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

[shumbat]

What a match, we deserved to do a bit better maybe lose at the very end. Our bowling was exposed by the OZ openers and then our batting lineup torn to shreds in the second innings. It still gives us a lot of homework to do before the real test with Bangladesh but at least we kind of know how our lineup will look like. The good thing is that most of the young pretenders have been given a chance and cannot complain when they are dropped. The sticky point is that of having a 6th bowler/batsmen, what about an allrounder, i know Lamb is injured but the name which did not creep up is Chibhabha, is he really out of it or he can help out with bat and ball, either way.

[eugene]

So unfortunately my pre-series prediction has come correct again. I predicted two defeats with one of them being an innings defeat and it turns out I was on the mark. I wish my cynicism wasn't so based on reality!

We clearly still have many questions unanswered, particularly regarding the middle order. It is little secret that I am a big fan of Craig "The Muppet" Ervine so unsurprisingly enough I feel he should be persisted with. I am going with the old saying 'form is temporary, class in permanent'. Dropping players solely based on form is often a mistake (Hamilton Masakadza and the WC debacle for instance) as the good players tend to come out of their slumps fairly soon. I haven't seen much of Craig's batting lately as nothing has been televised so I can't speak if technical errors are the reason for his dismissals, nut it strikes me he is struggling mentally. He almost always seems to get a start but then gets out. The best way for him to rectify mental errors is to be out there playing, not carrying drinks. Maybe moving him up to 4 where he can bat with one of the more in-form batsmen would help. Having a solid partner down the other end does a world of good for a struggling batsmen as it removes so much pressure. These are only my opinions and know not everyone likes Craig as much as I do, but to me I don't really see any realistic obvious replacements for him. I know people will talk about Ewing, Duffin, Sean Ervine, Kevin Arnott, Ali Omarshah, Gavin Bruk-Jackson and others as potential replacements, but of the group that seem to currently be in the selectors minds I can't think of anyone I would rather have in the middle order.

[eugene]

Sad we fell over. We were kind due for it, plus we had to fit in with Eugene's correct prediction.

Haha. Perhaps I should start predicting victories and then they will happen.