Club Cricket 2024-25

[Googly]

The Vigne Cup kicked off the weekend after franchise cricket ended. The franchise guys need a mental and physical break.

I don't know for sure, but the better clubs with franchise players are probably the clubs struggling to put sides together.

It's a little short sighted to not be organised because one has to qualify for the NPL later on when some enthusiasm has returned and guys are gearing up for the next franchise season. Plus there might be a chunk of cash up for grabs again. If Takashinga don't qualify of course there won't be a cent on offer.

A superb innings from Basson, who is being robbed of a franchise career because he's white. He's a good player. Perhaps doesn't have enuf in the tank to go international, but we will never know.
Another destructive innings from Schadendorf. He's the most powerful hitter in Zim and again can't even get a franchise T20 opportunity because of his pinkness.

The NPL (and Vigne) is not officially considered strong enuf for selectors to consider players, but then how do you find a new player? Does he have to go through Takashinga or one of the many Chigumbura Academies?

The back end of NPL is strong enough, and we all know that. If the right guys perform it certainly is, if the annoying ones perform then it isn't. Nothing changes.

It's high time SOGO got franchise status. They'll have the "token Uncle Toms" like Maru, Dion and possibly Richie, who can't be bullied into their nasty agenda and just want to play good cricket with a good bunch of lads in a well organised team. ZC want to dilute the white guys amongst all the franchises and clubs, but they're determined to keep Takashinga 1 and 2 all black, the academies all black and for the Pakistanis and Indians to congregate together, but if the white guys want to get together as a group it causes untold animosity. I'd really like to see Bawa and Matigimu in SOGO as well. Bawa, GImu and Dion have mingled freely amongst whites for years and haven't been lynched by guys in white hoods and I'm sure feel reasonably safe. These are the guys that can be the catalyst for change. It's not coming from the top, it has to come from quality players that are tired of the ZC agenda that has stuffed us down a deep rabbit hole.

[Googly]

Sean Bennett looks a fine young player as well. Why is he not in the u19's?
Banks is a real prospect, but obviously overseas atm.
Andy Blignaut's youngster looks excellent.
Andy was an unbelievable talent, also excelled at rugby.
There's another 14 year old youngster either from Hellenic or St John's that is apparently off the chart excellent as well. I'll find out his name.
The way to keep them out is to offer absolutely no pathway for them and offer no sustainable income whilst they find their feet, make sure they dont get into a HPC as well. Make absolutely sure they have no choice but to fuck off overseas and then call them unpatriotic. Keep them out of franchise at all costs and if they happen to get that far, offer them an unliveable income and definitely don't pick them for any Zim A stuff once they're of that standard. Just keep picking the same old guys that won't make the national side but effectively block guys with big potential from coming thru.

In the meantime get young Nyamhuri and young Chigumbura aged 13 mixing and practicing with the u19 squad. There are two sets of rules in play here.

A SOGO franchise and academy with a bit more funding would benefit cricket immensely, but it's not in ZC's interests to do that.
We suddenly have a lot of good players knocking around and and it's causing discomfort. ZC are much happier with a mere handful, much easier to manage.

[Marshmallow]

Wasn't Sean Bennett over age for the upcoming U19 World Cup? He, along with Banks, was part of last year's U19 preparatory squad.

[aydee]

Wasn't Sean Bennett over age for the upcoming U19 World Cup? He, along with Banks, was part of last year's U19 preparatory squad.

Correct

[Andy31]

Sean Bennett looks a fine young player as well. Why is he not in the u19's?
Banks is a real prospect, but obviously overseas atm.
Andy Blignaut's youngster looks excellent.
Andy was an unbelievable talent, also excelled at rugby.
There's another 14 year old youngster either from Hellenic or St John's that is apparently off the chart excellent as well. I'll find out his name.
The way to keep them out is to offer absolutely no pathway for them and offer no sustainable income whilst they find their feet, make sure they dont get into a HPC as well. Make absolutely sure they have no choice but to fuck off overseas and then call them unpatriotic. Keep them out of franchise at all costs and if they happen to get that far, offer them an unliveable income and definitely don't pick them for any Zim A stuff once they're of that standard. Just keep picking the same old guys that won't make the national side but effectively block guys with big potential from coming thru.

In the meantime get young Nyamhuri and young Chigumbura aged 13 mixing and practicing with the u19 squad. There are two sets of rules in play here.

A SOGO franchise and academy with a bit more funding would benefit cricket immensely, but it's not in ZC's interests to do that.
We suddenly have a lot of good players knocking around and and it's causing discomfort. ZC are much happier with a mere handful, much easier to manage.

Riley Ettlin?

[Googly]

Ya that's the kid!!!
I've heard he's unbelievably good.

[sloandog]

Ya that's the kid!!!
I've heard he's unbelievably good.

As good as the Welch brothers when they were his age? I've heard they and Moor have been some of our most successful school batters

[Googly]

It's so difficult to make comparisons because the standard of schoolboy cricket has plummeted over the years.

A kid like Ettlin has to play up two or three age groups or he'll miss a crucial window.

The best schoolboys I saw over the years were Brundle, Taylor, Moor, Burl, Curran, Welch Snr, Muyeye.

Muyeye was just catching the drop off in the overall standard.

Guys like Welch Jr, Myers, Marumani and Bawa unfortunately had the 2 year Fauci covid scam so we never saw them really play that many games.

Probably the cleanest striker was Sam Curran, and he was a tiny little guy. I've always said he should have been groomed as a batter. It's not too late, he's so talented and there are better bowlers than him.
The grittiest was probably Nick Welch.
The most talented was Mike Brundle. Best I've ever seen. Nobody came close to him.

[ZIMFAN]

What was so good about Brundle googly?

[Googly]

He was an absolute gun bat. I was sent a clip of him recently. The clip was of him in the nets some years ago. Imperious is the right word, he could destroy any bowler when he was going. I'll try find it. He's BT's era and went to Australia because they thought he had a shot at the Aussie side. He had problems with authority and is a complete non conformist, a free spirit. He briefly came back here and as usual they disregarded him