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

[ZIMDOGGY]

We could well be all out for 200 in terrific time today, which will keep the run-rate crowd pleased. But it's a surefire way to lose this game in three-and-a-half days. As much as it was fun to watch Taylor's run-a-ball fifty, I liked the way we batted in the first match better.

Hasn’t aged well.

Because of the positive scoring.
They will have added a lot of time onto this test if they don’t lose more today.
Forces SL into a big score and so on.

We draw that first test if we take the runs on offer.

[tgk]

Annoying way to get out but still a class innings from Williams, especially with the chest infection. Now surely Regis and Mutombodzi need to stay at the crease till Stumps. Nothing short of 400+ is a winning total.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

A really good century, even though it's a damn shame he wasn't able to make it a 'big daddy' hundred like Angelo Mathews did.

We could well be all out for 200 in terrific time today, which will keep the run-rate crowd pleased. But it's a surefire way to lose this game in three-and-a-half days. As much as it was fun to watch Taylor's run-a-ball fifty, I liked the way we batted in the first match better.

Hasn’t aged well.

Because of the positive scoring.
They will have added a lot of time onto this test if they don’t lose more today.
Forces SL into a big score and so on.

We draw that first test if we take the runs on offer.

We've got some quick runs which is entertaining, but I still don't think we are in a good position.

Now I'm a bit fearful that we're going to end up with a similar sort of score as we did in the first innings of the last Test, but in much quicker time so we've basically taken the draw off the table. And with our bowling attack, we aren't going to pick up regular wickets. So it's been entertaining, but we're gifting SL a win by playing this way.

I hope Chakabva and Mutumbodzi prove me wrong though, these two put on 150 together and we're cooking...

[Cribbage]

Annoying way to get out but still a class innings from Williams, especially with the chest infection. Now surely Regis and Mutombodzi need to stay at the crease till Stumps. Nothing short of 400+ is a winning total.

I'm feeling "score 420 but still lose" tbh.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Annoying way to get out but still a class innings from Williams, especially with the chest infection. Now surely Regis and Mutombodzi need to stay at the crease till Stumps. Nothing short of 400+ is a winning total.

I'm feeling "score 420 but still lose" tbh.

I reckon the only way we can win this is by getting to 500 and Mumba goes berserk and snares a 6-fer, we restrict SL to 400. Grind out 200 in the 3rd, and SL collapse or something.

[zimlover]

The T20 cabal should be pleased with this sought of total.

I hope these two play till the close of day and get us through

[Cribbage]

Williams was clearly struggling with his illness so I'm happy to cut him some slack, but if Chandimal and Mathews end up forming that sort of partnership, they're definitely not going to be getting out like Raza and Williams did anything short of 400.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I don't think any of the dismissals today--and not many in the other Test--were down to a particular defensive or aggressive mindset.

I disagree.
This is exactly why we lost.

Firstly. I don’t think we would have won, but we lost the chance of a draw.

Where we lost it, was exactly through the method I was describing in running commentary all throughout the match one thread.

As you can see from this test, there were/are ALOT of easy runs in offer.
This day will net us 350 minimum.

This is how we lost.

We didn’t take the easy runs on offer day one. We didn’t Harvest the runs and we starved later.

As we were 2/190 instead of 240, which we could have done safely, the runs weren’t there when we started to lose wickets. Which was likely and inevitable.
When the cards crumbled, we were all out cheaply despite batting for 2 days. Pressure was created on the lower order.
Let me stress, easy runs were not taken. I’m not advocating stupid shots, but we gave up easy runs that were there.

This has a fast forwarding effect on the test match. It means Sri Lanka has less runs to exceed, and exceed they did by taking the runs (still) on offer.

Made it hard for us when the pitch died a bit and we crumbled.

The coaching staff obviously agree with me, as there’s clearly a directive to cash in today to avoid it.

Ultimately, I can’t blame a guy on debut and Another virtually on debut. It was a selection failure, two nervous guys and that’s how they dealt with it.
This is why if they wanted to debut Kasuza, it would have made more sense having Moor, Burl, Regis on the other end to provide some emotional leadership. They were like chickens out at sea, and they did the best they can under that personally nervous pressure.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Williams was clearly struggling with his illness so I'm happy to cut him some slack, but if Chandimal and Mathews end up forming that sort of partnership, they're definitely not going to be getting out like Raza and Williams did anything short of 400.

He has a serious habit of getting out after milestones.
I’d love to see a graph of how many times he has been dismissed 50-65.

Credit where credit is due, he kicked on today. But I just knew he would get out soon after. I would have put money on it if I wasn’t lounging here at Helsinki airport.

[ZIMFAN]

I know the pitch is a road, is it turning much?