Match Thread | Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka 2020 | 2nd Test | Harare

[Googly]

HSC let the building designs get away from there. You’ve got that amazing old historical building and then an array of shed-like designs elsewhere, it’s an eyesore.
It’s like a budget version of that shit space ship thing at Lords.

[Free Spirit]

I think umpires honestly want us to lose. It’s like they need to maintain order and not upset the cart.

Back to strategy.
We need to go for the win, otherwise why play the game?

I know Zimbabweans in all walks of life have a
ingrained losing resignation mentality (sorry if this offends but it’s true) but surely we cannot swap a huge chance of a win for an even bigger chance of a draw.
Fuck that. Get some balls if you want to think like that.

If it were me, I’d continue this brisk yet cautious batting display until 360 ahead. If we have wickets still in hand. Tee off a little. Get to 400 and still have wickets? Go berserk for another 25 runs.

This should bring you to tea. Declare and go hard tonight.

If we steadily lose wickets, keep batting to 360, then cautious with a goal of 400. Remaining batsman tee’s up when 9 down. Declare half an hour after tea and bowl at them for an hour.

100 % agree with your statement, 14 months without test cricket and we are in position to actually win, deservedly so and we should play not to lose? that complex is beyond me, one thing is for sure the senior players are not in that mindset, they know we have an excellent opportunity

it looks like the weather will make the decision for us one way or another we have to have a crack at them today if the weather allows. i believe we already have enough. We just need to believe we can finish the job and we will be fine.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Back to strategy.
We need to go for the win, otherwise why play the game?

You're not wrong ZIMDOGGY, but look at our bowling lineup. Are we relying on another 7-fer from Raza?

All I'm saying is put at least put enough runs on the board that if it all goes south, we can bowl negatively and the draw isn't off the table.

I sure as hell don't want to set a target that they can cruise to at 2.9 an over - because we only have to go back a few years to see that they are capable of doing it against us, and we had a better bowling attack then than we do today.

I’ll be surprised if there’s any more cricket today. It’s stop start where I am and it’s moved over that side.
Hypothetically that leaves tomorrow only. They’d have to declare overnight?

Absolutely. Hopefully there is more play today, because with a target of 335 I'd be happy to give them 100 overs to chase it.

I agree with you.

[CholeZimbo]

Like i said earlier, whichever way we have them chasing 350+ on the final day is great. This rain could play in our favour. hopefully have 1 more hour to bat and make another 40-50 runs. then have an hour this evening and try and nick 1 , 2 would be great though. So hopefully 2 more hours only in the day 1 for us to bat and 1 for them

[Googly]

What am I missing here? Get into T20 mode.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Dirk really is Dr Gloom isn't he, now he's banging on about how sad it would be if Zim only took 9 wickets, if only they declared a few overs earlier

With that rain delay, now I think it is worth going for some quick T20 runs. It'd be nice to have 380 on the board, and have about half an hour tonight to bowl at them.

[ZIMDOGGY]

‘Bold’ prediction.
Watch Sean Williams tee up after he gets 50 and loses his concentration.
He values 50s too highly.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Here's another thing worth considering, we may as well keep batting if the light is an issue.
380 in 97 overs is a one-day style run chase if SL are up for it tomorrow.

[Googly]

I’m sure we’re done for the day. I told you we should have T’d off 10 overs ago. Maybe they’ve got different weather 4km away

[brmtaylor.com admin]

If we declare:

Target: 355 (97 ov)
RRR: 3.66



Well surely that's the carrot Dirk wanted to dangle. It's not beyond reach for SL