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

[Kriterion_BD]

If you think your inflation is going to get to 20% I'd stick to nursing if I were you.

Already at 3% according to latest report, highest level since June. If you've got a day off from fixing plumbing leaks, I can explain how that works.

[Googly]

That's good, but no thanks.

[TapsC2]

Will be interesting to see the first batting lineup tomorrow with Munyonga replacing Williams. Can't afford to lose this series. With Dion out as well I wonder who the top 3 will be considering that Wes and Bennett were probably supposed to be in the middle order. Maru and Ben will most certainly play but I don't know if Craig at 3 is a good idea without Williams.

[Kriterion_BD]

That's good, but no thanks.

I'm tellin you man...stay at 85% cash like I am right now, and pray for 20% inflation...soon as that hits, give the markets a week or two, and then start your shopping spree. You do that, you'll probably be able to retire before Williams and Ervine do

[Googly]

Ya Tony is a good player and hasn't been given a fair crack of the whip, but I'm not sure how he's a replacement for Williams when Williams is 3 or4 and Tony is 5 or 6.

NW gets done out again. He's the obvious replacement for Williams. Just shows what Salamander wants he doesn't ever get .
Munyonga and Welch both edge Jonno in the batting dept.
I was impressed with Campbell's bowling though. Unless he bowls regularly in the team and does well we have better batters.

I've watched Higgins a bit of late. He would be a decent all-rounder for our national side, and he's a good player, but world class? He's good for sure and has played a high level of cricket for a long time and there's absolutely no substitute for that, but the difference he will make will be small. Of course that's cricket though, lots of small differences, which is what ZC will never wrap their heads around, that's why we can't have passengers, we have to field our strongest team every time. Putting in guys you hope will come good at some point has killed our game for the last 20 years.

I'm not sure he's a better bowler than Evans? A better batsman, yes.

[Andy31]

Ya Tony is a good player and hasn't been given a fair crack of the whip, but I'm not sure how he's a replacement for Williams when Williams is 3 or4 and Tony is 5 or 6.

NW gets done out again. He's the obvious replacement for Williams. Just shows what Salamander wants he doesn't ever get .
Munyonga and Welch both edge Jonno in the batting dept.
I was impressed with Campbell's bowling though. Unless he bowls regularly in the team and does well we have better batters.

I've watched Higgins a bit of late. He would be a decent all-rounder for our national side, and he's a good player, but world class? He's good for sure and has played a high level of cricket for a long time and there's absolutely no substitute for that, but the difference he will make will be small. Of course that's cricket though, lots of small differences, which is what ZC will never wrap their heads around, that's why we can't have passengers, we have to field our strongest team every time. Putting in guys you hope will come good at some point has killed our game for the last 20 years.

I'm not sure he's a better bowler than Evans? A better batsman, yes.

It’s hard one but good problem to have.
Tony is the leading scorer in the pro 50 and can bowl a bit.

[Googly]

I'm going to say this until I'm half dead. ZC use stats when it suits them and disregard them when it doesn't.

I'm absolutely not talking about Tony here because I really rate him, but its not just about stats in any pool of players. Somebody with an eye has to be able to identify the guys they believe can handle the pressures and higher level of international cricket. If they keep picking the top run scorer in whatever format whenever it slots into their really lame agenda we're going to play musical chairs for another 20 years, which we don't have, we have about 3 years before ICC gets really tired of our shit standard of cricket and our abysmal win rate. NW should be in all 3 formats for 50 games, he will come good, he's a top player.

[Googly]

I've just been watching this NZ, SA, Pakistan series.
The standard of batting is just mind blowing.

[mnelson68]

Ya Tony is a good player and hasn't been given a fair crack of the whip, but I'm not sure how he's a replacement for Williams when Williams is 3 or4 and Tony is 5 or 6.

NW gets done out again. He's the obvious replacement for Williams. Just shows what Salamander wants he doesn't ever get .
Munyonga and Welch both edge Jonno in the batting dept.
I was impressed with Campbell's bowling though. Unless he bowls regularly in the team and does well we have better batters.

I've watched Higgins a bit of late. He would be a decent all-rounder for our national side, and he's a good player, but world class? He's good for sure and has played a high level of cricket for a long time and there's absolutely no substitute for that, but the difference he will make will be small. Of course that's cricket though, lots of small differences, which is what ZC will never wrap their heads around, that's why we can't have passengers, we have to field our strongest team every time. Putting in guys you hope will come good at some point has killed our game for the last 20 years.

I'm not sure he's a better bowler than Evans? A better batsman, yes.

If they had Higgins and Evans playing instead of Gwandu and Nyamhuri the test is a different result .

[Googly]

An injured Williams would have been a different result
Raza plays one test and not the next one? Its good to see the team without the Big 3 especially since selections now become critical. Without the Big 3 we need our best eleven and not our best 8. I question why a T20 final is more important than winning our first home test in 11 years!

90% of our close losses are due to poor selections and yet they keep making them, game after game after game.
Do they report back to Mukhulani and Makoni and say sorry we messed up yet again? Pretty sure that's not the case
At best I'd think it's- we're so close, believe in us, we're a couple of games away from getting it right. Wears thin after 20 years. It's tough winning with our best team on the park, with the wish list team it's impossible unless one player like Raza has a blinder. Is that what they are looking for every game? Last time I checked it was an 11 man team game.

Evans, Masekesa, Mavuta, Masakadza, Burl would have made a difference. I just don't think Newman and Trevor are quite ready. I question 4 seamers on that deck anyway. In the absence of real quality spinners (and Raza and Williams) it's a tough one though, but Masekesa should have played from that existing squad. I don't know who's decision that was, but I'm starting to doubt whether Salamander and Ibrahim have the final say from the squad itself.


That test loss was unacceptable. NW dropped a tight chance at slip that would have changed the game. A poor second innings from him didn't help. Blessing dropped an important one as well.
I thought poor captaincy got them from 80/6 to 260. Nobody knew that pitch was going ro do that for the first session, that was the game right there for the taking. Should have bowled short from both ends, shouldn't have given Nyamhuri and Gwandu so many overs, should have stood at mid off and spoken to them more often. He should have brought spin on quicker instead of leaking those runs. Jonno also gave his wicket away twice.
We always have those what if's, buts and maybe's... it's mind numbing.

Let's see the team for tomorrow. More of the same.