Looks like utseya batting at 4, Not sure if its the best position for him in my opinion but I hope he proves me wrong. Chakabva opening according to this report hopefully we get a partnership going today please please please. Zimbabwe really dont have much to lose as they arent the favourites for this match but hopefully we will put a good effort and surprise the Lankans. all the best boys!!!Kandy, Sri Lanka — ZIMBABWE cricket legend Heath Streak called crunch time, as the national team fielded under the beautiful lights of the Pallekele International Stadium last night, ahead of their make-or-break 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Group A showdown against Sri Lanka today.
Needing a win against the powerful hosts, one of the best teams in the world, the Zimbabweans responded by ringing changes to their batting line-up with Brendan Taylor getting a new ope-ning partner in Regis Chakabva.
Taylor had opened the batting with Charles Coventry, so far in this World Cup but with the bespectacled Coventry struggling for form, the selectors yesterday went for broke and pushed Chakabva into the opening slot.
Coventry was dropped from the team that will face Sri Lanka today and young Chakabva, who batted at number three in Bangladesh and impressed in the first match before only being given one chance in this World Cup in return for a duck against New Zealand, will now open the batting.
Tatenda Taibu, who said this week that he needs to keep working in his game because it wasn't at the level that he wants, keeps his place at number three.
The emphasis in the Zimbabwean camp, ahead of this game, has been to improve their batting with better partnerships, longer stays at the crease and more runs on the board and the selectors believe the changes will help the team in their quest to surprise Sri Lanka.
Zimbabwe will also go into the game with two seamers, after the wicket at the Pallekele showed to favour seamers during the New Zealand/Pakistan match and it means a return to the team for Chris Mpofu, who has recovered from injury to take his place and Tinashe Panyangara.
It also means that skipper Elton Chigumbura is expected to bowl more overs today.
Streak, the former Zimbabwe pace spearhead, who is now the bowling coach for the national team, has done a pretty good job with his boys impressing in the game against world champions Australia and destroying Canada before being blown away by New Zealand.
Now they face the hosts Sri Lanka, in their conditions, needing a performance pregnant with Irish bravery for them to produce one of the shock stories of this World Cup and put their campaign, for a Super Eight place, back on track.
Streak was part of the Zimbabwe team that impressed the globe at the 1999 World Cup in England, with victories over India and South Africa, and - in his role as the coach - now wants the Class of 2011 to go that extra mile and win against Sri Lanka to keep their Super Eight hopes alive.
Yesterday he spoke to The Herald after a session with his bowlers in this beautiful stadium, and gave us his team's half-time scorecard as they leave the first round behind them and move into the second phase today.
"Obviously we are disappointed, especially with our loss against New Zealand because we always felt they are a side that we can compete with and certainly we under-performed in that game," said Streak.
"We have shown some consistency with the bowling and fielding aspects of our game but we are not getting enough runs on the board and hopefully we will change that tomorrow (today) and give ourselves a competitive target.
"Sri Lanka are a very tough side to beat, in their own conditions, but they will also be under pressure and if we can get a good start and also pick one or two wickets, we can put them under pressure but they key thing is to get enough runs on the board to be competitive."
The Zimbabweans have failed to find their fluency, and productivity, when it comes to batting in this World Cup and there has been very little to write home about except Taibu and Craig Ervine's innings against Canada and Brendan Taylor's knock against New Zealand.
The top order has let the team down badly and interestingly, most of the runs have come down the order with Prosper Utseya showing the established batsmen how it is done.
Utseya has been rewarded for his consistency with the bat, in this World Cup, by being moved up the order in this game and will likely bat at number four.
Streak believes they have the players to challenge Sri Lanka despite the disappointment of their batting against Australia and New Zealand when they were restricted to sub-200 totals.
"We have had a couple of good scores, one from Tatenda Taibu, and we obviously need the senior players like Taylor, Taibu, Elton to put their hands up and make a mark.
"The guys have been training hard and hopefully, they can do it. It's about just getting on with dealing with the pressure.
"From a batting perspective, not a lot of guys were carrying good form coming into this World Cup but we know their capabilities and the guys have been working hard. It's the pressure that comes with playing in a big tournament like the World Cup and a lot of players seem to be playing for their positions, which is tough.
"We are trying not to put them under pressure but they know it's a situation they have to deal with. At the end of the day it's all about scoring runs."
Streak said his team was well aware of the significance of the next three games, starting with today's day/night tie against Sri Lanka.
"The next three games are crucial games for us," said the former Zimbabwe captain.
"We gonna have to get a couple of wins to get through to the next
round.
"It's crunch time for the team.
"Sri Lanka are a tough side and we gonna hope that either Pakistan or Sri Lanka don't play their A game and we gonna play to the best of our abilities."
The pitch is set to offer assistance to the seamers and Streak said the fitness of Mpofu was key and the lanky Tuskers paceman last night passed a fitness test to take his place in the team.
Zimbabwe will still expect a lot from their battery of spinners, who have impressed in this World Cup, and Utseya, Ray Price and Graeme Cremer will have to come to the party.
While the Zimbabweans have generally struggled against Sri Lanka, this World Cup has thrown a number of surprises to give Streak and his men confidence that, on their good day, they can also get a result to suit their needs.
With a full house expected at the Pallekele, a beautiful ground sandwiched by the hills of Kandy, Sri Lanka will certainly be inspired to deliver but, as has been shown by India and Bangladesh, it also comes with a cost.
Having lost to Pakistan and shared a point with Australia in a match ravaged by rain, Sri Lanka have work to do to seal their place in the Super Eight in a group that has been turned on its head by the strong performance of New Zealand.
There are chances for everyone and, as Streak rightly pointed out last night, it all depends on who takes the initiative and whether his boys don't freeze under pressure.
Zimbabwe Team:
Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva, Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura (captain), Greg Lamb, Graeme Cremer, Ray Price, Tinashe Panyangara, Chris Mpofu.
