[Match Thread] 5th ODI: SL vs ZIM

[Detective RDS]

The decider.

Hoping for a same Zimbabwe side & same result.

Winning the toss & batting 2nd is the way to go.

[Jemisi]

I think Cremer has lost ten on the trot or something

[jaybro]

Zimbabwe find themselves heading into the 5th ODI in a position even some of the players wouldn't have expected to be in, 2-2 and all the momentum for Zimbabwe to claim their first Away ODI series win against a Test playing nation since beating Bangladesh in 2001 !!!! It would also be their first ODI series win since beating Ireland at home in 2015 and if Zimbabwe can win today it will be the first time they've won a deciding match since beating Bangladesh in 2013. The pressures of playing in a 'decider' has proved too much weight for the Zimbabwean player's shoulders in recent years, since that 3rd ODI in 2013 against Bangladesh where Vusi Sibanda & Sean Williams navigated the hosts home the Zimbo's have been all at sea in the final matches of series. Since then Zimbabwe has played 18 ODI series and have taken 7 of those series to a deciding match but sadly for Zimbabwe they have failed to win any of those 7 matches and the only series win in that time was a 2-1 win over Ireland where they wrapped up the series after the first 2 matches ( they've drawn 2 of those series also against Afghanistan & Scotland ). In some of those 7 deciders Zimbabwe have been in winning positions before imploding none more famous then game 5 in Sharjah, Zimbabwe had shown great mental strength and determination to recover from being 2-0 down and 7-49 down in the 3rd ODI to win games 3 & 4 to take it to a deciding 5th Game. An under strength Zimbabwean side had all the momentum and scored a decent 248 batting first thanks to a Hamilton Masakadza century, the series seemed to be in their grasp when they had the Afghanistan side 6-146 in the 35th over before an assault of boundaries by Naib stole the match and the series from Zimbabwe after they had dominated the whole match. The majority of this Zimbabwean side have played in those 7 deciders so they will carry some scars into this final but one senses the players seem to have grown in the mental side of the game after producing 2 calm and collected run chases in this series so far. So to the final a chance for these players to redeem themselves for past failures or will the weight of pressure again prove too much? An away series win against Sri Lanka would go along way to healing some of those scars for not just the players but also the long suffering fans.

[jaybro]

I think Cremer has lost ten on the trot or something

So he's due??

Definitely winning the toss is key, I doubt Mathews will make the same mistake again by batting first. We really need to improve our fielding, we've dropped way too many catches this series already ......

[americanzimfan]

Any ideas for a good thread?

[Kriterion_BD]

Mire as a pinch hitter sent to open has worked brilliantly this series.

[eugene]

Cremer win the toss and chooses to bowl. Our first step towards victory!

[Jemisi]

good start

[jaybro]

Just the start we needed, hopefully the pitch dries out a bit looks to have some moisture in it .....

[jaybro]

What a jaffer from Raza

Dream delivery for a offie.....