Countdown to Test cricket: Who should bat at number 3?

[eugene]

I am not sure that the Zimbabwean team is really that much superior to Yorkshire so I wouldn't write off Ballance because he can't crack the Yorkshire side.

[Conant]

I am not sure that the Zimbabwean team is really that much superior to Yorkshire so I wouldn't write off Ballance because he can't crack the Yorkshire side.

There really is no hope for eugene.

Hammy

[Tinashce Ruswa]

Interesting that u didn't mention mawoyo?

In all seriousness this is where nick Compton or ballance can play their role should they be persuaded to make the plunge. Vermeylen could have been the man too. Long shot- Sean erv.Or Ewing.

Maybe tinasche ruswa can step up to the plate???

lol @ Zimdoggy ..replied late to this post....for now Imma just focus on my season here with NUSC , MCC Universities league, and finish my Thesis....and will see how it goes from there..surely you are better off getting a stable experienced head at 3.What about Vusy, Tino, dare I sae Jimbo..(Cameroon) surely Test cricket would be quiet tempting for anyone who plays cricket....despite money elsewhere...

[Zimfanatic69]

If Ballance cannot make a poor side like Yorkshire then he is hardly likely to bolster our national side.

????

Yorkshire's top 3 in the County chapionship were as follows:- A.Lyth 1509 runs at 52, A.Gale 876 @ 46 & J.Rudolph 1375 at 52.

It is interesting though that in your team you select a player who after over 100 first class games (and not in the 1st divison of the county championship) averages 30 and in the logan cup this season only averaged 28.

But you contend Ballance who averaged 51,is a specialist in the top 3 and a left hander would not improve the national team because he couldn't displace the above named trio?

It would be a shame if this thread decends into the normal name calling over players ability and that mustn't happen, but there has to be some basis, intelect or rationale in a put down, unless it is of course, a troll.

I did, previously, suggest Ballance to which some users (especially ZIMDOGGY) were very rude and condescending about me doing so.

[ZIMDOGGY]

If Ballance cannot make a poor side like Yorkshire then he is hardly likely to bolster our national side.

????

Yorkshire's top 3 in the County chapionship were as follows:- A.Lyth 1509 runs at 52, A.Gale 876 @ 46 & J.Rudolph 1375 at 52.

It is interesting though that in your team you select a player who after over 100 first class games (and not in the 1st divison of the county championship) averages 30 and in the logan cup this season only averaged 28.

But you contend Ballance who averaged 51,is a specialist in the top 3 and a left hander would not improve the national team because he couldn't displace the above named trio?

It would be a shame if this thread decends into the normal name calling over players ability and that mustn't happen, but there has to be some basis, intelect or rationale in a put down, unless it is of course, a troll.

I did, previously, suggest Ballance to which some users (especially ZIMDOGGY) were very rude and condescending about me doing so.

Im feeling a bit hungry...

perhaps you can help me compare Apples and oranges - your good at that.

[hhm]

How can we begin to blame selectors, while we ourselves as fans cannot be serious about the quality of players we recommend or prefer for certain positions. Tino, Matsi, Ruswa. Let's get serious now people!! Otherwise most of the options being weighed by most of you guys are pretty decent. Raza Butt is not as good as Ballance, and I doubt Compton will go through with it. In any case I don't want us to mimmick Eng's 'strategy'! brmtaylor.com, statistically & logically I think we can easily come up with 12 local top&middle order batsmen ahead of Chibhabha.

I would much rather have Taylor opening with Duffin. Duffin is a must - cool mature head and won't throw away his wicket. With Vusi he either gets out for a duck or makes a century/halfcentury. That means Masakadza comes in at 3 - if he has to consolidate he's capable, and if he must attack you can count on him to do so! Ideally this would be my dream test line up: 1Taylor, 2Duffin, 3Hamilton, 4Williams, 5Sibanda, 6Craig Ervine, 7Sean Ervine(Ewing), 8Taibu-wk(c), 9de Grandhomme(Jarvis), 10Ireland (Mpofu), 11Price, but considering that some of these guys won't/might not agree then the guys in brackets substitute. Backups will be: bowlers -Meth, Shingi, Cremer; bat-Ballance & Malcom Waller. Mutizwa will be the second choice specialist keeper. Utseya is not a wicket taker and you should pick Meth ahead of Nicholson, Chatara, Shingi, Mupariwa & Ncube. Lamb misses out to Ewing who is better.

I know some of you might want to chop my head off for putting Taibu@8 but don't get carried away. I believe he is our best and most experienced batsmen both in Tests and FC cricket! There will be a time when we are 90 for 6 against a top test side and the man you would want coming in to carry us at least to the next day is Taibu. In any case you have to agree, the guys I've put above him are top 4 order players - he's not.

To anyone who cares please don't mention the name Elton or Chigumbura near a future Zim national cricket side - let alone a Test team. He's a lost cause!

[Boundary]

Welcome to the forum hhm, strong opinions there. Chiggs is not a lost cause, otherwise Hammie was as well. Chiggs had enough class to get a county contract and, while I accept that it's not everyone's holy grail, we have to accept that the county system has more professionals than ours. Some of those deemed him good enough and obviously he disappointed not only them but the national team as well. However, class is permanent and he's certainly good enough for one day cricket - he just needs more competition for his place. I think there might be a question whether he's got enough class for Test cricket - but he's certainly no lost cause.

What is a lost cause is hoping for a de Grandhomme comeback or even Sean Ervine and Ireland. I'd love to have these guys in our setup, but if they can't take the plunge after two years of relative stability, then that train will leave and jumping back in IF we beat Pakistan in August will be hard to justify. As a fellow Tuskers fan, I'm also partial to Duffin but a Taylor/Hamilton partnership is our most proven entity. We could try a Taylor/Duffin thing against Aus 'A' but experimenting during a Test is as bad as experimenting during the world cup. I actually like your idea about Taibu lower down the order but I'd put him at 7 or 6, give him a chance to bat before he gets the tail-enders run out, LOL!

PS, the race has tightened. For those that want Masakadza at 3, who is your opening partner to Taylor? Ervine and Williams are also gaining momentum, interesting.

[hhm]

Thanks for the welcome Boundary. I can see the light side of it but you have to say it's quite amazing that Taibu - arguably our best runner between the wickets - has suddenly become such horrible at calling! I heard Botham comment that him and Vusi have been run out tons of times together - maybe someone can do a query and provide the stats on that.

If Elton is to be part of the ODI team, then his bowling needs to be up to standard. In his early days he always had a lot of pace and bounce (potential to be our fastest seamer), plus he can strike. Unfortunately he's not firing there anymore so his spot in that middle order is there for Coventry's taking. Positionwise this guy has been messed around kind of like Carlisle, Wishart & Viljoen. But keep him there and you'll be sure he'll be on par with the Morgans, Pallards& Pathans of this world.

The last few times I've seen Hamilton & Taylor bat together, I feel they don't seem to get along very well. Maybe that's why Hammie was left of of the WC squad, only speculation, but whatever the case might be I don't see a lot of chemistry between them. Otherwise Hammie can open with Duffin and Taylor bats@3, that's just as good, as long as we separate them. We need left-right hand combinations upfront, so that's why I'm pushing for Duffin. He's tried and tested, plus he' s our best left-hander as an opener. In any case I think you'll all agree that out of the 3 he's a more natural opener plus a better one at that - time will prove me right. In the longer version of the game he's certainly a better opener than Hammie&Taylor. And for the record, I would rate Gripper ahead of those two as well. The other option is Ballance but he's too inexperienced and unproven. Can anyone tell me what happened to Neil Ferreira? I suspect he's left the game now, but him opening with Duffin would've been excellent.

I get the feeling that a lot of the people posting here rate Taylor very highly - with good reason - and to a certain extent I concur. We are resuming test now, and if justice is done and the right people are selected, over the course of this period most of you will learn that statistically he won't be among our four best batsmen. Of course that doesn't mean that him and Price are not the first two names in my Test&ODI teams. Oh, Taibu would be a good bat at 6/7 but I'd like to think that Ewing is a better allround batsmen so I'd feel silly putting him below Taibu. Time will tell, but don't be surprised if Ewing upstages all our batsmen. Those two are our security in my opinion. They deserve to be in the top 5 at least, but I feel safer having them there. And if the other guys I've put above Taibu are to bat any lower then we might as well substitute them for Cremer - greater ballance and he'll take wickets. But then again all of this is just my personal opinion and all of you are entitled to yours. Knowing Campbell and co some of them might not even make the shortlist let alone the squad and we'll see LT lead out the side again! My goodness!!!

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Unfortunately he's[elton] not firing there anymore so his spot in that middle order is there for Coventry's taking. Positionwise this guy has been messed around kind of like Carlisle, Wishart & Viljoen. But keep him there and you'll be sure he'll be on par with the Morgans, Pallards& Pathans of this world.

Where's the superlike button?

[sloandog]

Unfortunately he's[elton] not firing there anymore so his spot in that middle order is there for Coventry's taking. Positionwise this guy has been messed around kind of like Carlisle, Wishart & Viljoen. But keep him there and you'll be sure he'll be on par with the Morgans, Pallards& Pathans of this world.

Where's the superlike button?

Mate, how can you compare Coventry to somebody like Morgan, who regularly gets 50's for England, or even Patahn who has struck a century against South Africa in South Africa...
Coventry is MILES away from even being compared to such players. You could relate him to Pollard...hard hitter...strong guy...lots of talent... but fails...