[Match Thread] 1st Match - Zimbabwe XI vs Australia A

[eugene]

A diasppointing day in the end, particularly after such a solid start. There seems to be a trend now of our openers doing well and then our middle order surrendering meekly. This is unusual historically for Zimbabwe as we were always a team that struggled at the top and then Andy Flower, Guy Whittal, Heath Streak and co would come in and save the day.

The slow run rate almost certainly helped the collapse. When you are scoring at 2 an over as a batsman you are never really on top of the bowling. Once a wicket falls the pressure increases and things spiral out of control. The best way to ease the pressure after a wicket is to score runs, particularly from the already established batsman.

[Tinashce Ruswa]

One of the most common comments one sees here is "Disappointing........... but there are positives to take through"......

In every situation there are always positives despite our normal sub par performances.What's disspointing is thatas a national cricketing unity despite the game format we seem to follow a certain pathway.

1.We get a performance from the top order whom we always know are capable
2.The dreaded Zimbabwe slide begins

And then we always say in retrospect we collapsed but we had a good start or we can take the positives...Newsflash time moves on and these are the actual games where I think we MUST build on those positives and solidify that middle order and make sure WE translate the starts into something important.

Batting till tea can save a 4 day game maybe..but I don't see the Australians scoring at our rate they will score faster.I think we need to practice what we will do in actually test matches and bat well and long top middle and lower order because in Test matches its about time and taking positives wont make much of reading because they are the actual games...

OK rant over..Its just that I have know the potential of some of our players and having played against or seen most of our opponents now i.e SAA and some of Oz A we are selling ourselves short because we are not as team doing ourselves justice.169/3 I thought we were turning the innings maturity curve..Alas only to find us 200/6

I hope I am proved wrong tomorrow because and our batsmen PROVE and show we have reached the apex of our innings capability maturity model and bat on.

No better time than now to get playing real cricket

[maehara]

Rattled through the final wickets this morning, and ZimXI all out for 230. Disappointing, given the work Vusi and Tino put in yesterday...

[takleg]

Warner feeding on Chatara. Hope Tendai gets himself together or this could be a catastrophe!

[Conant]

84 for 1. Vitori strikes

[brmtaylor.com admin]

It's good to see Vitori doing well. These First Class games are really an audition for the place of Mpofu's partner in the 1st Test against Bangladesh. It's early days as there's still a long way to go in this series, but Vitori and Meth look to be early favourites. In every opportunity he has been given, Vitori has risen to the occasion and made the most of it. I hope he can continue to do well, as I mentioned in a previous thread it would almost be a fairy tale start to his international career if he could play against Bangladesh. He got a start as a 15 year old in the infamous Faithwear series of 2005-06, he survived on the domestic scene after that season when many more experienced players didn't. He's continued to improve season after season including a string of big-haul late last season, all the while being a one club player for Masvingo (and any subsequent names they have changed to since then). I really hope he can make the Test team, what an incredible story it would be.

[jimbo]

Chatara You beauty

[andrewn9]

I can't undersatnd going into a first class game without a frontline spinner when the opposition takes 4 first innings wickets with their spinners. This isn't rocket science!

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I can't undersatnd going into a first class game without a frontline spinner when the opposition takes 4 first innings wickets with their spinners. This isn't rocket science!

As I mentioned this game is virtually an audition for the seam bowlers.

It's time to bring Meth and Vitori back into the attack, a tight spell is needed with Australia A going at about 4 an over.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

With a couple of hours left on day two Australia A already have a first innings lead. I'm struggling to think of any scenarios whereby Zimbabwe XI can still come away with the draw?