Match Thread: Only Test Zimbabwe v Ireland (6th -10th February 2025)

[tgk]

Man we're gonna end up giving them the first innings lead after having them at 31/5 ffs

[Andy31]

So many starts. Which is frustrating

[Kriterion_BD]

Looks like a great knock from Welch. Seems like decades ago he was first mentioned as a 16 yo who hit a Logan Cup century. Hopefully he has a good 10+ year career for Zimbabwe across formats.

Wez getting off the mark...I wonder what the record is for Test innings needed to get off the mark for a top 7 batter...???

My overnight prediction of 235 all out is still on the cards...lets see how close I get. This looks like its gonna be another classic match.

Man the ICC really needs to fund a Test triangular competition between Zimbawe, Ireland, and Afghanistan. Something like this would work well:

- A Test triangular that could be called ICC World Test Championship Challenge League or WTC CL or just TCL for short.

- 3 tournaments per year, December-January hosted by Afghanistan in the UAE/India, March-April-May hosted in Zimbabwe, May-September hosted by Ireland, back in Asia for the following cycle in December-January the following year and so and so forth...

- round robin formula + Final, ensures that teams play at a minimum of 6 Tests per year

- the ICC could and should put concrete criteria for possible/eventual promotion to the WTC. For example, if any of ZIM/IRE/AFG attains a 67% win percentage in Tests vs the other two sides over any rolling 5 year period, they get promoted to the WTC

- ICC should also employ a "feeder" or developmental First Class league under the TCL consisting of the top Associates who have an interest in FC/Test cricket eg Scotland, Nepal, Netherlands, USA, Canada, etc.

[Kriterion_BD]

5 is the quota, we are just fooled because Raza is a mainstay, so we think its 4.

Shouldn't be any quota at all, but if its 5, thats probably fairly fair. Whats the record number of whites in a ZIM XI post 2004? Was it the 2018 qualifiers with Taylor, Williams, Ervine, Jarvis, Cremer? Was Burl in that squad?

[ZIMDOGGY]

Only in zimbabwe is there a fear of a number 3 batsman being stranded just shy of a century against Ireland in a home test match, who is also on debut after not getting picked ahead of Gumbie.

[ZIMDOGGY]

5 is the quota, we are just fooled because Raza is a mainstay, so we think its 4.

Shouldn't be any quota at all, but if its 5, thats probably fairly fair. Whats the record number of whites in a ZIM XI post 2004? Was it the 2018 qualifiers with Taylor, Williams, Ervine, Jarvis, Cremer? Was Burl in that squad?

I definitely recall 6 around 2018, Waller in that mix as well as Burl. I remember wondering if we would ever hit 7 and I dont believe we ever id, or if we did, it was once.

Everywhere in the world people champion us disappearing

[TapsC2]

It was obviously not easy putting a team together here without 3 senior batsmen but what was the logic of picking 4 tailenders with 7 inexperienced batsmen? High high risk especially when you look at 2 of the tailenders not performing well with the ball on top of that

[Kriterion_BD]

4 dots, and a single on the 5th ball of the over from Ngarava? Thats not very sensible when you've got a man on 80 not out at the other end. Surely Welch has to say no to a single like that...

[Kriterion_BD]

Forgot about Waller there...maybe there was no Burl. Don't think there have been 7 whites in an XI...maybe 6 tops.

[andrea lanzoni]

5 is the quota, we are just fooled because Raza is a mainstay, so we think its 4.

Shouldn't be any quota at all, but if its 5, thats probably fairly fair. Whats the record number of whites in a ZIM XI post 2004? Was it the 2018 qualifiers with Taylor, Williams, Ervine, Jarvis, Cremer? Was Burl in that squad?

Each time I hear about these quotas I truly feel bad: I rule you out because you are white, I rule you in because you are black. This is racism!
This is the african application of that damned woke ideology.

On the other hand I feel well because (if I'm not wrong) this is the first time Zimbabwe plays without Raza, Williams, Ervine.
Only one or two years ago a squad without the big three was seen as a nightmare. Now we are attending a match where Zimbabwe is not at all under last matches par.
Clearly a "par" where you are a bit struggling against Ireland is not to be enthusiastic, it is anyway not the total collapse which was envisioned.