Logan Cup Round 5: Rhinos vs Mountaineers & Rocks vs |Eagles - 3rd-6th Feb)

[Googly]

Schadendorf played no red ball last season. Moor barely played. They weren't major contributors to success last year. Nick Welch was. Frost was. Chatara was. Nyauchi was. Masekesa was. Matt Welch was. They're all having poor seasons so far.

Welch Jr is the biggest example of someone who has played much worse this year. His form in the last 12 months has been really sad to see. 67 runs in 5 innings this year. Welch senior had a great time last year, averaging 28 this year. Frost had a great time last year, averaging 19 this year. Chatara and Nyauchi were the best new ball pair last year, 8 wickets between them all season this year. Masekesa had a prolific year last year, averaging 54 this year. Mawadzi has barely contributed. Maruma has barely contributed.

I like Mike Frost, and he played all the T20s and went ok. With Welly away, I was thinking he'd get a go, but still waiting. But then... he didn't play last year, so it's not as if this explains reduced performance.

Obviously I can't comment on umpiring decisions I haven't seen... lol.

Fair to say their overseas have been less impactful than the guys at Rhinos, Eagles and Rocks.

Well they didnt play after the first few games because they got sacked.
MW's FC season has been 23* 0 6 0 38
Career average 37 aged 21
His 50 over has been 0 and 29
Why do you think its sad? Very curious?
Frustrating for someone so good perhaps, but not sad, unless you know something we dont??
If there was a coach worth a damn he'd work with him, review footage and see how to get him back in the saddle, dont you think?
I could spend 10 minutes finding 50 guys currently worse, some in the national side

A nice comparison is the guy who has replaced him
Magodo 9 1 1 11 18
Career average of 14

Chatara is a boss now, doesn't need to try hard, future is secure and made peace with the fact he is not making the national side again. Nothing to play for.

Heads are down because nepotsim, tribalism and racism have taken over. Tough to play under a captain who doesnt have a clue, arrives late, doesnt say anything, doesn't appear to mind if they get smashed.

Precisely. Those 2 you mentioned didn't make a significant contribution last season or this season, so their absence this year hardly explains the defeats.

Matt Welch's lack of form is sad because: He's a long touted promising young player, who had made an extremely encouraging start to his pro career, and looked fluent and genuinely exciting at times last year when I saw him play. It looked like we might have really found one. He has had a prolonged slump for nearly 12 months now. Mediocre returns in the Vigne Cup. 7 runs in 5 innings against the U19s. No runs in the NPL. No runs on that bizarre "tour" of the UK. No runs this year for Mountaineers. Maybe my eyes were liars?

I can't say too much about his keeping. He's rarely kept in 4-day cricket, and has a history of back issues. Rightly or wrongly, he doesn't seem to be considered a keeping option in 4-day cricket. Magodo gets the gloves ahead of Gumbie, so must be considered the best gloveman they have. I haven't studied that closely enough to agree or not. Philosophically I don't have an issue with picking your best keeper, irrespective of batting, in 4-day cricket - although it is no longer the norm in this era! Regardless of form, Welch should be playing ahead of Magodo as a pure batter, were that to be the criteria.

As I mentioned earlier, it's been disappointing that it has taken this long for Patel to get a go, and pleasing to see him take his belated opportunity.

Why would they pick Magodo ahead of Gumbie as keeper in 4 day when he offers little with the bat? If you have 3 keepers that are similar (Gumbie probably the best) you pick the best batters unless one of them is Jack Russell.

I checked his runs against u19
8, 39, 1 28* That's more than 7?
Ronak's as a nice comparison-
6 85 0
Always good to compare.

Found some NPL - 11 9 37* 10 16, 29.
Can't find Vigne Cup anwhere?

100% he's been ordinary.

[zimfan1]

First baller for Nick Welch, for one of the supposed best players in the country he never gets any runs

Yes he has made some decent scores in tests but they have been gritty knocks rather than the destructive batting which everyone always raves about.

[aydee]

First baller for Nick Welch, for one of the supposed best players in the country he never gets any runs

Yes he has made some decent scores in tests but they have been gritty knocks rather than the destructive batting which everyone always raves about.

He had a very good 2024/25 season, which got him into the test team.

He had a poor 2023/24, and is not going great in 25/26 - decent enough T20 though.

[sloandog]

What are Alistair Frost's prospects of playing for the national side

[aydee]

What are Alistair Frost's prospects of playing for the national side

Who knows...

He's featured a bit in some of the A-team type stuff over the last year or so.

Domestic numbers seem solid, rather than spectacular, at the moment. Enough to make sure everyone knows that he can play, but not enough to force anyone's hand. Yet. Important knock in a W today.