[Match Thread] OnIy Test: SL vs ZIM

[ZIMDOGGY]

Really, really pleased for Craig Ervine! Will stop criticisms of him henceforth; this has been an innings of really great character!

And Donald Tiripano! What a chap. Batting better than many of our top order batsman against the spin. He will die for his team.

Immensely pleasing work then -- the best day of Test cricket we have had in a years, given we were in the doldrums before lunch.

Totally proud, my heart is swelling, well done boys!

You saying kind words about Craig?

Hell has frozen over!

[pariah]

another session is soaked up

That phrase is so unbefitting this performance. They've gone at nearly 4rpo!

But it adds another dimension, we've played for runs, not runs + time, which means Sri Lanka have been their own enemies - loose bowling. Understandable considering it's been a while since their Test top guns are rusty.

Every posibility that Zimbabwe will be bowled out within the 1st 30 minutes, then SL pile on the runs and put Zimbabwe back in during the last 10-15 overs of the day and nick 4/5 wickets.

Remember, Zimbabwe had absolutely not clue how to pick up a Sri Lanka wicket during the ODIs, and Dickwella bast at number 7 300/0 is really not impossible, nor would it be surprising! 650/4 alos not surprising. If Sri Lanka don't take Zimbabwe out of the match tomorrow, then I expect a few people to start asking questions. Zimbabwe have an attack that wouldn't threaten Afghanistan in Sri Lanka.

[pariah]

The way this pitch is playing and with the bowling we've got I don't see us bowling SL out for anything under 550, as long as the SL batters don't commit multiple acts of self-destruction.

My thoughts exactly. Our praise for Tiripano is a strong indicator of what's looming. I'm really worried about how thi smatch will be perceived if they collapse. That strange ODI in which the barely scored runs for several overs - as if they were on an industrial strike - still has a number of people asking questions over here.

[clikcspeed]

Good day's outing I think (especially given that we could have easily been bundled for less than 150.) I think most of us would have taken 350-odd at the start of play. I'm sure this is our best Test score away since 2011.

Would have wanted the other guys to push on to 40's and 50's, and also get a few big partnerships - however it's important that there was support for the anchor.

Run rate is actually very good @ 3.8 an over. We don't have to try too many things tomorrow, much rests on Cremer, the pace battery will probably play a holding role and from what's available (Tiripano and Mpofu) they can perform the role.

We just need a decent schedule. These 1 of Tests every decade don't help.

[ZIMDOGGY]

The trio of Raza, Williams and Malcolm live up to my theory – score 30 odd runs, all that’s left if for them to concede 130 runs each! If Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Dean Elgar can bat in the top 3 then bowl 15 plus overs, I don’t see why one of those three shouldn’t - bowling is not an excuse. Rather unfair on Musakanda. Regis Chakabva deserves what’s been done to him. He knows he’s a far better batsmen and keeper than Moor and has proved it repeatedly. HE should have refused selection if he was going to be opening the batting. Both him and Musakanda have been Timecyn Marumad! http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/623576.html

The simple answer is raza, williams and especially silly Waller don't have the technique against the swinging pace to be there. Williams playssoin beautifully and only gets out to themthdiugh stupidity not being outplayed. I could never ever see him open! Wallers technique is horrible and I wouldnttrust him there and Raza is so so.

Say what you want about the niggas but the one in the team play wayyyyy better against pace than spin and probably have better techniques (if not always match intelligence) and are way more suited to opening.
Musakanda has an excellent technique and looks like a top 4 bat. Hammy is a natural opener and chibhabha can not play spin at all but actually looks world class AT TIMES against pace but like a chicken on a life raft against spin. Although he sometimes looks like he doesn't show up mentally at all, but that's another story (and IF Zimbabwe ever had a match fixing controversy I'd bet he would be involved, as he can go from Brian Lara to under 7s in two different games).
Mire is the odd one out, he's up the top because he both wants to be ams he's playing a proactive pinch hit role under the Streak regime.

Regardless,
You keep making one assumption and that is that the opening roles are the doomed ones, that no one wants!
Nothing can be further from the truth because if you like the ball coming into the bat, it takes no effort to tap the hard ball for four.
In my local team the opening spot is always taken up in two seconds flat because guys want to bat there. If you look around the world all the t20 stars come in the top 3. They want that ability to tap into gaps and take their time and look like stars when they get a one say or t20 century.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

The current Zimbabwe team continue to break records. In the purest form of the game, they cracked their highest score in a days play. Considering they were 70/4 against Herath & Co, 344/8 is phenomenal. Sluggo was the superstar of the day. His 151* is the highest score by a Zimbo in SL eclipsing my favourite Andy Flower's 105* in Colombo in 1998.

#Nostalgia: I still remember the tension on the last two days of that test. Zim were on the verge of their first ever test victory abroad as SL were 100 plus with 4 wkts down chasing 300+ (courtesy Flower's ton & Streaky's fiery 4-fer burst). What followed was many controversial decisions by umpires which handed SL the victory. They indeed won by '13 men'. Campbell sarcastically expressed his displeasure & coach Houghton was fined. Streak is our coach now, Campbell & Pommie (part of that match) in commentary box. That injustice still hurts but class shown by Craig & the fightback by this ever improving team is commendable. #ZimvSL

[Black Mamba]

Mowayo,Chari, Chibhabha now Chakabva. Test opening option is still unsolved.

Hope Prince Masvaure returns again, done well in four dayers and was unlucky just like Chisoro after doing well against Kiwus

[pariah]

Say what you want about the niggas but the one in the team play wayyyyy better against pace than spin and probably have better techniques (if not always match intelligence) and are way more suited to opening.

You keep making one assumption and that is that the opening roles are the doomed ones, that no one wants!

I'm of the firm view that Sibanda and hamilton Masakadza would have score d far more Test centuries for Zimbabwe if they batted 4 and 5 in internationals. They remain easily the best FC batsmen in ZImbabwe in my view.

All I know is that Burl has opened or batted at first drop in FC in Zimbabwe, while Moor has predominantly been an opener from the time he was introduced to the game, plus several A/XI games/Tour Matches. Yet we see him not batting higher than 7(while I see some poster here selecting him as an opener, but putting a wk next to his name too). The onus is on you the fans and the selectors to explain the logic because none of the same reasoning is applied to Chari who has proven he can play both pace and spin, plus has a number of big scores in FC in Zimbabwe, has keeping skills as good/bad as Moor, but has been forced to open 9 times out of ten, the other being at 1st drop. Even career middle-order allrounder Chibhabha was picked and forced to open. The only exception is Prince Masvaure who was debuted in the middle order(but many would argue why he was even batting 5 in Test XI to begin with, while Hami/Vusi/Regis were in front of the TV instead).

But let's leave this discussion until we see where Burl bats once he's selected in the Test side, or if a Malcom Lake decides he wants to play for Zimbabwe. Then things will get really interesting. I don't think there'll be anywhere else to hide.

[eugene]

Craig Ervine is our best batsman and he was always likely to play well in the sub-continent due to his mastery of playing spin. Tiripano could probably make the team solely as a batsman to be honest. I fear for our bowlers however, unless Cremer can weave some magic we may be in trouble. Our bowlers are completely inexperienced bowling in the sub-continent in test-match conditions.

[watermelon]

I'm of the firm view that Sibanda and hamilton Masakadza would have score d far more Test centuries for Zimbabwe if they batted 4 and 5 in internationals. They remain easily the best FC batsmen in ZImbabwe in my view.

All I know is that Burl has opened or batted at first drop in FC in Zimbabwe, while Moor has predominantly been an opener from the time he was introduced to the game, plus several A/XI games/Tour Matches. Yet we see him not batting higher than 7(while I see some poster here selecting him as an opener, but putting a wk next to his name too). The onus is on you the fans and the selectors to explain the logic because none of the same reasoning is applied to Chari who has proven he can play both pace and spin, plus has a number of big scores in FC in Zimbabwe, has keeping skills as good/bad as Moor, but has been forced to open 9 times out of ten, the other being at 1st drop. Even career middle-order allrounder Chibhabha was picked and forced to open. The only exception is Prince Masvaure who was debuted in the middle order(but many would argue why he was even batting 5 in Test XI to begin with, while Hami/Vusi/Regis were in front of the TV instead).

But let's leave this discussion until we see where Burl bats once he's selected in the Test side, or if a Malcom Lake decides he wants to play for Zimbabwe. Then things will get really interesting. I don't think there'll be anywhere else to hide.

These black boys should be on their hands and knees thanking people like me for the opportunity to open for Zimbabwe. Seeing hungry young black players leading the charge for Zimbabwe makes the struggles of the revolution worthwhile.

-watermelon.