Countdown to Test cricket: Who should open the batting?

[brmtaylor.com admin]

The number three poll tiebreaker poll has ended with Sean Williams the clear winner.

In this poll, the idea is to vote for the two players who you think should open the batting. After seven days (assuming no more ties!) the two batsmen with the most number of votes will be the winners and the top order as chosen by the forum will have taken shape.

[sloandog]

Sibanda has to open

[BaijuSpeaks]

Sibanda has to open

Zimbabwe cannot afford both Sibanda and Duffin in the squad .

As we have already tried and tested Sibanda, lets give a chance to Duffin. Duffin has scored a 50 against India in his debut test. And, also Sibanda is known to all the bowlers especially from Bangladesh. So, Duffin will be a surprise package.
If he fails to impress, Sibanda should get the opportunity.

So, I vote for Taylor and Duffin as openers.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Bullshit only mods can make polls.

I vote Taylor and mcduff

[Conant]

I am not sure about "flat track bully" Taylor opening. What about the matches where there's life in the pitch? My vote goes to Duffin and Masakadza

[eugene]

If Sibanda opens we will need three openers as he gets out so quickly that the number 3 will virtually become an opener - much like Taibu was in the World Cup because Coventry failed so miserably.

[hhm]

brmtaylor.com, even though it's a bit more complicated, I would much rather you had put in combinations for us to choose from e.g Taylor-Hamilton; Taylor-Duffin; Vusi-Hamilton. At least guys are up in arms about Vusi opening which is good to see . Am I wrong to be alarmed at why Chibhabha, Mawayo & Coventry are in this list!%#&? Interestingly you left out Craig, and I agree, but are you trying to tell us something (I suspect he's your 4/5).....

Anyway, my vote went to Taylor&Duffin. I haven't heard anything about Jarvis, and seeing that Ballance is non-committal, this remains my Test Squad selection: 1Taylor, 2Duffin, 3Hamilton, 4Williams, 5Sibanda, 6Craig, 7Ewing, 8Taibu-wk(c), 9Meth, 10Price, 11Mpofu. Replacements: 12Waller, 13Shingi, 14Mutizwa, 15Cremer. Since they are giving him the initiative, I doubt Chigumbura will heed Campbell & Grant's advice so I fear Meth may miss out - reasons: Mpofu has improved, plus there's too much time&effort invested in him for them to drop him; and civil war will break out if two Matabele seamers are selected ahead of the guys up north, so one of either Shingi or Chatara will be there, in which case I see Heath going for Shingi.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I had thought about about putting in combinations, but there would have been so many permutations it might have taken up half a page

The only reason I left out Craig Ervine is because I didn't think anyone would consider him as an opener. Similarly, that's why I didn't include Chigumbura, Lamb or Chris Mpofu in this poll! Chibhabha and Coventry have at least opened the batting in ODIs in the past 12 months. Mawoyo if I'm not mistaken opened against New Zealand A and of course for his franchise, as does Ewing who has one of the highest First Class averages in Zimbabwe.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

I am not sure about "flat track bully" Taylor opening. What about the matches where there's life in the pitch? My vote goes to Duffin and Masakadza

I think somebody pointed it out before as well that given a chance Hamilton prefers 1 down. He is also not opening for his franchise at times so his mental make up is vital.

[hhm]

I am not sure about "flat track bully" Taylor opening. What about the matches where there's life in the pitch? My vote goes to Duffin and Masakadza

I think somebody pointed it out before as well that given a chance Hamilton prefers 1 down. He is also not opening for his franchise at times so his mental make up is vital.

I think I'm the one who mentioned that Dr_Situ viewtopic.php?p=25449#p25449. Maybe someone can help me understand why Conant says Taylor is a "flat track bully". I can't seem to reconcile that description with my opinion of him. Depending on which combinations one considers relevant, the permutations would certainly have been too much brmtaylor.com, so that's understandable. "Similarly, that's why I didn't include.... Lamb or Chris Mpofu in this poll!" . Ewing has opened in the past and for the Tuskers of late so it wouldn't be a disaster if he opened, but I think he's ok in the middle-to-lower order. As captain of the Tuskers he can get away with that kind of audacity. Mawoyo is not of international standard yet, and I would put his selection to the WC ODI squad down to desperation and an error of judgement on the part of Alistair&Co or perhaps their desire to ensure at all costs that Hamilton didn't play in the WC!

On a separate note, I haven't been on this forum all that long, but hearing these kind of names thrown around like Mawayo, Regis and Matsi(not that bad a test player by the way), I get the feeling that Forster Mutizwa is either highly underrated or not rated at all. Anyway...