Zimbabwe vs South Africa | 2nd Test | 6-10 July | Bulawayo

[Googly]

I actually think they might have dropped Gumbie too quickly. Only got 3 tests. I'm not convinced by Madande's keeping. Gumbie was averaging 21 after 3 tests which is about the same as all these guys trying to break through.

Realistically if he can get his average to 30 whilst opening the batting and keeping at the same time I think that would actually be decent. I think this is achievable in the short term. They need to reconsider his selection. I would take a Gumbie 25 in 60 balls at the top of the order right now over a Tsiga 10. Madande played the same way Tsiga is playing in Ireland. A failed counter attack .

At the top of rhe order in place of whom?

[Googly]

ZC have their favourites, we never know the ins and outs of every player and why, but there’s always favouritism.

E.g. they gave Bennett every single opportunity at every single level, but not Melch. They were in the same u19 batch and some would say the latter had even more obvious potential than Bennett…..but for some reason ZC liked one and not the other.

They seem to have an issue with the Welch family in general.

They clearly dislike Evans.

They clearly dislike some black players too and favour some others. I can reel off a whole list of talented or at least decent black guys over the years who they have just outright rejected and never given an opportunity to for whatever reason.

If you try and make sense of ZC’s decisions yoi are just wasting your own time. There is no logic to any of it, so don’t try and find it

1000%

[Googly]

I have always liked Joylord. Good player.
We cant settle for a guy thats sometimes good for 30 though. He wouldn't be under pressure to get on with it in tests and it might suit him. Hes a good keeper.
He has a ceiling in the white ball stuff though.
If youre looking at other openinh options there's Kaia, Frost and Melch. All have a higher celing than Joylord.
I wouldn't drop Frost or Melch in the deep end though. Way too much to ask to go from Domestic straight to opening at this level. Its a mountain to climb. Inno has done it reasonably successfully though. Hes again a good player.

[Googly]

Bennett
Curran
Welch
Williams
Ervine
Raza
Campbell
Madande
Evans
Mazarabani
Chivanga

This would be a far more competitive outfit , 4 spin options and an extra batter.

Great team.

Madande has to come in now. They can't possibly play Tsiga again.

Tsiga is another theyve begrudgingly given an opportunity to.
They are very likely to drop him and we will see another loooooong spell of Clive in all formats.

[TapsC2]

I actually think they might have dropped Gumbie too quickly. Only got 3 tests. I'm not convinced by Madande's keeping. Gumbie was averaging 21 after 3 tests which is about the same as all these guys trying to break through.

Realistically if he can get his average to 30 whilst opening the batting and keeping at the same time I think that would actually be decent. I think this is achievable in the short term. They need to reconsider his selection. I would take a Gumbie 25 in 60 balls at the top of the order right now over a Tsiga 10. Madande played the same way Tsiga is playing in Ireland. A failed counter attack .

At the top of rhe order in place of whom?

I would try
Gumbie
Curran
Welch
Williams
Ervine
Bennett
Raza

My reasoning for this is that as well as Bennett did uptop, we have seen almost all our innings since he got moved up the order fail after the 4th wiicket is taken. It has happened multiple times. I think Ervine Bennett and Raza could do a decent job to fix this.

In the long term Bennett will probably have to bat 4 or 5 once the senior guys retire. Having your best batsman open can go very wrong for a struggling team like ours. Against NZ I don't think it will matter what number you bat, it will be a fast bowling masterclass.

[Googly]

We needed this whooping. This is an excellent reflection of where Zimbabwean cricket is. It's hard for anyone to take us seriously when we are this bad.

Tsiga and Wes have to go and Craig has to step down as captain. Just to throw an eleven out there:

Bennett (c)
Curran
Nelch
Williams
Ervine
Raza
BT (wk)
Welly
Evans
Chivanga
Blessing

Sorry on a roll here
We certainly have been shite.
How many runs would their batters have made against their own bowling attack?
I'm just telling you they would have struggled. Sure a couple would have weathered it because theyre good, but that bowling attack would have bothered most teams, and its their second team at best.

We can whine about our batting all day but no batting attack is winning with this bowling attack. They'd have to chase 400 most games. We have issues on all fronts. We've been lulled into believing that Ngarava and Blessing are enuf and thats not proven to be correct. Richie has been poor and out back up bowlers just arent going to get the wickets. TK has brought himself deserved opportunity.
On the long road to becoming competitive we HAVE to look at Snater, Evans and Higgins. Not all 3 but at least one or two. We have to have a good seaming all-rounder. Absolutely essential!!!!! That looks like Higgins. Evans could also dramatically improve his batting.
Theyre better all day long than our first change bowlers.

[Googly]

I actually think they might have dropped Gumbie too quickly. Only got 3 tests. I'm not convinced by Madande's keeping. Gumbie was averaging 21 after 3 tests which is about the same as all these guys trying to break through.

Realistically if he can get his average to 30 whilst opening the batting and keeping at the same time I think that would actually be decent. I think this is achievable in the short term. They need to reconsider his selection. I would take a Gumbie 25 in 60 balls at the top of the order right now over a Tsiga 10. Madande played the same way Tsiga is playing in Ireland. A failed counter attack .

At the top of rhe order in place of whom?

I would try
Gumbie
Curran
Welch
Williams
Ervine
Bennett
Raza

My reasoning for this is that as well as Bennett did uptop, we have seen almost all our innings since he got moved up the order fail after the 4th wiicket is taken. It has happened multiple times. I think Ervine Bennett and Raza could do a decent job to fix this.

In the long term Bennett will probably have to bat 4 or 5 once the senior guys retire. Having your best batsman open can go very wrong for a struggling team like ours. Against NZ I don't think it will matter what number you bat, it will be a fast bowling masterclass.

Mmm....
That's negative thinking. I hear u, but we've found a guy that can make runs up front. The best teams all have one. We just need a keeper batsman and an all rounder that can do the job you're proposing.
Thats Higgins and in a year's time Melch.

We've also got Knackers and BT coming into the fray.
The guys on the block when that happens are Curran, Welch and/or Ervine.

[Pat_Bee]

Old raz dawg

He available for the NZ test series or got other commitments?

[Googly]

There's a pic of him rolling in first class saying dont worry, I'm coming
Not quite the dont worry, but the rest is true

[Pat_Bee]

That’s a relief

I don’t follow him. Got blocked for no reason at all