[Series Thread] Zimbabwe XI in Netherlands

[Mike]

What is worrying is the amount of 4 and 6s hit by us. Although not a full strength team we should be beating Holland any day.

[eugene]

This Netherland's team was even missing some of their best players like Ryan ten Doeschate who is probably the best cricketer outside of the test playing nations.

[ZIMDOGGY]

dont freak,

they are just exhibition games.

its a holiday for our players, designed to bring in a little cash and get the game in holland improving.

i would have picked a holland win (just thought t b closer)

[maehara]

they are just exhibition games.

its a holiday for our players, designed to bring in a little cash and get the game in holland improving.

The one-dayer, yes. The Intercontinental Cup match coming up, though, is important - they're part of measuring readiness for Test return, and if we lose more than one or two matches in the competition then the naysayers will be out in force.

[Zimfanatic69]

dont freak,

they are just exhibition games.

its a holiday for our players, designed to bring in a little cash and get the game in holland improving.

i would have picked a holland win (just thought t b closer)

Yes, far be it for me to expect our players to be PROFESSIONAL.

At least Matsi and a couple of bowlers applied themselves. As for the rest. Jokers.

[zimfan1]

Holland have been playing competitive cricket in the forms of the English OD cricket, World cricket league, intercontinental cup non stop since April.

Compare that to the Zimbabwe XI who finished the domestic season in April, the only player who has been playing regular "competitive" cricket in the last 6 weeks in Nathan waller with the Under 19's. And i dont think that it is any coincidence that he was the pick of the bowlers yesterday.

Combine this with the fact that the dutch are full of confidence after a couple of good wins against English county sides and against Bangladesh, its not surprising that they beat a second string Zimbabwe side in their own conditions.

As Mahera said, the 4 day match starting tomorrow will be the real test.

[maehara]

Netherlands v Zimbabwe XI: Intercontinental Cup Match
25-29 July 2010, Sportpark Westvliet, Voorburg



Zimbabwe XI Squad: Vusi Sibanda (captain), Forster Mutizwa, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Charles Coventry, Chamu Chibhabha, Regis Chakabva, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tendai Chatara, Ed Rainsford, Keith Dabengwa, Shingi Masakadza, Natsai Mushangwe, Nathan Waller, Timycen Maruma

Netherlands Squad: Nick Statham (captain), Adeel Raja, Wesley Barresi, Steven de Bruin (wicketkeeper), Tom de Grooth, Wilfred Diepeveen, Tom Heggelman, Maurits Jonkman, Ruud Nijman, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Berend Westdijk

All I can say is, they'd better play better than they did in the one-dayer...

[Zimfanatic69]

Holland have been playing competitive cricket in the forms of the English OD cricket, World cricket league, intercontinental cup non stop since April.

Compare that to the Zimbabwe XI who finished the domestic season in April, the only player who has been playing regular "competitive" cricket in the last 6 weeks in Nathan waller with the Under 19's. And i dont think that it is any coincidence that he was the pick of the bowlers yesterday.

Combine this with the fact that the dutch are full of confidence after a couple of good wins against English county sides and against Bangladesh, its not surprising that they beat a second string Zimbabwe side in their own conditions.

As Mahera said, the 4 day match starting tomorrow will be the real test.

that is true but the rest of your post is weak excuses for unprofessionalism (Matsi and a couple of bowlers excepted). you would think the players being in holland would be a bonus to them.

[eugene]

I will gladly have an all-expenses paid trip to the Netherlands and put in more effort than those guys.

[Train Driver]

It's been a while since my last visit due to what one might call 'a crisis of confidence' in cricket, all cricket that is, and a lot of the 'support' that goes with it

I've given up with the Sussex messageboard this season as the new breed of poster seems to want to do nothing other than criticise anyone and anything, the players, management and each other, you name it and there's a hundred critical and sometimes offensive posts on their way, sadly i see the same undertone on this forum as well and i just can't see the benefits to anyone, as if we don't have enough to annoy us as the people who 'run' the game of cricket nowadays throw everything to the wind and try to turn the game into a 20/20 quick bucks farce

I can see the frustration at the result from yesterdays game, but come on fellas, this was a warm-up match for goodness sakes, the selection was one to give everyone a game, otherwise why would the side have taken the field without even a proper 5th bowler while leaving Chibhabha, Maruma, Chatara and Dabengwa sitting on the boundary ropes ?

I've no doubt that ZC would have loved to have sent the squad on a longer acclimatisation tour, as i'm sure the players would have been happy to go on one as well, but then they would still have had to play a first game wouldn't they ? they would still have had to change from playing in Africa to playing in Europe

Anyway, the Intercontinental game is the one that needs to be given 100% and i expect Waller and Mushangwe to be replaced by two of the above, probably Chibhabha and Maruma, with Dabengwa replacing Williams if he's unfit.

Whatever your views on the present state of Zim cricket, i hope you're all well out there, especially hop-along maehara