South Africa vs Zimbabwe | Minor Multi-Day Match | 03 June 2025

[Pat_Bee]

His old back won’t handle too many of them

[Kriterion_BD]

30/2 after 6
Curran retired hurt hit on hand by Rabada

Bennett just out caught at gully off Rabada.
Looked at home.
Both he and welch at home against the pace...so far

I feel like Bennet can be kept quiet if you really pack the offside...keep a couple of slips + gully, point, cover point, cover and then bowl a hard length on a 5th or 6th stump line.

[Googly]

Well that was a hugely interesting day.
Facing Rabada and Jansen is almost as tough as it gets for pace and difficulty.
Bennett looked as comfortable as you can be under the circumstances. Thats about as tough as it gets. Pitch was a but up and down but not bad.
Curran not comfortable, may well have a broken hand. Walked at Rabada I think, I guess under pressure, which got the Sa fielders a bit excited.
Welch looking pretty solid.
Williams not a huge fan of pace, looking a bit iffy but still there.
Looks like rain tomorrow.

When they were batting they asked for the new ball at 50 overs just to challenge themselves.
Everyone bowled well. Tidy stuff, way better than against England. We're two levels down from these guys in the bowling dept, probably in the batting dept as well, but we just dont get to face this level too often. Got more chance of raising our batting game than bowling, basicslly because we're about 15-20 kph slower.
Wellie bowled good line and length but no turn
Masekesa bowled well.
Nyamhuri was ok and decently quick.
Chivanga was good.
Falao was ok.
Just a level down from where we need ro be, partly because we dont get to play at this level too often

All in all not bad. Wasn't there but CIA have a cricketing enthusiast that gives decent info.

[Pat_Bee]

seem very well informed

That broken hand sounds a concern

[aydee]

How must Tsiga feel knowing that theyre desperate to replace him with a lesser keeper and a lesser test batsman?
This is bullshit

The usual anti-Takashinga bias.

[secretzimbo]

Cricinfo have a write-up of the day. There's actually a fair mount of spectators in attendance at Arundel after all. A fair few providing updates on the usual groups.

More rain forecast for the next couple of days though.

[Googly]

How must Tsiga feel knowing that theyre desperate to replace him with a lesser keeper and a lesser test batsman?
This is bullshit

The usual anti-Takashinga bias.

Which of them plays for Takashinga? I don't even know.
I just know Tsiga is a better red ball batsman/keeper than Clive.

[Andy31]

I have just been assuming they might be resting and switching players. It’s a practice match after all.

I would have opened with Makoni.

Bennet must be getting tired.

[Pat_Bee]

https://x.com/cricketfanoo/status/19305 ... 70/photo/1

The alleged scorecard

[Googly]

For the batters to be able to face Rabada and Jansen without too much at stake is a fantastic opportunity. Those two are about as good as it gets. Theyre in the same league as Bumrah, Hazelwood, Starc, Cummins and a couple of the NZ bowlers in terms of pace, ability and hostility.
A great confidence boost if you can cope, not so much if you shit the bed.

Their batters get to face that level every time they practice. How do you compete with that? When we face Rabada once or twice in a career there's so much at stake and one mistake and you may wait another lifetime to face the next number one test bowler.

There's so much money in cricket and the technology is out there to exactly replicate these top bowlers with a Merlin-like bowling machine. As good an option is a really good guy on the dog stick. You just can't underestimate their value.
The next issue is good practice surfaces that can be changed up. Constantly playing in dangerous nets is so counter-productive. We have to so up our levels of professionalism at national and franchise level. National level maybe not so much, but the step down to franchise is massive.