Zimbabwe vs England | Only Test | 22 - 25th May 2025

[TapsC2]

The question I have for the Sammons brains trust is why wasn't Chivanga there from the beginning? If 4 pacers was the plan from the beginning then he should have been there. Newman got more time to adjust and then doesn't get selected. Doesn't make sense at all. Newman did ok in the warmup too. Just very strange. Trevor should have never come in the first place

[TapsC2]

As for Nick. This isn't the worst test to miss out on at this stage of his career. Yes we might not play England again for 20 years but if he had struggled in this game that might have been the end of the road for him in this format. SA and NZ are just a few weeks away. We aren't blind, he has not looked 100% comfortable out there. He just needs time to settle. Bulawayo is a better place for him to get a big score.

[Andy31]

Best over of the day there

[Googly]

The person who should have been dropped based off form is the captain not Wes. Wes and Welch are probably par form wise
but Wes can field better than Nick and he can bowl. Someone had to miss out for Raza. It was always going to be tough.

Ngarava has lost a lot of venom. I see Newman taking his place in this format by the time we play Afghanistan. TK has been expensive but he looks like he could produce something out of nothing here.

Wellie sat out for Raza, not Nick, who sat out for the 4th seamer. I am surprised that Wellie didn't play, given that he's played more times than he should have. He's a good player, but he would have been a liability on this deck. There's a time and a place for him. I think hes more a white ball player.

I guess you have the inside track on NW so why would this be the end of the road after only 3 tests? He's gone with a 90 and a 50 something in 6 innings. One in 3 conversion, thats the actual benchmark of a decent player. If a favorite had done that he'd be a national treasure, instead he's on his last strike? Is there a different set of rules here? He also had an excellent almost faultless 80 something in this practice game when everyone failed except Tsiga.
Thats a decent start by most standards, let alone ours.
He's been susceptible to the ball that nips in, as is everyone early doors, but he's also had more than his share of good balls early on. Obviously you're getting lots of them at this level and he needs to be more consistent and I will guarantee he will fix it. We haven't bowled one of those deliveries to these guys in more than 20 overs My point being not many guys keep those out.
Hes played in these conditions for 9 years . He's better equipped than anybody in our team to make runs this game. He's played with and against all these guys except Stokes and Root as well.

He's also not that easy on the eye. He moves immediately hes played the shot, which makes it look untidy, but his processes and technique is hard to fault actually. He gets into excellent positions.

The mistake was replacing a batter with a bowler who's known for spraying it. Takes wickets but no control. We've got enough of those. Within the hour the mistake was glaring.
Well now may be not because Ngarava has pulled a fat

[Andy31]

Ritchie is lucky his not a horse

[mnelson68]

Not fit enough for test cricket

[Googly]

But back to the convo. They've gone with 4 seamers and NW is probably the logical guy to drop. Actually Ervine is, but he's the captain. Curran is also looking a bit dodgy atm but hes been ok up front. NW bats at 3 which is actually similar to opening, but I'd give Curran a lot more rope.

Wes has been ok down the order, is our best fielder and can bowl. As a comparison between Wes and Nick, Nick is undeniably a better bat in English conditions simply because hes had 9 years at it, but offers a lot less in the fielding and bowling dept.

So not a bad shout sitting NW out if you decide to sit a batsman out, but I was going to say the bad move was 4 seamers, but this injury to Ngarava means I'm talking shit

[Googly]

The question I have for the Sammons brains trust is why wasn't Chivanga there from the beginning? If 4 pacers was the plan from the beginning then he should have been there. Newman got more time to adjust and then doesn't get selected. Doesn't make sense at all. Newman did ok in the warmup too. Just very strange. Trevor should have never come in the first place

The big question is why didn't they pick Evans?
Next one was why collapse in fear and pick an extra seamer and drop the guy that I believe is going to be somebody.
But again the injury to Richie makes that statement wrong

[mnelson68]

It's ok to pick 4 seamers but the quality isn't there so it's a waste of time. Higgins would have been perfect as the all rounder but Zim cricket didn't want a bar of it. Evans should have been on this tour not Chivanga .

[tawac]

The selectors will have a field day on them picking 4 seamers if Ngarava is down for the rest of the innings. He really didnt look comfortable at all there.