[Match thread] Only Test - Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Out comes the dance, Mpofu gets the huge wicket of Shakib! So the move to give Mpofu the new ball pays off
Good comeback from Mpofu too after a few average balls.

Hopefully the tail doesn't wag.

[FlowerPower]

Ok I was wrong a tired Mpofu for the new ball duties...and all's well that ends well

[maehara]

Hopefully the tail doesn't wag.

Wagged quite impressively in the warm-up match, IIRC. We're not out of the woods yet.

EDIT: Although Vitori's making life very difficult for the batsmen at the mo. He's been a revelation.

[tawac]

BD getting too many runs we should rape this up before they get to 300

[Boundary]

Given a choice between us lacking a bit of killer instinct and BD fighting back, I'd lean slightly towards them fighting back. Not a fully fledged fightback but they've stayed in there well enough. We needed a 100 first innings lead but they're whittling it down.

[Boundary]

Mpofu nice yorker there
, Razzak's gone

[hhm]

From a Bangladesh point of view I'm glad for Ash. Their best(in my view) and most experienced batsmen managed to repay the selectors' faith. I like Ash, so let's hope he can start doing justice to his talent from now on(just not too much against us).

Underwhelming performance from Mpofu and pretty much all the bowlers so far. Perhaps Chris is discouraged by being relegated for the untested young bowlers. Big wicket though, SAH was looking threatening! Congratulations, but we'd expect him to be working towards his fiver by now had he taken the new ball initially as well. Yes, Jarvis was unlucky, that was a difficult catch for Vusi, while the lbw shout should've been given. Don't know about the inside edge Pommie saw! Elton's worked hard, and thanks to Ash he got something at least. At this rate he'll be back to his best as far as his bowling is concerned. We'll monitor his batting in the second innings.

Whatever the case might be, the lack of First Class games&experience on the part of Jarvis&Vitori has shown. One would be forgiven for thinking it was 2pm after hours of toiling wicketless, when in fact they were operating in their opening spells just after the start of play this morning. Not that they bowled much at all the previous day, and there was a huge drop in pace & control from both of them this morning. My feeling is it is more than just lack of match-fitness or fitness in general. After all, if it is then it was very stupid for the selectors to go with them in the first place. For this level they are starting to look ordinary, out of their depth really. Unable to set their own fields to bowl to as most opening bowlers should (in consultation with the capt of course). When fields are set for them they are unable to stick to the plan, or carry on as if they are unconscious that one exists, if any. If they are to be persisted with they must learn, and learn fast they should. Their limited repetoire has truly been exposed. This is not the right place for your schooling to be completed. Welcome to Test cricket guys! The solid pair of Misbah&Younis are on their way, and watch out for Umar Akmal too. I won't even start with the potentially destructive NZ batsmen!

To the Pak & NZ technical teams, what is evident of Zim is that with this current set of bowlers and strategy, if you win the toss you should bat first whatever the conditions. That way by holding off Jarvis and Vitori(pretty simple task) in their first spells of 8 overs or so each, you've nullified any threat we have thereafter. These guys are not used to bowling multiple long spells. And if they do bowl those subsequent spells, the standard cannot be maintained. Both those teams have enough quality to hold us off in the early overs, and it will be plain sailing thereafter. Set a big target, and with Zim's brittle opening pair plus the vacuum in the middle order, an innings defeat should fetch high odds.

As I'm completing this Mpofu strikes again! Bloody selectors! If only Rainsford were here. Those two would've ripped through these guys with the new ball. At least Meth is around. Not preferred unfortunately.

[FlowerPower]

hhm...you. sir are a difficult man to please...

[brmtaylor.com admin]

4 wickets for Vitori now, great stuff!
And the big wicket of Mushfiqur as well.

[Boundary]

hhm...you. sir are a difficult man to please...

He's gunning for the no. 1 Test spot

Vitori gets Rahim out.