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Working under the assumption Sibanda isn't available due to illness (and even if he was available he may be out of contention anyway), and that Vitori is injured too:

1. Mawoyo
2. Vermeulen

We're going back over a decade, but Vermeulen has opened at Test level before (with a bit of success, a half century against England). Against arguably the best fast bowling attack in the world we need a good opening partnership because we don't want to expose Masakadza and Taylor to the prospect of Steyn and Morkel with a brand new ball. Raza is unlucky, but I think Vermeulen may be a safer bet right now due to his experience (any Zimbabwean with a Test century is worth his weight in gold).

3. H Masakadza
4. Taylor (c)

We can't mess with the most stable part of the lineup.

5. Williams
6. Chigumbura

Williams is a no-brainer I think. Waller's form has fallen off, and I think Raza's best chance of breaking into the team was as an opener.

7. Mutumbami (wk)

Mutumbami has won the battle. It all went down the way it deserved to I think with the incumbent holding his position. Chakabva was given plenty of opportunity to steal the place away the place (and he deserved the chance given his domestic performances) but he didn't do enough when it counted unfortunately for him.

8. Utseya
9. S Masakadza
10. Panyangara
11. Chatara

This seems like a fairly self explanatory bowling attack right now. If Vitori is fit then he needs to be in there but I'm not sure who it should be at the expense of. It pains me to say it because I think he's a decent Test bowler and useful with the bat, but it probably should be S Masakadza given that he wasn't part of the successful attack against Pakistan in the 2nd Test last year.

If Utseya is still injured, I'd be tempted to play four seamers and use Williams as the spinner. I don't think any of the current crop of spinners, besides Utseya, has shown enough to be selected at Test level.

I just hope the Zimbabwean batsmen can make the likes of Steyn, Philander and Morkel work for their wickets otherwise the match won't last 3 days. I hope I'm wrong but I get the feeling the South African bowling attack will have the batsmen on a coveyor belt to and from the dressing room.

If prosper cant play i would play Jongwe and bat him at 8 and use Williams as the spinner, lets face it a match at HSC wont be won by spin so better play a 4th pacer who can bat in Jongwe.

I like the idea of playing Jongwe but not sure he is ready but what about Neville Madziva ? He seems to pick up a fair few wickets and can hold a bat. But u can see why people would want to give Jongwe a go .....

For me Mark Vermeulan to open with Mawoyo as well .....

If Utseya is out then at a stretch you still have 5 seamers and you add can an extra specialist batsman. I think Zimbabwe's batting is much more vunerable than its bowling

Shingi
Chatara
Pany
Chigs
Hammy
Williams (spinner)

Raza/Sibanda

We aren't going to bowl South Africa out anyway so we may as well stock up on batsmen.

I think Vermeulen has done enough to earn a spot in the team but what has Raza done to NOT deserve one?

1. Mawoyo
2. Raza
3. H Masakadza
4. Taylor (c)
5. Williams
6. Chigumbura
7. Mutumbami (w/k)
8. Utseya
9. S Masakadza
10. Panyangara
11. Chatara

I just hope Zimbabwe put up a fight otherwise this could be embarrassing.

I'm trying to think of any scenario where we don't get rolled by an innings some time on day 3

Glass half empty... send SA in, let them bat until they declare (say 650+ by tea on day 2), and then Zimbabwe should bat for time. Can Zimbabwe survive 10 sessions with 20 wickets? Probably not, but if SA score more than say 450 in their first innings then a win is completely off the table so may as well try and eke out a draw somehow. Something in Zim's favour is the attitude of the two teams. SA always seems to go safety-first, whereas Zim (possibly because there's nothing to lose and everything to gain) tend to be more attacking.

Glass half full... send SA in and maybe restrict them to 400. Score 350 in reply, see what happens on the final two days.

Realistically... Zim will want to make a brave stand by batting first ("we know if we survive the first hour the conditions will be good for batting"). SA would happily send in Zim in the hopes of finishing the game off in 2 days.
If we could post a first innings score of 275+ and hang around until lunch on day 2 that wouldn't be too bad. Restricting SA to anything less than 400 would be a win. But Zim all out for 50 and SA 3/700 declared are both genuine possibilities.

Zim would need to produce an incredible team effort with some monumental individual achievements (like double centuries and multiple 5-fers) to stop SA running away with it. Here's hoping

brmtaylor.com admin wrote:Can Zimbabwe survive 10 sessions with 20 wickets? Probably not, but if SA score more than say 450 in their first innings then a win is completely off the table so may as well try and eke out a draw somehow.

Somebody needs to emulate Guy Whittall a la his 2nd innings in the Flippin Murdered Em test: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63734.html
And that knock against NZ: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63897.html

Don't think we have people who have half that level of concentration. May be Tino Mawoyo comes close.

CrimsonAvenger wrote:

brmtaylor.com admin wrote:Can Zimbabwe survive 10 sessions with 20 wickets? Probably not, but if SA score more than say 450 in their first innings then a win is completely off the table so may as well try and eke out a draw somehow.

Somebody needs to emulate Guy Whittall a la his 2nd innings in the Flippin Murdered Em test: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63734.html
And that knock against NZ: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63897.html

Don't think we have people who have half that level of concentration. May be Tino Mawoyo comes close.

I'd love to see the Zimbabweans bat with the sort of application that the South Africans showed in Sri Lanka.