[Match Thread] Pro50 & Logan Cup: Eagles v Rocks

[CrimsonAvenger]

Is it to early to get a bit excited about Nick Welch?

I'm already excited, let's do a Coventry and get him in the squad for the next series. We should clamp him down to Zim!

[Googly]

Interesting what Mangongo is doing, he batted at 3 yesterday and made 30 off 30, played a stupid shot and nicked off. Today he opened and is going well, was dropped on the boundary on 30 but on 45 at close. The pitch is terrible for a day 1 track, staying low and is tricky. 90 run partnership with Vermuelen at present. He just needs to keep his head and be patient and get through the first spell tomorrow. Vermeulen looking very good as well. I'm curious what the other players are thinking, he's batting ahead of quite a few good players and is clearly under pressure to perform. Mangongo is unconventional as we all know and likes to be controversial.

[foreignfield]

Is it to early to get a bit excited about Nick Welch?

I'm already excited, let's do a Coventry and get him in the squad for the next series. We should clamp him down to Zim!

There seems to be some real substance there, so no need for any mania, just good old-fashioned excitement.

[zimfan1]

Interesting what Mangongo is doing, he batted at 3 yesterday and made 30 off 30, played a stupid shot and nicked off. Today he opened and is going well, was dropped on the boundary on 30 but on 45 at close. The pitch is terrible for a day 1 track, staying low and is tricky. 90 run partnership with Vermuelen at present. He just needs to keep his head and be patient and get through the first spell tomorrow. Vermeulen looking very good as well. I'm curious what the other players are thinking, he's batting ahead of quite a few good players and is clearly under pressure to perform. Mangongo is unconventional as we all know and likes to be controversial.

It's great that he has a chance to experience FC cricket 16, as long as he scores runs which he is doing at the moment no one can complain.

From memory Mangongo tried to do a similar thing with PJ Moor but came to the convulsion that he was not mentally or
Physically up to it, with Welch it seems to be a different story.

Googly any news on whether he wants to play for Zimbabwe or head over to the UK?

From his surname "Welch" I imagine there is an Irish connection?

[Googly]

Surely a Welsh connection? Scoreboard had him as WALCH. He was offered a scholarship at Hilton a while ago but turned it down. An English school wants to look at him but I know they are very happy with the opportunity they have at FC level. When does a 16 year old get a chance like this? If he went to England he would be playing schoolboy cricket, here he is facing some pretty good bowling and coping well, it has to make him a better player. The tragedy is that Zim may well lose their test status and continue to play minimal games and lesser countries and no-one will get to see how good he could be.

[Googly]

PJ used to be a front foot player and wasn't quite ready. He has the talent and plays well now though. Coaches should have picked this up and reinvented him before he left school not after. A coach's job is to nurture a good player, especially from a small pool, not throw him in at the deep end. Big countries with thousands of players are guilty of this as players are expendable. I know Nick's dad would never have allowed him to play if he thought he wasn't going to cope. Of course there's a chance he'll get hit but there's no one that's real express. Vittori is a handful but he plays in the same team.

[zimfan1]

Your right it's a difficult decision, issue is if he leaves it until he is 18 he will have real difficulties in ever playing for England due to there new qualification rules.

If heats in Zimbabwe he will play test cricket and in world cups but may boot have regular top class cricket.

Either way it's great to see a 16 year old perform at this level....

[Jemisi]

Hopefully the lad can go on tomorrow.

[AussieZimFan]

Kid looks like a good prospect. Unfortunately the cynical side of me believes if he does turn out to be a talent with the bat it will be for England

[eugene]

He should stay in Zimbabwe and become the next Andy Flower.