Rocks vs Tuskers & Eagles vs Rhinos

[jward]

Ervine just smoked snater for 16 in one over

Yes, he seemed to decide the young upstart needed taking down a peg or two! Ervine at his best, like for much of today, looks a really world-class player, making his strokes with such ease and timing; what looks like a casual push beats the field and goes for four. Why on earth did he throw away his wicket at 97 with a stupid reverse sweep?

Thanks as always for the update John, and it is disheartening to know Ervine went for a reverse sweep and perished. He is not as compulsive a reverse sweeper from what we have seen in the international arena at least - not as compulsive as Taylor, Williams, Taibu and Hammy - but well...

Yes, I was very surprised.

[Donald]

How does shumba look in the longer format John ward? Does he have what it takes to succeed

[Googly]

The problem is that the standard is that low that doing well in our domestic league is not even close to a guarantee you can hold your own at the next level.
We play so few tests that its almost becoming irrelevant whether you're a decent red ball player or not.

It would be interesting to talk to Snater and Curran and see what they have to say about the general standard.
I see Snater got an 8fer and wasn't able to bowl at the tail enders to try for that much prized 10fer. That will have caused him some major angst, that's a nice column to tick on cricinfo! .

I know your question is directed at JW but for my money Shumba is work in progress, he has got lots of ability though. I will stick my neck out and say he won't do well as an opener though. ZC were suggesting they chuck Madhevere in the deep end so why not do the same for Shumba. You can plod along in domestic league playing 9 games a year against the same old, or you can be thrown in with the sharks (their words, not mine).

[jaybro]

Congrats jaybro, on getting onto to the top of the table, crossing my tally of total number of posts made

I was at the top for far too long, thanks to the photo quiz thread

Wow I am very surprised I have made it to the top, especially considering I only entered in 2013.

It's actually a tad embarrassing, hopefully the rest of the forum sees some value in most of my posts, I'd had to be seen as a 'useless old failure' who doesn't know when to retire

[jward]

How does shumba look in the longer format John ward? Does he have what it takes to succeed

I would say so, yes. He looks a class act, plenty of time to play the ball and some very stylish strokes, especially his off-side drives. His shot selection is not always sound, but obviously he is still learning. The quicker he learns the more successful he will be, and I will be surprised if we don't see him in the national team soon, quite possibly this year. But young players do sometimes have unexpected glitches on their way to the top!

[CrimsonAvenger]

I'd had to be seen as a 'useless old failure' who doesn't know when to retire

You mean, I'm past that stage already?

[Kriterion_BD]

Thanks as always for the update John, and it is disheartening to know Ervine went for a reverse sweep and perished. He is not as compulsive a reverse sweeper from what we have seen in the international arena at least - not as compulsive as Taylor, Williams, Taibu and Hammy - but well...

Taylor, Williams are obsessed with sweeping in general. They just don't know when to put it that shot on the shelf. Can't comment on Taibu as I haven't seen him much. But I don't remember Hammy playing too many sweeps (maybe I'm wrong). Ervine is better than Taylor and Williams in that he doesn't try and sweep every other ball.

[jaybro]

You mean, I'm past that stage already?

No definitely not!!!! I think will most will agree your inputs are always worth the time to read

I on the other hand feel I ramble a lot and pick fights with bots

[jaybro]

Taylor, Williams are obsessed with sweeping in general. They just don't know when to put it that shot on the shelf. Can't comment on Taibu as I haven't seen him much. But I don't remember Hammy playing too many sweeps (maybe I'm wrong). Ervine is better than Taylor and Williams in that he doesn't try and sweep every other ball.

It's so frustrating that all Zimbabwe batsman seem to favour shots across the line, I'm not expert on batting but I would have thought the first thing you would learn as a youngster is to play with a straight bat and use the full face. The odds of getting out would sky rocket the moment you close the bat face, yet our guys seem to always favour the sweep and swipe across the line.

I can't really think of a Zimbabwean batsman that loved playing straight? Guys like Hamilton, Vusi and Williams look brilliant when they did play the straight drive, but all three would quickly revert back to sweeps and swipes

[Googly]

I was watching Kohli in a 50 over game recently and he played a sweep and the commentators had the stat on his sweep shots. It was the 11th sweep shot of his ODi career.
That's an astounding number.