It's basically County two's standard. That's a big range- a strong Two's side is almost as strong as the First Eleven. If they put a couple of academy guys and maybe a trialist it's easier cricket.
That O'connor guy looked a handful.
If you don't have a rock solid defence in UK, know exactly where your off stump is, leave well and hold your line if the ball deviates you're not going to survive long. That obviously applies to all cricket, but red ball in English conditions (which are bowler friendly atm) is doubly hard.
I think Elton will throw in the towel and get in some good shopping.
The difference between Div 1 club and Premier club is a big jump.
From Premier to County Twos is a small step, sometimes none, unless you have an angry First team seamer running in.
I'm looking at our batters in this team. A couple of decent guys, but no depth. Surrey u16's will beat them, mainly because there's no batting depth. Some handy bowlers. Wallace may do well here.
Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
I watched a crunch Weybridge Reigate game once and they had 18 pro cricketers (past and present) on the field and I think there were 6 internationals amongst them (past and present).
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
What should bother everybody who's about to burst into tears over the state of our cricket is the names they give these teams and who's in them.
We have Zim A, Zim u25 and Emerging.
They jumble all the players up and it should surely be acutely embarrassing, but of course it isn't.
We have about 100 players in our franchise set up, and there's Zim, these guys (who knows their official name) and the guys about to play SA whoever they are and who knows what that team is? Supposed to be Zim A, but isn't quite. So of our 100 players about 45 of them are involved in 3 different representative sides.
I'm ecstatic that we've got all of this going on, great for our guys, but put the right blokes in the right teams and give the teams the right names.
They've got to stop picking people who have no chance of making it. What a waste of resources. I think we should only have two teams on the go simultaneously. They're trying to spread the few good players we've got out between three teams and they've weakened all of them.
We get taken less seriously every time. We've gone beyond laughing stock to pity and puzzlement.
People are always asking me- is this genuinely the best on offer? I have to keep saying No, don't ask me why, but they keep picking the wrong players and the wrong coaches, we could put up a better showing.
We have Zim A, Zim u25 and Emerging.
They jumble all the players up and it should surely be acutely embarrassing, but of course it isn't.
We have about 100 players in our franchise set up, and there's Zim, these guys (who knows their official name) and the guys about to play SA whoever they are and who knows what that team is? Supposed to be Zim A, but isn't quite. So of our 100 players about 45 of them are involved in 3 different representative sides.
I'm ecstatic that we've got all of this going on, great for our guys, but put the right blokes in the right teams and give the teams the right names.
They've got to stop picking people who have no chance of making it. What a waste of resources. I think we should only have two teams on the go simultaneously. They're trying to spread the few good players we've got out between three teams and they've weakened all of them.
We get taken less seriously every time. We've gone beyond laughing stock to pity and puzzlement.
People are always asking me- is this genuinely the best on offer? I have to keep saying No, don't ask me why, but they keep picking the wrong players and the wrong coaches, we could put up a better showing.
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Let me go a step further. Forget Surrey 16's, a top school side will beat these guys.
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Birmingham Phoenix ladies would beat these guys
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secretzimbo
- Posts: 9814
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2021 2:08 pm
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Well it was Zim 'A' on the Kent scorecard last week and now it's Zim U25 on the MCC scorecard.
Despite Nkosana Mpofu being 34 (!), Owen Muzondo being 26, Tinashe Muchawaya being 27 and Takudzwa Chataira being 26.
This sort of thing is so embarrassing. And why are ZC keeping this tour a secret? They will no doubt publicise and promote everything about the other 'Emerging' squad, but this one is being kept under compete radio silence? What are the motives for this media blackout?
And why for example are some Under 25 players including some Under 20 payers in the Emerging squad, whilst some Over 25's are in the Under 25 squad? Why are some 'senior' capped players in the seemingly stronger Emerging squad whilst others like Wes and Marumani are playing with some far less experienced and less talented team mates here? What were the reasons for some people going to England and some people playing SA? Was it just done completely at random? Other than Wes, Marumani and couple of the bowlers I'm not sure these other guys justify the enormous cost a 8-week England tour must be costing. What a waste of resources.
Also why have they hardly sent any batters on this tour?! They are playing 5 out and out bowlers again in this match seemingly because they have no choice.
Do we know who the coaches are even? Chigumbura is apparently. Does that mean Mangongo is doing the SA series? Someone said Houghton was involved in this England tour. I believe he is living back in the UK now?
Also Googly raises a good point - 45 players unavailable through the various national sides currently, plus another 20 guys paying club cricket in the UK. And yet they are still playing a 14-team NPL at the same time? We don't have 200 good enough cricketers ffs to sustain all of this. Why is it all happening at exactly the same time and where is the planning and foresight? Who is actually running ZC now that Hamilton is 'sacked' (Despite appearing in interviews and photos still....) What is his role? Is Viljoen running things or are they just setting up as the fall guy? Is it just some random admin lady in the ZC office running things? There appears to be 0 planning or rhyme and reason to things currently, even by our usual standards
Despite Nkosana Mpofu being 34 (!), Owen Muzondo being 26, Tinashe Muchawaya being 27 and Takudzwa Chataira being 26.
This sort of thing is so embarrassing. And why are ZC keeping this tour a secret? They will no doubt publicise and promote everything about the other 'Emerging' squad, but this one is being kept under compete radio silence? What are the motives for this media blackout?
And why for example are some Under 25 players including some Under 20 payers in the Emerging squad, whilst some Over 25's are in the Under 25 squad? Why are some 'senior' capped players in the seemingly stronger Emerging squad whilst others like Wes and Marumani are playing with some far less experienced and less talented team mates here? What were the reasons for some people going to England and some people playing SA? Was it just done completely at random? Other than Wes, Marumani and couple of the bowlers I'm not sure these other guys justify the enormous cost a 8-week England tour must be costing. What a waste of resources.
Also why have they hardly sent any batters on this tour?! They are playing 5 out and out bowlers again in this match seemingly because they have no choice.
Do we know who the coaches are even? Chigumbura is apparently. Does that mean Mangongo is doing the SA series? Someone said Houghton was involved in this England tour. I believe he is living back in the UK now?
Also Googly raises a good point - 45 players unavailable through the various national sides currently, plus another 20 guys paying club cricket in the UK. And yet they are still playing a 14-team NPL at the same time? We don't have 200 good enough cricketers ffs to sustain all of this. Why is it all happening at exactly the same time and where is the planning and foresight? Who is actually running ZC now that Hamilton is 'sacked' (Despite appearing in interviews and photos still....) What is his role? Is Viljoen running things or are they just setting up as the fall guy? Is it just some random admin lady in the ZC office running things? There appears to be 0 planning or rhyme and reason to things currently, even by our usual standards
Last edited by secretzimbo on Wed Jul 24, 2024 12:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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secretzimbo
- Posts: 9814
- Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2021 2:08 pm
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
The MCC side seems stronger or at least a lot older and more experienced than the Kent Under 16's we got hammered by last week.
Matthew Pardoe - played here for Southern Rocks a decade ago, went on to play 56 times for Worcestershire although hasn't played professionally since 2014.
Hassan Hameed - club cricketer
Darren Ironside - 2 first class games for a university side in 2019. Played for Essex 2nd XI before.
Jonty Jenner - Jersey's best player
Adam Ball - over 100 professional appearances for Kent, but hasn't played professionally since 2017.
Chad Barrett - Experienced Saffer, played 3 times for Northants in 2014, various county 2nd XI's and Minor counties since and an MCC regular.
Edward Ellis - 5 first class game for Oxford Uni some years ago. Minor County and club player since.
David Mullholland - club cricketer
Bhagwan Rane - club cricketer, MCC regular
Matthew Luksich - a few games for KZN in SA in 2017. UK club cricketer since, again a MCC touring regular.
George O'Connor - youngster, played 2nd XI for Kent, Sussex and Northants the last couple of years.
Matthew Pardoe - played here for Southern Rocks a decade ago, went on to play 56 times for Worcestershire although hasn't played professionally since 2014.
Hassan Hameed - club cricketer
Darren Ironside - 2 first class games for a university side in 2019. Played for Essex 2nd XI before.
Jonty Jenner - Jersey's best player
Adam Ball - over 100 professional appearances for Kent, but hasn't played professionally since 2017.
Chad Barrett - Experienced Saffer, played 3 times for Northants in 2014, various county 2nd XI's and Minor counties since and an MCC regular.
Edward Ellis - 5 first class game for Oxford Uni some years ago. Minor County and club player since.
David Mullholland - club cricketer
Bhagwan Rane - club cricketer, MCC regular
Matthew Luksich - a few games for KZN in SA in 2017. UK club cricketer since, again a MCC touring regular.
George O'Connor - youngster, played 2nd XI for Kent, Sussex and Northants the last couple of years.
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Jonty Jenner is an absolute gun fielder. He went the jersey route because there was no interest from counties, which is insane.
Re: Zimbabwe 'A'/U25 Tour of England 2024
Well done for that SZ, that must have taken a bit of googling. What must those MCC guys be thinking! They're basically club cricketers.
They and everyone else must be wondering what the hell is going on. Wes is probably technically the best batter in that side and he was struggling big time, has had more internationals than that MCC side combined has had FC appearances.
I don't have the adjective to describe this, but it's beyond embarrassing. If they'd just picked the guys playing club over there they'd put up a better showing.
Surely that Bulawayo journalist should be asking someone important here what the thinking is behind all of this. Mangongo and Chigumbura had a long time to prep these guys and pick a balanced side, instead they appeared to have a personal feud and were hell bent on advancing their own boys.
The admin answer to our cricket crisis is just to play a huge amount of cricket, basically year round.
I'm not averse to that, but we need quadruple the amount of T20's and there has to be some specialised coaching at some point. Guys taking a net session and making people run laps and promise not to smoke mbanje is not cutting it.
Nothing is going to change, biased selections will continue, and admin just don't have the answers, never have and clearly never will.
Maybe a 20 million dollar stadium will make everyone play better?
They and everyone else must be wondering what the hell is going on. Wes is probably technically the best batter in that side and he was struggling big time, has had more internationals than that MCC side combined has had FC appearances.
I don't have the adjective to describe this, but it's beyond embarrassing. If they'd just picked the guys playing club over there they'd put up a better showing.
Surely that Bulawayo journalist should be asking someone important here what the thinking is behind all of this. Mangongo and Chigumbura had a long time to prep these guys and pick a balanced side, instead they appeared to have a personal feud and were hell bent on advancing their own boys.
The admin answer to our cricket crisis is just to play a huge amount of cricket, basically year round.
I'm not averse to that, but we need quadruple the amount of T20's and there has to be some specialised coaching at some point. Guys taking a net session and making people run laps and promise not to smoke mbanje is not cutting it.
Nothing is going to change, biased selections will continue, and admin just don't have the answers, never have and clearly never will.
Maybe a 20 million dollar stadium will make everyone play better?