[Match thread] Zimbabwe XI vs Bangladeshis (Tour match)

[FlowerPower]

Hello everyone
I am a Bangladeshi fan. The current tour seems to be interesting for both of the teams. Bangladesh showed a pathetic display of batting yesterday. Zimbabwe is following the same pattern. You guys planned to trap us with green and bouncy wicket as we are missing our most experienced two fast bowlers, Mashrafee and Shahadat. But our young bowlers are doing just fine. I really doubt if your management will stick around the plan of using green wicket for the test. What do you think?

...you are aware that you are playing a second string...just in case you didnt know

[brmtaylor.com admin]

They would be crazy to prepare a similar pitch for the Test match. Both teams getting bundled out in 2 sessions helps nobody (as far as "minnow" cricket is concerned) - the critics will be out in force saying Zimbabwe are not ready to play Tests again and Bangladesh aren't up to it.

A batting paradise would make for a less interesting game but it would be a conservative, face-saving measure.

[Kriterion_BD]

this is a pretty shoddy pitch it seems...the wickets have fallen for scarely more than 15 per.

meanwhile Ervine has reached the late teens...he has been throwing away decent starts for a while now.

[warwolf]

Hello everyone
I am a Bangladeshi fan. The current tour seems to be interesting for both of the teams. Bangladesh showed a pathetic display of batting yesterday. Zimbabwe is following the same pattern. You guys planned to trap us with green and bouncy wicket as we are missing our most experienced two fast bowlers, Mashrafee and Shahadat. But our young bowlers are doing just fine. I really doubt if your management will stick around the plan of using green wicket for the test. What do you think?

...you are aware that you are playing a second string...just in case you didnt know

Definitely I am aware. But at least 5/6 players of this team have chance to get test nod as far as I Know.

You are aware that the match started within 2 days of a long 39 hours journey from BD to Zimbabwe. We also didn't have much chance to practice after reaching Harare.

[FlowerPower]

Much better a "partnership" at last...Ervine and Waller....and another one down as I type...literally...aaahhhh!

[maehara]

Preparing a 'lively' pitch has most definitely come back to bite us. If we're using this as a way to nail down the final few players for the Test, what does it prove? Bowlers have taken wickets, but that's as much down to the pitch as their own skill, and the batsmen aren't getting the chance to prove anything, full stop. All it's done so far is give us another demoralising batting collapse to explain.

[Kriterion_BD]

warwolf bhai, no need to make petty excuses here...the long journey, fatigue/jet lag...thats only an intra-bangladeshi discussion to help us realize that we can't blame them for 188 on what seems to be a tough pitch against an attack which is probably better than their first string bowling corps. we need to show it on that 22 yard strip come August 4 and like we're doing right now.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I agree maehara, this game has not helped one iota. If they were going to use it to get a last look at players a decent pitch should have been prepared. If they wanted to play mind games and give the Bangladeshi's a false sense of security they should have let a third string team get flogged, not a team including the likes of Taibu and Ervine.

Instead it's been neither here nor there... nothing has been learnt about the seamers, the batsmen will be demoralised and worst of all Bangladesh will probably now know not to let their guard down in the Test match in order to avoid the same disastrous start they just had in the first innings.

[maehara]

Zimbabwe XI all out for 113, Bangladeshis lead by 75.

[Kriterion_BD]

Good thing we got rid of 4 guys at the top...another wicket and we should be into the tail. Ideally, I'm looking to see us bat again no later than lunchtime. Hopefully we can bat a good 4 sessions after that which should give us a fair total. I'm willing to give our boys the benefit of the doubt in that first innings 188.

happy to see this prediction of mine came true...but worried about the nature of this pitch.