[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v Netherlands, 2nd ODI, Harare, 23 Mar 2023

[mnelson68]

I look at it the other way , Zimbabwe have 4 allrounders who all bowl spin , may not be as good individually but collectively can more than hold their own as we saw Madhevere and Raza do the last game. For me the biggest concern is the seamers , they don't take wickets . Everyone worries about batting and bowling but fielding is the most important part of the game imo and it gets overlooked when talking about players and their abilities.

[jaybro]

I’m sorry but saying Burl is the new Waller or calling him the team mascot is a joke

Short memories TapsC & Tawac, Burl was head & shoulders above the rest during the Ireland tour. I’m critical of his application when he comes in early and also I don’t think he’s a front line bowler in ODIs but he’s certainly a match winner and a lot better than Malcom Waller

[jaybro]

I’m with SZ on the question about playing 8 batsman & 3 bowlers. We definitely need a front line spinner and for me it’s Mavuta, I agree to a certain point that Williams can cover Wellington but Burl cannot cover Mavuta.

It’s all well & good to say we have 4 spin options so we don’t need a front line spinner, but let’s look at these bowlers more closely-

Raza - bowling average of 44+ hardly a strike bowler, I actually liked his traditional off spin better & saw him as more of a front line bowler then. Yes he offers good variety, but he’s not a front line bowler in this format.

Williams - bowling average of 49+ again hardly strike bowler numbers, very useful bowler and has a knack of picking up crucial wickets but he isn’t a front line bowler. I actually think Ervine over-bowled him in the 2nd ODI & he should have gone back to Wellington.

Burl - average of 35 is good, but he goes for over a run a ball which isn’t great. We’ve also seen in this series he’s struggled for consistency & hasn’t taken a wicket and has gone for over a run a ball. Again, useful option and has shown he can take wickets but we can’t rely on him as a front line bowler.

Wes - average of nearly 47 and until his hattrick the other day his numbers were in the 50s, once again that doesn’t spell front line bowler to me. Seems to have also changed his bowling a little bit and is bowling much quicker through the air, either way like the guys above he’s a handy option but not a front line bowler.


So as you can see, yes there are 4 spin options that could bowl enough overs for the 4th & 5th bowler quotas. But the question is do we want those guys bowling 20-30 overs a game? If we really need a wicket who do we turn to? Sure Raza & Wes got the breakthroughs the other day, but their numbers suggest they can’t be relied upon consistently.

The question then goes to, ‘Are Wellington or Mavuta any better?’ The answer for me is clearly yes, Wellington has shown he’s a very economical bowler & picks up a wicket per game (better than the others).

But Mavuta for me is the guy, sure his limited sample size of ODI cricket doesn’t indicate he is, but I think his body of work for the Rhinos shows he’s ready to be given a chance.

The thing is you need wicker takers to win matches, to get though this CWCQ we need x-factor & wicket takers. Looking at our bowlers Blessing is obviously a wicket taker, but apart from him we don’t have any others. That’s why I believe we need Mavuta because he has the ability to take multiple wickets on a consistent basis.

With Evans/ Jongwe at 8 and Mavuta 9 then Ngarava at 10 I think that’s enough batting. The onus on making runs should be on the top & middle order to build an innings and score the runs, not to replace a bowler with another batsman as extra insurance.

Better application by the batsman will fix that issue and we can stick with 4-front like bowlers which balances the side much better.

[ZIMDOGGY]

It's going to seriously come back to bite you if you are relying on Burl, Raza and Williams as the only spin options. None are anywhere near consistent enough for 50-over cricket.

You can probably get away with it in T20's where they only need to bowl an over or two each.

Always pick a spinner.

I think Wellington is not better than Raza or willo, and is only labelled the Specialist spinner because he can’t bat the way they do.

[mnelson68]

It's going to seriously come back to bite you if you are relying on Burl, Raza and Williams as the only spin options. None are anywhere near consistent enough for 50-over cricket.

You can probably get away with it in T20's where they only need to bowl an over or two each.

Always pick a spinner.

I think Wellington is not better than Raza or willo, and is only labelled the Specialist spinner because he can’t bat the way they do.

[slcricfan1]

It's going to seriously come back to bite you if you are relying on Burl, Raza and Williams as the only spin options. None are anywhere near consistent enough for 50-over cricket.

You can probably get away with it in T20's where they only need to bowl an over or two each.

Always pick a spinner.

I think Wellington is not better than Raza or willo, and is only labelled the Specialist spinner because he can’t bat the way they do.

Wellington is much better than Raza at least lol. Always economical. He doesnt take wickets though but he`s come in clutch a fair few times last year. Agree with SW

[mnelson68]

Chatara playing

[sloandog]

I’m sorry but saying Burl is the new Waller or calling him the team mascot is a joke

Short memories TapsC & Tawac, Burl was head & shoulders above the rest during the Ireland tour. I’m critical of his application when he comes in early and also I don’t think he’s a front line bowler in ODIs but he’s certainly a match winner and a lot better than Malcom Waller

Yea I'll second this. Burl's had a major breakthrough year with both bat and ball, although the latter still needs a lot of work. The good thing with his bowling is that he really does give it a rip, which will always make him dangerous.

His batting has always been there but Rajput batted him so low down he got into a slogging mentality. He's a top 5 batter really, but I think he's starting starting to implement this T20 mentality into his game far too much. In terms of talent, I'd say Burl is right up there with Wez, batting wise.