[Match Thread] Tour Match - Zimbabwe v Cricket South Africa XI

[tawac]

The Magwegwe express comes steaming in. wouldnt be a bad option to ignore the spin of Cremer and go for an all pace attack.

[Flakeman]

No that’s a bad idea. The Magwegwe express strikes instantly!

[CrimsonAvenger]

May be it is a "Blessing" in disguise that Muzarabani went for runs. He is not ready yet and should not play the test, but would gain a lot from this experience and by being around the setup with Streak, Ntini, Klusener, Mpofu and others to guide him.

Jarvis, Chatara, Mpofu, Cremer is the way to go and hopefully the team management also decides on those lines. Mire / Chamu to help with medium pace would be there if required.

The test match proper would be a different ball game with Philander and his swing coming into the equation and it really is scary what our batting unit can "achieve".

The only major sadness for me with this squad is the absence of Tiripano. He had a lot to offer, specially with the additional dogged batting angle.

EDIT: Ah I just noticed Taylor has kept wickets. Shouldn't be impossible seeing this as a one off match come boxing day, We can probably fit Chamu into this lineup and make Chamu and Regis go to the top of the order with Mire sliding down and delaying the inevitable for the footwork-less middle order.

[tawac]

EDIT: Ah I just noticed Taylor has kept wickets. Shouldn't be impossible seeing this as a one off match come boxing day, We can probably fit Chamu into this lineup and make Chamu and Regis go to the top of the order with Mire sliding down and delaying the inevitable for the footwork-less middle order.

Very interesting that Taylor is keeping wicket in this game. maybe there have seen the need for him in this position. Chamu should be opening with Mire coming down the order.

[TapsC]

Taylor keeping changes everything. I hope that's the plan. Hami is in good form. we need to protect him at all costs. I would send PJ and Chamu up top.. Hami at 3.Ervine at 4 Raza at 5 and Taylor at 6.

[foreignfield]

Taylor keeping changes everything. I hope that's the plan. Hami is in good form. we need to protect him at all costs. I would send PJ and Chamu up top.. Hami at 3.Ervine at 4 Raza at 5 and Taylor at 6.

Very true. Ervine at 3 is suicide against a good pace attack, although I would have BT ahead of Raza at 5.

[zimfan1]

Very harsh on Regis if he misses out after his match saving effort against the West Indies.

[pariah]

Blessing not enjoying his outing Bavuma putting him to the sword.

Further analysis - considering how much Blessing dominated the Logan Cup, including some top internationals - proves just how much better SA quota batsmen are than Zim batsmen(Hami and Taylor included). A cause for concern considering just how much denial still floats around in these parts.

May be it is a "Blessing" in disguise that Muzarabani went for runs. He is not ready yet and should not play the test, but would gain a lot from this experience and by being around the setup with Streak, Ntini, Klusener, Mpofu and others to guide him.

Jarvis, Chatara, Mpofu, Cremer is the way to go and hopefully the team management also decides on those lines.

With all due respect, that's an oversimplification! Taibu and Streak were downright foolish to pick him. Period! If such incompetence is at the helm of the side then the only way is downhill.

Hami is in good form. we need to protect him at all costs.

There was never a reason to have treated him any differently to begin with. Combined Home and Away he is head and shoulders above any other Test batsman in Zimbabwe. Yet again a major flop in the quality of Taibu and Streak's thinking. With so many major flaws (Hami opening, Mire opening, Mayavo picked, Chisoro picked ahead of Wellington, Chisoro not given the new ball, picking Blessing and Burl for this tour, persisting with Malcolm and Moor in ODIs, persisting with Burl in ODIs and batting him that low) it's shocking how those two continue to be held in high esteem here - not forgetting the embarrassing losses. These are blunders of extreme proportions!!!

Ervine at 3 is suicide against a good pace attack

When is it ok for Craig to bat at 3? Are you suggesting a "flexible Craig batting position"? The way I see it, if Craig is not good enough to open or bat at 3, with Hami and Mire opening, and four of Taylor, Moor, Raza, Chamu, Burl, Regis(wk) making up the rest of the 7 batting options(assuming 7-4 is the strategy with Cremer, Jarvis, Chatara and Mpofu), then Craig must simply be dropped. I don't get the reasoning? Granted I shuffle him too in my order, but that's because that's what I've always done. But with Moor stepping up recently and Regis making the keeping position his own, surely whoever doesn't perform must be dropped. That's how it is professionally. Otherwise players are being maintained out of hope rather than performance. If it's ok to maintain a Craig based on the past, why not the same for a Panyangara -
again that point rears its "ugly" head.

Very harsh on Regis if he misses out after his match saving effort against the West Indies.

Regis won't miss out.

Not that BT will keep, but if he does, it will be interesting to see if Streak while being ok with Regis opening plus keeping, will feel Brendan Taylor needs to drop down from 4 if he is keeping instead. Like it or not that will be another point and a lot to read in how players are handled or managed, and it would be anoter very valid point or example.

[pariah]

The match report is revealing
http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/1806 ... 309/day/1/

Dale Steyn endured a wicket-less return to first-class cricket, returning 0 for 16 from his 12 overs for the CSA Invitation XI against Zimbabwe in the first day Paarl. He did, however, come close twice: Solomon Mire nicked behind in the first over but was adjudged not out and Hamilton Masakadza, who went on to top-score for Zimbabwe with 79, was dropped at point in the fifth over on 1. Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for 196 on a 13-wicket day.

Apart from Masakadza, no other batsman managed to go past 26 against a relatively inexperienced bowling attack.

Both Hami and Mire could have been out to Steyn first over.

A pumped Steyn!? What else could have gone wrong after that.

Maybe the 196 total is too generous. 100 sounds about right.

[Conant]

Taylor keeping changes everything. I hope that's the plan. Hami is in good form. we need to protect him at all costs. I would send PJ and Chamu up top.. Hami at 3.Ervine at 4 Raza at 5 and Taylor at 6.

Taylor at 6?