[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v Bangladesh: 2nd Test

[betterdays]

I am quite perplexed as to why Hamilton gets so much adoration. His hundred against WI was ages ago, wasn't against Walsh or Ambrose, and he's a senior player. Hindsight might be T20, but I am inclined to think ZIM would have been better off axing him and giving his central contract to Craig Ervine instead, who would not have jumped ship.

It might be to do with the fact that Craig has only scored one 30+ score in tests and apart from the last one, his only 2 half centuries in ODIs came against Canada and Kenya (oops, sorry and one vs Pk (certainly not Akram and Younis though) whereas Hammi has hit 50+ in ODIs vs Eng, SA, WI, SL and PK (with some huge scores vs Kenya and a century vs BD).

I always said, and I was proven right, that Matsi should have played ahead of Ervine as Ervine clearly was not up to it.

He is no loss to the team.

Everyone is a loss to the team ... especially if they have some experience behind them. We'll miss Craig but it's no reason to shove him in front of other experienced players who are struggling in tests which come round once a year

[brmtaylor.com admin]

But you have to admit that this is one thing that the coaching staff (Taylor said before the series his preferred Test batting position was opening) got spot on. The results speak for themselves; he averages 71.10 at #4. Just like with Michael Clarke at #5 really, sometimes the best thing for the team is to have a player in their best performing position at the expense of filling gaps elsewhere.

...with Aussies at their lowest trough in the batting dept while Clarke soars the tables it is not a convincing argument to me. If Taylor hits 72 every test and the top order get 30 between them (a hypothetical example) then they've got it wrong - especially if he can hit 40 at the top and someone else hits 30 at 4 (that's 80 runs for two wickets every match) better than 90/5?

Cricket is a sport which inherently relies on individual performance. So if you've got someone like Taylor averaging 70 or Clarke averaging nearly 100 - they are on top of their game. It's up to the other individuals to improve.

[foreignfield]

Well, before we drop 10 players and move another ten from one position to the other, let's runs this match its course. The guys are fighting out there and, Taylor, apart, our batting in the first Test started at 8. BD still have 17 wickets to take.

Any word on Meth's injury. Can he bat?

[betterdays]

Cricket is a sport which inherently relies on individual performance. So if you've got someone like Taylor averaging 70 or Clarke averaging nearly 100 - they are on top of their game. It's up to the other individuals to improve.

It's a tactical/team game too ... (Taylors 70+ and Clarke's huge average in the saffer series got nothing for Aus just an enhanced rep for Clarke)

...and there are levels of difficulty relating to an almost infinite amount of possibilities but it's a common truism in cricket that you have your best bats at the top. Taibu filled the middle just fine - I am sure there are any number of guys who could take spot #4 and up there averages to something respectable (even if nowhere near the 70 mark).

[betterdays]

Well, before we drop 10 players and move another ten from one position to the other, let's runs this match its course.

FF - I was hoping at least you could read irony in my comments

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Guy, guys, guys...if we're going to make some changes, let's at least play people in their preferred positions. As unconvinced as I am about this, I'd rather have a Chari, who claims to be an opener that someone who doesn't play in that position on the LC.

0 centuries, 1 half-century after 22 First Class innings. Average 15.71! Nowhere near ready.

[eugene]

It will be interesting to see how Taylor goes about this task. The requirement is really Herculean from him now, and so far he's stepped up to the challenge. This wicket seems to suit us more than the first one - I guess this is our "Bulawayo" Test, or conversely the first test was our "tour match". With Waller, Mutumbami, Chigs, and the tail there is still some batting left. Bangladesh will have to bowl out of their skin for a follow on to be a question. That said, with this start, I'd be heavily disappointed if we didn't get a substantial lead of around 100. That said, ZIM bat all the way down to #10, that will force Rahim to keep thinking.

I am quite perplexed as to why Hamilton gets so much adoration. His hundred against WI was ages ago, wasn't against Walsh or Ambrose, and he's a senior player. Hindsight might be T20, but I am inclined to think ZIM would have been better off axing him and giving his central contract to Craig Ervine instead, who would not have jumped ship.

Ervine has hardly been a resounding success at international level.

He took Matsi's place and played worse than Matsi did.

Played worse than Matsi? Ervine is clearly superior in all three formats.

Ervine averages:
Test: 29.00
ODIs: 35.10
T20s: 21.16

Matsi averages:
Test: 23.00
ODIs: 22.05
T20s: 7.60

[Ming]

Guy, guys, guys...if we're going to make some changes, let's at least play people in their preferred positions. As unconvinced as I am about this, I'd rather have a Chari, who claims to be an opener that someone who doesn't play in that position on the LC.

0 centuries, 1 half-century after 22 First Class innings. Average 15.71! Nowhere near ready.

I agree 100 %. But look where playing people with better averages out of position has got us so far.

At the rate we're going, we could call in Ray Price as a batsman!

[eugene]

I am quite perplexed as to why Hamilton gets so much adoration. His hundred against WI was ages ago, wasn't against Walsh or Ambrose, and he's a senior player. Hindsight might be T20, but I am inclined to think ZIM would have been better off axing him and giving his central contract to Craig Ervine instead, who would not have jumped ship.

It might be to do with the fact that Craig has only scored one 30+ score in tests and apart from the last one, his only 2 half centuries in ODIs came against Canada and Kenya (oops, sorry and one vs Pk (certainly not Akram and Younis though) whereas Hammi has hit 50+ in ODIs vs Eng, SA, WI, SL and PK (with some huge scores vs Kenya and a century vs BD).

Hamilton has always been overrated. When the pressure is on he folds faster than Superman on laundry day.

[betterdays]

Hamilton has always been overrated. When the pressure is on he folds faster than Superman on laundry day.

ok, he is overrated ... but he is accurately rated higher than Craig