[Match Thread] 2nd Match: Zimbabwe XI v Australia A

[maehara]

Match discussion here. Should be fielding a stronger side this time around - first match was no disgrace, can we pull off a surprise in the second?

[ZIMDOGGY]

howsthe weather over there?

[maehara]

Sunny, according to the forecast.

Zim win toss and will bat.

[richietaylor08]

Weather's good, sunny an cool.. Zim winter's day!!

Zim team: Mawoyo, Sibanda, Hammie, BT, C.Ervine, Chikabva, Chigs, JArvis, Price, Mpofu and Vitori...

Bit of a long tail, but definitely a stronger team than last match... MAybe only taibu in for the bangladesh match??

And aussies don't have Hilfenhaus... Hopefully we'll win this one!!!

[maehara]

Beaten to it on the Zim side. Here's the Aussie team:

Australia A: Finch, Warner, Khawaja, Ferguson, Paine, Marsh, Butterworth, Krejza, Copeland, Siddle, Starc

[BaijuSpeaks]

Excellent..This is the team I was hoping for after the lose of the first test match.
Taylor at 4. Chakabwa also getting a chance as there is no Taibu. Price in, Waller out. Vitori getting another go, Mpofu,Jarvis in.
And I can already see the confidence openers have got after one warmup match. Score 24/0 in just 7 overs.
Really impressed with the selectors for todays game.

Lets see how our boys perform

[hhm]

One down. Vusi was looking as fluid as ever.

Interesting selection. Wonder if Taylor put himself at four though. But why on earth do they keep making Ervine bat below Chakabva. I certainly hope there's a change in that order this time around!

[foreignfield]

Good selection for this match, gives us a fair idea what the selectors might come up with come the first test. Of course Taibu in for Chakabva if fit and a viable number 8 in, that is one of Cremer (still injured, so unlikely), Utseya or Meth.
Taylor at 4 is my preferred option, instead of him opening - but as I speak Mawoyo is again dismissed in the twenties, is that enough? Vitori vs. Jarvis looks like an audition for the role of second (batting bunny-)seamer.

I'm a bit disappointed for Mutizwa though.

[hhm]

Hamilton & Taylor need to put in big partnership. Our senior have to make a statement! It'll do them(& us) a lot of good ahead of their Test against Bangladesh

Mawoyo two 30s and a 20. He needs a bigger effort in the second innings.

He is not qualified to satisfy your expectations of him. Even a half century in the second innings would hardly change that fact! Chakabva has done that before(throw in the odd half centruy) but he just doesn't belong at this level yet. I'm surprised that you're surprised to see Mawoyo disappoint, and I'm even appalled to hear certain quarters tout him as a regular opener in Zim colours! I think eugene hinted that I was going mad when I mentioned Ebrahim & Matsi, but trully speaking, his credentials do not equal those two. In both seasons they've played alongside Tino they've eclipsed him. Tino is 26 soon, and he's hardly set the scene alight locally, nor acheived what those two had in the same time. Not to mention that his fielding and ability to bowl doesn't come close.

foreingfield is right to feel Mutizwa was hard done by. Regis and Tino should be behind him. Perhaps Taylor should have kept wicket and Mutizwa in Chakabva's place. I like Taylor at four and I've mentioned that before, but he's been accustomed to opening for a while now and he likes it so we should keep him there. Particularly with Ballance & Duffin out of the frame. Vusi is a bad choice as an opener, and I thought the consensus in the ZCF was that he shouldn't be opening. What happened? His decent returns in that position shouldn't fool us (or the selectors).

[BaijuSpeaks]

foreingfield is right to feel Mutizwa was hard done by. Regis and Tino should be behind him. Perhaps Taylor should have kept wicket and Mutizwa in Chakabva's place. I like Taylor at four and I've mentioned that before, but he's been accustomed to opening for a while now and he likes it so we should keep him there. Particularly with Ballance & Duffin out of the frame. Vusi is a bad choice as an opener, and I thought the consensus in the ZCF was that he shouldn't be opening. What happened? His decent returns in that position shouldn't fool us (or the selectors).

I am really sorry to say that I am disagreeing with you hhm.
Vusi has scored a 91 and a couple of 30s in his last 3 innnings against Aussies. And you say that he is a bad choice as opener. I cant understand that. And if he is not chosen as an opener, dont select him at all as we have a lot of players to opt for at middle order.
Also, in a team full of inexperienced players having Batting Average between 20 and 30, even if Mawoyo score 30 runs per innings, I will consider that as a good achievement.
And the comparison of Mawoyo with Regis and Mutizwa is questionable as the latters are not openers. In test matches we need genuine openers and Mutizwa and Regis wont fit to that role.
Its almost assured that Taibu will play the first match against Bangladesh and then, why test with Mutizwa for a one -off game as he is not going to be picked for the upcoming series. Instead Chakabva is surely going to be our second choice wicket keeper and he need some ample practice behind the stumps.