Blig at the top of the order, what is the point in having him languish at no. 8 when his main forte is batting now? Swap Lamb and Blig in the batting order, Taibu for Cremer (if fit).

[shumbat]

Yes a bad result, but a learning result, we have to accept the good and the bad. Zim cannot play under pressure, i guess they needed the whole 50 overs to compose themselves and build their innings. We still got 2/3 games to rectify our mistakes. Taibu in for Cremer. A look at Sean Williams as well to replace a spinner long term. Both Williams and Taylor can spin a few overs to cover the replacement. Looking forward for the ODIs in Harare. Go Zim.

[ZIMDOGGY]

why all this talk of inexperience?

Zimbabwean players are actually in the top 3 teams of the most experienced teams in world cricket today capswise.


Although, granted, a whole chunk of it was against Bangladesh and more than their fair share of Kenya.

Lets look at that latest team.

price..blignaut..hamilton - have been playing internationally on and off for over a decade.

Taibu- Has been a regular fixture since 2002 - 8yrs.

Taylor, chigumbura and prosper- Just about played every game from 2004 to now.

Cremer- been a regular since 2005

Greg Lamb- Spent most of the decade in the english county system, is experienced with a wealth of high standard cricket behind him.

Mpofu- has played a fair amount of ODIs

Craig- genuine rookie.



9 out of the 11 are very experienced.

[sloandog]

Ya you're right DOGGY, but you just said Bangladesh and Kenya. You've just answered your own question. Both these sides are decent sides, but they'll reach the calibre of Australia or South Africa etc. If we're going to move forward as a cricketing nation we need to keep playing the bigger sides in bigger competition likes this one. Only then will we see how much we've improved over the past 3-4 years.

[aydee]

As ever, 2 steps forward, followed by one backwards. But I think it is worth remembering at times like this, just how far the side and Zimbabwe Cricket in general has come in the last 12 months. There will be more days like this in the near future, as there have been many in the last decade, but we must hope that they become less frequent, and more regularly interspersed with performances like the previous one against India.