T20 Domestic Cricket - 1st Round Schedule

[sloandog]

Is Michael Frost a decent spinner? A mate of mine plated against him in Ireland a season or two ago and said he absolutely ragged it. And that he was a handy batter.

Good knock from Myers.

J Campbell with two tidy not outs already as well.

[aydee]

Michael Frost looks very solid, at least.

Repeatable action, fairly accurate. Finger spinners often look much of a muchness in T20 though, and conditions were very favourable today. Hopefully he gets some red ball chances for Mountaineers this season, as that format makes it a little easier to differentiate between bowlers. He's performed tidily in the white ball stuff, without ever looking especially outstanding.

With the bat, he did get 70 against Zim A for MCC earlier this season, opening the batting. So there is clearly a little bit there as well.

[aydee]

And yeah, Campbell has done well so far this week.

His T20 record had been almost unbelievably bad, so a couple of red 40s will just start to help that a little.

There are a few other surprising ones with truly awful T20 records. Maruma and M.Welch come to mind.

[TapsC2]

What's needed after the world cup is a limited overs 'A' tour. I prefer playing South Africa because then we get to see who really has what it takes with their backs against the wall. We need to start building new squads. The ODI squad is actually a nightmare to get into right now. Some of the guys will low-key be happy Williams' departure has opened up a spot although Naqvi probably qualifies very soon.

[aydee]

What's needed after the world cup is a limited overs 'A' tour. I prefer playing South Africa because then we get to see who really has what it takes with their backs against the wall. We need to start building new squads. The ODI squad is actually a nightmare to get into right now. Some of the guys will low-key be happy Williams' departure has opened up a spot although Naqvi probably qualifies very soon.

A decent A-team programme would be extremely useful.

Ideally not clashing with the Franchise season, either an incoming or outgoing 3 format tour each year. Should be the minimum, in my opinion. Most countries manage this, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, West Indies.

[Andy31]

More A team cricket for sure.

A team cricket is actually where i think Taylor would be most useful. Experience and a nice ease in for him to coaching
The A team should be playing Namibia, once a year minimum.

[Googly]

Michael Frost looks very solid, at least.

Repeatable action, fairly accurate. Finger spinners often look much of a muchness in T20 though, and conditions were very favourable today. Hopefully he gets some red ball chances for Mountaineers this season, as that format makes it a little easier to differentiate between bowlers. He's performed tidily in the white ball stuff, without ever looking especially outstanding.

With the bat, he did get 70 against Zim A for MCC earlier this season, opening the batting. So there is clearly a little bit there as well.

M Frost was on the periphery of the Ireland squad. Left arm orthodox, really handy bowler and can more than hold a bat and he can rarely get a game for Mountaineers. Plus they are a sponsor of Mountaineers. He's a like for like with Masakadza. When Masakadza is on national call-up Frost still rarely plays. The dude is desperate to show what he can do and he's right up there with Wellie with both bat and ball. One is penned in every national game and the other gets an occasional franchise game. C'mon!

I see Chatara finally sat out that last game. Since he was made captain/coach/manager they've imploded. Their season is done in all formats and we are barely half way.
From a winning side that won 2 of the 3 comps to a losing one with the same players Just shows what mismanagement and meddling does, and a couple of bad apples. From being a wicket taker to an absolute liability. Giving these old disinterested guys with a healthy streak of nastiness a living is one of the many things killing our cricket. They're just marking time praying they've towed the line enuf for a coaching/management/retirement role.

Theyve lost 2 games to DL which were the perfect opportunity for NW to showcase his skills when he was in and set and seeing it like a football and having to go at 9's because Bennett, Chiorah and Gumbe keep bottling the power play. He also had one caught that hit him half way up his arm Surely Salamander is watching and wondering wtf, but I think he's with the program by now.
Madhevere comes in next innings and survives 2 plumb LBW's. It's so blatant. He's missed one game with a stomach bug and had 2 rained off when he was in and absolutely set. We've watched 2 innings now where NW and BB have batted together so you can compare. One is the National VC and the other can't get a game.

Chiorah has a good eye, but he's got no plan. They could open with either of the Frosts, MW, NW, or Gumbe and they'd be so so much better off. That power play is so important and Chiorah is really struggling. Bennett needs to up the rate to make up for what's not happening at the other end and he either won't or can't, or he's waiting for NW to come in ie he's compensating for poor selections and is trying to anchor.

Now that Bennett is bizarrely the national VC its the perfect opportunity to make him Mountaineers captain, yet they can't do it He's either captain material or he isn't.
If Masakadza is the preferred Mountaineers captain then make him the national VC or even Captain, because for sure he has more experience than both Bennett and Ngarava.

Ngarava has never captained in his life, surely get him to cut his teeth in the Eagles squad?? His first ever game as captain is going to be an international? For how?

I see Shumba is back on the X radar. The desperation. One excellent innings, and he's looking a better player for sure.
He's a good player.
Maru has gone completely off the boil, as has Maruma and M Welch.

I thought the purpose of this was to urgently find replacements for 4 players that are going to let us down, yet they announce the squad anyway? Larry posted that there was a deadline for that. Mmmm...
AI reckons Feb 1 is the deadline.
Curran and Welch are a light year ahead of Munyonga, Madande and Taylor. 2 light years. 3.

[Googly]

Two great shots from Bennett. They were half way thru bottling this power play as well.

[Googly]

Theyve got Frost and Masakadza to open trying to defend an impossibly low total and they open with Bennett?
This team is upside down. Absolutely useless.

[Googly]

And two second rate pakistani bowlers