[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v New Zealand: Test Match

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Yeah, the game is at an interesting stage. We are still along way from even a small level of safety but I think, barring some fantastic innings which allows the middle order to accelerate, securing the draw is the best possible result. Zimbabwe are 344 behind, so 144 more to avoid the follow-on. It will be difficult, but I wouldn't want to see Zimbabwe any worse than about 5/320 by stumps on day three. Obviously the fewer wickets lost the better, but Vettori will become more and more difficult to play as the pitch deteriorates.

All out for 400 by lunch on day 4, Zimbabwe to bat again early on day 5 - needing to bat out the day to draw. Is this a realistic scenario?

[eugene]

Zimbabwe's day. It was vital we lost no more than 1 wicket before stumps. This has been a much better test than our last one against NZ.

[foreignfield]

I hope Vusi can kick on tomorrow. A good day's work by the guys.

Vettori apart, I can't see too much threat in this NZ attack on this pitch (looking only ahead to day three). But we'll have to get through a lot of overs from Dan tomorrow.

[FlowerPower]

Yeah, the game is at an interesting stage. We are still along way from even a small level of safety but I think, barring some fantastic innings which allows the middle order to accelerate, securing the draw is the best possible result. Zimbabwe are 344 behind, so 144 more to avoid the follow-on. It will be difficult, but I wouldn't want to see Zimbabwe any worse than about 5/320 by stumps on day three. Obviously the fewer wickets lost the better, but Vettori will become more and more difficult to play as the pitch deteriorates.

All out for 400 by lunch on day 4, Zimbabwe to bat again early on day 5 - needing to bat out the day to draw. Is this a realistic scenario?

Sounds about right, but that's a tall order, but hey these are the challenges we have to stand up to if we are to be counted...

[Jemisi]

Vettori will be a challenge, but much less so than he will be in the second innings. Without a level of parity in the first dig, we'll get rolled.

That said, I think Vusi wants that hundred badly enough this time. I think he might set us up tomorrow

[FlowerPower]

hhm just to pick up on our 2+2 (2 pacemen + 2 spinner) v 3+1 attack debate...I think you may be right, and early days yet, but I can see Chris Martin and Bracewell fetching, and wilting in the sun, and having gone one paceman less it may be a tall task, but with the quality of Dan its a different case, but hardly an argument for 2+2 (actually its an argument for 3+1)...at this point I'm conceding to your 3+1...

[Jemisi]

Masakadza did well as a partnership breaker. Bowled very tight and got the breakthrough.

[hhm]

Couldn't resist...but that has assumptions written all over it...that aside, I'm not too sure Tino is a world class opener, and I am on record on the forum, pre Bangladesh saying he may not be the best in the world but in Zim, unless Ballance wlaks back, we are pretty stuck with him...Duffin, I respect your view but am not convinced he would have played Danny any better...

He's handled Bhaji ok in the past with a 62% strike rate against him, better than any of our present top 3 batsmen(plus 26 runs including four 4s) on the way to getting his half century when he was 6 years younger on debut! And I know Dan would bow down to Bhaji anyday! It seems Zaheer Khan didn't have anything on him either. Strauss&Smith would certainly do well to give him a call seeing as Tino will keep him idle for some time to come.

What exactly would Rainsford and Panyangara have done? Rainsford would have broken down with an injury by during day one and Panyangara would have sprayed the ball all around the place.

Under the tutelage of Gillespie, so far Rainsford has bowled 64 FC overs in 2.5 matches without breaking down, and gotten 10wickets @ 18 with a 2.8econ rate, so I'd say his body is holding up just fine thank you! In between he took casual time out to put Guptil&McCullum, the pair who's terrorised our 'best attack', safely in his back pocket. As for equally useless Panyangara, well, at exactly the same stage, he has pretty much similar stats with a slightly better econ & evg albeit one wicket less. Next to Querl, he's got the highest maiden-to-overs bowled ratio, so he must be spraying it all over the wrong places then. The coach will do well to redirect that insolent young man to the right areas to bowl to.

hhm just to pick up on our 2+2 (2 pacemen + 2 spinner) v 3+1 attack debate...I think you may be right, and early days yet, but I can see Chris Martin and Bracewell fetching, and wilting in the sun, and having gone one paceman less it may be a tall task, but with the quality of Dan its a different case, but hardly an argument for 2+2 (actually its an argument for 3+1)...at this point I'm conceding to your 3+1...

First of all, tactics aside, you need to have a tight set of gonads in order to go with just 2 seamers in any Test , and to supplement them with just 2 spinners is asking for it. True it's only Zimbabwe they are up against but a suicidal move nonetheless. I only work with a 3+1 setup boet! Unless you've got two Warnes or two Muralis, as SL are slowly learning from Pak, that's the only way to go regardless of the pitch conditions.

Anyway, how will things go for us....
As good as he is, Vettori is no Ajmal or fresh Mendis. Patel ranks below all of Price, Cremer & Utseya in my book! If Zim is to progress they need to show less respect to these two. If they must then perhaps Vettori must be played with caution, other than that a 36 year-old Martin returning for his second & third spells, plus an inexperienced Bracewell should be taken to the cleaners. This will be a draw and I think we'll have a first innings lead! Vusi is set and if he can relay a foundation again tomorrow morning he will make them pay. He's very dangerous when facing the older ball. Hasn't it occured to you guys that his big FC scores have come when he comes in a bit later! That's why I feel he's wasted as an opener. The run rate will grind to a halt once it's Taylor-Hami in the middle.

One other reason why I strongly feel it doesn't look good for NZ is that Hami looks in touch! The fact that Taylor is hot at the moment, and that Taibu never lets us down means that they will have a tough time in the field!

[clikcspeed]

Alan Butcher "...Zimbabwe's best day of Test cricket since their return, notwithstanding the win against Bangladesh. " really strong comment, have to agree - it's always hard work to get all 10 on a flat deck, also 426 is around the par score for a first innings total at QSC.

I felt that Vusi and Hamilton did well to consolidate the innings by getting to stumps without additional damage in the wickets column, I'm sure they will have a plan when they walk out tomorrow. Overall very happy, tomorrow will be very critical as to how this Test match will end.

[PieChucker]

Weather forecast is partly cloudy with a high of 26 degrees.

Would have been great if it was 42 C - then we'd see the kiwis really wilting.

Important for Vusi to bat through this session. He will keep the runs ticking over and hold the innings together. He seems fairly comfortable against the spinners - unlike poor Tino, who was exposed by Dan very quickly. If we handle the first session well, then we could be looking at a score of over 350 by close of play... I'd take 350 for 5 as a good day.
Much as I'd like to see Bobby answer Chris Martin's epic innings - I hope he doesn't get to bat today! (Booby and Marto are almost twins separated at birth)
Come to think of it, there's more than one instance of this kind of thing between the two teams..
the two Taylor captains - Ross and Brendan
and we nearly had the two Vettori/Vitori 's

okay - I really shoud stop procrastinating and do some work...