[Match Thread] Zim v IRL: ODI 1

[Googly]

Ireland are slightly better than us, particularly in their backyard, we’re in shit and I can see they’ve got some big hitters which doesn’t bode well for the T20’s either.
Chats was excellent today, he’s a unit as well. Ervine is in good nick as well. Usual story for Zim, two guys showed up.

[Donald]

We miss cremer and muzarabani so bad. Both were our x factors particularly against the smaller teams. Maybe our new board can approach them. We can't be losing players of this calibre.. particularly a 21 year old with the world at his feet....another mukuhuklini failure

[CrimsonAvenger]

These kind of matches expose the likes of Tiripano. And our makeshift spin brigade. We essentially went in with 2 proper bowlers! And they gave us 5 wickets and bowled well, but the Irish could capitalize when the other bowlers came on.

[Googly]

Ya Raza and RB as our spinners is not great. Raza is one of those guys that can have a purple patch, but when he’s ordinary he’s really ordinary. Williams is crafty and has decent control usually but in a good side he’d be the 5th bowler or the 6th who came on if the pitch was taking turn or one of the others was taking some tap. Blessing and Cremer would most certainly be useful. I wonder if Cremer would put his hand up again under a new dispensation? That would be like his third comeback, he’d be the George Foreman of the cricketing world.
I see the ZC FB page is banging on about the women’s team- I’d be hedging my bets right now if I was in charge of that page, that guy ain’t no fence sitter, he’s gone if there’s change. Again, who’s stumping up for legal fees, it begs an answer.

[Googly]

I think Cremer is pretty much done. His wife flies at Emirates and left Air Zim in the nick of time because we’re missing three planes Yep you heard that right, three of our planes appear to have disappeared, I think that might have been the entire remaining fleet actually, and only one was serviceable.
Their mysterious disappearance will be revealed in the next day or so, I’m sure, it’s hard to misplace a plane.
Everything is upside down here, it’s really disheartening because it’s hard to see the way forward, the depth of our problems in every facet of society is hard to describe.

[Googly]

And their FB page has a statement about the women’s team but the previous post is the second ODI against The Netherlands? This is why these guys gotta go, they’re a bloody disgrace. Most of the posters are from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India that look like they’ve found a free wifi zone, I mean seriously!!

[Jemisi]

Well done Ervine

3rd ODI ton

5th International century

9th List A hundred

19th career ton

[zimbos_05]

9 balls makes it seem closer than it was. Again, it's a case of only one or two guys coming to the party, and not an entire team effort.

Where is my good friend who was bagging out Ervine after the WCQ??

Some terrible captaincy whilst bowling. We needed wickets and he kept the strike bowlers for the end. I know why he does that, but overall when a team is looking comfortable, you tighten the screws or try to create something. You take one or two wickets and suddenly the pressure is back on the batting team. Hammy doesn't have a cricketing brain. He is a talented player, but is unable to think beyond that and even his game he keeps where he is comfortable. Doesn't push himself if he feels he does not to.

Overall, another loss. Things just keep getting worse.

[Kriterion_BD]

With the completion of this game, ZIM also drops to 12th in the ODI rankings. ZIM and IRE both on 47 points, but the full ratings are Ireland 47.19 and ZIM - 46.73.

So now ZIM are 13 points behind 10th place Afghanistan, and only 10 points ahead of 13th place Netherlands. If ZIM doesn't improve significantly, they may well place last in the ODI league set to start next year. By that time some number of Masakadzas may retire or be ignored by the selectors.

[Donald]

Changes for next match? Mpofu for tiripano I guess. He will shake things up a little in the bowling department