Professional County Club Select XI vs Zimbabwe | Men’s First Class Match - Only Tour Match | 15 May 2025 - 18 May 2025

[Pat_Bee]

Blessing robbed there that was stone dead!

[sam_ahm]

Hey folks, how are you all doing?

Hoping Zimbabwe can put up a strong show starting 24th May! Amazing how tim flies, this test is now upon us!

[CholeZimbo]

Hey folks, how are you all doing?

Hoping Zimbabwe can put up a strong show starting 24th May! Amazing how tim flies, this test is now upon us!

yep hoping for a respectable performace only

[zimbot]

Not that it matters, the last time Zimbabwe toured England, they were fortunate enough to play 4 FC matches before the Tests.

They drew/tied 3 of them against strong county sides (including one against a Murray Goodwin-led Sussex) and won one (against "British Universities"). Despite all that preparation, they lost the Tests by a considerable margin. It wasn't even close.

In 2025, our boys are getting bullied by players who barely have any county experience.

I am not gifted with clairvoyance, and I don't need it to make what I think is a very obvious prediction. It's not going to be pretty guys. It's not.

[Googly]

The pitch is playing really well atm and they've had a couple of calls go their way, but the bowling has generally been woeful. We just cant seem to bowl tight overs. De Caires has just survived another stone dead plumb lbw and now has walked past one. Its beyond alarming that two youngsters can dominate us like this.

[eugene]

Not that it matters, the last time Zimbabwe toured England, they were fortunate enough to play 4 FC matches before the Tests.

They drew/tied 3 of them against strong county sides (including one against a Murray Goodwin-led Sussex) and won one (against "British Universities"). Despite all that preparation, they lost the Tests by a considerable margin. It wasn't even close.

In 2025, our boys are getting bullied by players who barely have any county experience.

I am not gifted with clairvoyance, and I don't need it to make what I think is a very obvious prediction. It's not going to be pretty guys. It's not.

Tour matches aren't always a strong indication either way. I've seen many visiting teams perform poorly in tour matches and then play much better in the real fixtures. That being said, this performance is certainly cause for some concern given our lack of experience in English conditions.

[Googly]

Surely since it's a friendly they should have given Chivanga some overs to get acclimatised?
I heard Evans actually pitched up and bowled at our guys the other day and bowled beautifully. The answer was right in front of them. Alistair Campbell also mentioned our fc was not strong enuf (remember the lengthy debate on this forum) and it all starts with better bowling.
Any decent bowler can bowl threatening deliveries but the good ones bowl five or 6 an over, we bowl one or two, it's really alarming. Even if the bowling is not threatening it should be that 5th stump line on a decent length that at least keeps the run rate at 3 or below.

[Googly]

Tsiga standing up to Nyauchi and Mousley trying to reverse scoop it. He gets bat on that and it's hitting Tsiga in the head.

Actually a good way to make sure the keeper stays back.

[Googly]

Another stone dead LBW turned down. This Mayes kid is an excellent sweeper.

[Pat_Bee]

Tsiga standing up to Nyauchi and Mousley trying to reverse scoop it. He gets bat on that and it's hitting Tsiga in the head.

Actually a good way to make sure the keeper stays back.

That not Clive keeping?