Zimbabwe Vs SA |3rd T20 | Harare | 20 July 2025

[tawac]

Gumbie had an ordinary run in the vigne cup. He couldnt buy a run there cant see him making a difference of any sort to the national cause. He has to play in the FC and contribute if he is to be considered again.

Clearly our current T20 side isnt balanced on the batting side. Do we really need all of Burl, Musekiwa, Manyonga in the same side. At least Burl can actually hit the ball with some level of consistency the other two finishers its rather hit or miss. Drop Madande to 6/7. He has the skill set to actually rotate the strike if needed be down and support an inform batter. This would make space for a proper batter at 3. It would have been better to see what Myers can do in this series, not that he is in the form of his life either. But at this point we should be trying Maru or Welch there. Its very funny when the selector brand Welch a red ball player and the turn around to select Kaitano to open!!!

[ZIMDOGGY]

Guys like Gumbie etc cant git sixes unless it is just in the perfect slot. Too small and too technical over hitting ability.

The only guys who can force the run rate are Bennett, Burl and Raza, who is on the decline.

Also Blessing and Richie for that matter, they seem to be better T20 batters than Madande.

[Googly]

Gumbie is another example of the stats thing. He's shown he can play at this level. Not convincing but he was good for 20-30 in ODI's and got us off to more solid starts than we'd had in a long time. Granted he has not made runs, but he's one of rhe very few that can play at this level.
I dont really believe they think Welch is less of a T20 batsman than Munyonga, Madhevere, Musekiwa, Maru and Madande. Other factors in play.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Raza is having a terrible day.

Like I said, he’s on the slide.

9 with a strike rate of 75 and 0 wickets with an economy of 13 is unacceptable

Raza was a one season wonder it looks like. Top 10 teams aren't just going to feed you a buffett of good length balls you can hoick to square leg. Same story with Bennett, except his shot is the cut to point. Only difference is he's half Raza's age so has time to learn to play 5-6 more shots.

No one listens to poor old Zimdoggy so I’ll say again what I have been saying for a few years.
Raza has pretty much been the SAME player he was for the last decade. Agaisjt quality opposition he is as inconsistent as anyone.

What he IS good at is being an association bully.
He punishes sub standard attacks which is e acting what I’d expect a Zimbabwean batsman to do.

For some reason though everyone besides Raza/Willo and Bennett show more respect to UAE/Ireland/Ugandan etc bowlers than they do their own mothers.

[secretzimbo]

Edit; ended up in the wrong thread

[Mueddie28]

Just watched the highlights.

We do only look like we have a few T20 batsman.

Musekiwa can defs hit a ball but needs to figure out his hitting zones.

I suspect either him or Tony will be dropped for the next game. Which is probably unfair.

Our bowling in the power plays has been good across every game.

Unfair
With scores of a duck , 1 run and 8 runs..
Are you serious?

[Googly]

Musekiwa can hit a long ball. He's had to come in and hit from the get go with a couple of overs remaining and the main bowlers back on. Hes gone out twice to pull shots that he's had to go for but has slightly mis-qued them and the boundaries are huge. We just havent seen enuf of him. Thats why in this last game play him ahead of Raza and see how he goes. There's not a lot to be gained from watching Burl and Raza nudge it around until the 18th over to make their averages look better and the losses more palatable. Then Toni and Musekiwa have to come in and try and go at 10's. Its not happening.

I just dont see how you can tout someone as a finisher that has had no time in the middle. I mean the guy should be up the order in franchise so he learns his game. Only an established player can realistically be called a finisher. A guy that can nudge it around up the order and then play a big shot is the guy you need to groom as a finisher. He goes dot dot dot 4/6. On this big field he should be going 1,1, 2, 2, 4. The dots negate the boundary shot. Our domestic/club is so average that our national players that are middle/lower order should be up the order in franchise.
Musekiwa is a talented guy, but hasnt had enuf time in the middle over the years and as with nearly all our batters his strike rotation is not great. I mean from his background in batting he should be nowhere near where he is, he's a really talented bloke, but he's playing against the best players in the world. Its a big ask.

[secretzimbo]

Fuck me Theyve recalled Roy Kaia

[Googly]

Just watched the highlights.

We do only look like we have a few T20 batsman.

Musekiwa can defs hit a ball but needs to figure out his hitting zones.

I suspect either him or Tony will be dropped for the next game. Which is probably unfair.

Our bowling in the power plays has been good across every game.

The pitches are bowler friendly for the first 4-6. All the teams are struggling to score in the power plays. It gets significantly easier after about the 6th over. Their bowlers are keeping it tight in the mid overs and we are letting it slip. Raza should have brought Richie back on earlier to try and break the Herman /VD Dussen partnership. He didnt quite recognize that. Two overs changes the game. Look it was unlikely anyway but you'd may as well try. We're so used to being worried how much we lose by. It doesnt matter. Same as the field sets. Chasing 4.5 theres no point in having 5 guys on the boundary. Force them to hit over the top and if they beat you in the next 4 overs so be it.

[Googly]

Fuck me Theyve recalled Roy Kaia

For the next T20?