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Ideally Zimbabwe want to win this to secure the series, but after the last match, who knows..? Certainly Afghanistan will likely consider a share of the series to be a major scalp.

We'd better win

Here's the thing, there's a fairyl consistent pattern to almost every series we play: if we're going to win, we win at the beginning of the series, when the opposing side perhaps isn't quite too sure what to expect. It's not like we play every day, and we can throw a few surprises in front of other teams, and we're pretty good at taking advantage of that.

But we've got very little variation in what we do. Opposing sides get the hang of what we can throw at them, come up with their own methods of working around them, and sometime into the series they get their act together and win. Once they win one, they usual win the rest, because we're too slow to react - we just keep throwing the same ideas and hoping they'll stick when they've already failed.

TL;DR version - Afghanistan to win (doubly so if we have to bat first), series tied overall.

losing to afghanistan is unacceptable

I think we will win, I expect no more 'experimenting' with the side and Panyangara to return to try and keep things tight early. That last game showed us that having guys like Panyangara, Mpofu and even Ed Rainsford who can keep it tight and accurate taking the new ball is just as important as having tear away guys like Chatara and Vitori who can bowl with pace ......

It seemed Kamungozi bowled better with an older ball and field set back but with Elton not bowling we can't afford to go in with only 2 seamers again so I'd say Panyangara in for Kamungozi as the only change I guess Regis can come back for Timmy but I'm not fussed either way, maybe Richie might get a debut .....

Morning

https://www.facebook.com///#!/pages/Afg ... 4871164016

Highlights of Raza over and more while we wait for the match.

etoreveyi wrote:Morning

https://www.facebook.com///#!/pages/Afg ... 4871164016

Highlights of Raza over and more while we wait for the match.

The lengths being bowled are crazy when you consider:

1) The situation in that particular match (Afgh needing to score, Zim needing to restrict scoring)
2) The fact that Afgh have a reputation as swashbuckling dealers of sixes

I don't know what the Afghans eat for breakfast, but those guys have a great attitude. Zim probably ate chicken-feed for breakfast on that day!

First bit of good news: we have won the toss and will field.

The team today:

R Mutumbami†, Sikandar Raza, BRM Taylor*, SC Williams, T Maruma, MN Waller, E Chigumbura, RW Chakabva, DT Tiripano, SW Masakadza, T Panyangara

All out pace, no full-time spinners - Williams was probably considered to be sufficient. Chatara is out...odd.

Mutumbami and Maruma come in. Hamilton out - is he injured?

Tiripano strikes early, another aggressive start by Afghanistan though, they seem to be building a lot of confidence match by match.