[Match Thread] 3rd Test: Zim vs Bang at Chittagong

[jaybro]

Not fair comparing Williams average as he has only two tests to his name .....

U seem to think Bulawayo would be a certain victory for BD, I agree it would be their best chance but I doubt it is that certain .....

Mawoyo has never really set the world on fire on the domestic scene but always steps up for test matches the only series he struggled in was the NZ test where everyone struggled, I feel he would have been able to at least hold up an end for longer then Chari .....

Our selection killed us we freaked out after the first test Nyumbu had one bad innings bowling and he was gone !!! And Vusi may have done better on the flat tracks ......

Guess we will have to wait and see when u guys tour Zim next .....

[Kriterion_BD]

Not fair comparing Williams average as he has only two tests to his name .....

U seem to think Bulawayo would be a certain victory for BD, I agree it would be their best chance but I doubt it is that certain .....

Mawoyo has never really set the world on fire on the domestic scene but always steps up for test matches the only series he struggled in was the NZ test where everyone struggled, I feel he would have been able to at least hold up an end for longer then Chari .....

Our selection killed us we freaked out after the first test Nyumbu had one bad innings bowling and he was gone !!! And Vusi may have done better on the flat tracks ......

I'm not using Williams' two Test sample size. But I am basing it on his general temperamental trait of throwing away starts. You can't do that at Test level. 50s will win ODIs, but you need 100s to win and often to draw Tests. Especially on our flat wickets where patience, not talent will get you going. If it was just mere talent, guys like Ashraful, etc would have at least drawn us a few Tests in 10 years of playing on FLAT belters at home. We didn't draw any home Tests till last year vs NZ.

My logic is simply based on this: ZIM are best at Harare...Asian teams struggle with pace/bounce/seam/swing most...Harare offers that...hence ZIM's best or BD's worst chance is at Harare...BD has won at Harare and not by a fluke either...hence BD are more than likely to win in Bulawayo.

The last tour, we drew 1-1 in Harare. Thus we have a 50% chance of winning in Harare again. If the probability of winning in Bulaway is say 70%...the chance of us winning in ZIM overall is around 60%.

Thats assuming BD are at the same strength as in 2013. I think we're already a significantly stronger side, and ZIM are probably considerbaly weaker with Jarvis, Meth, and Cremer gone. So I don't see where you are having trouble with the logic.

I'm only talking probability here. I'm not saying "we're gonna knock ZIM the fuck off" a la Dr Situ...I'm merely saying "BD are or would be or should be favored next time down under". Of course we're going to have to play to the best of our ability or pretty close to it.

Guess we will have to wait and see when u guys tour Zim next .....

Yep. As of now, we're scheduled to tour ZIM next in 2022 or so. If we win go say 10-2 in the scheduled tests at home, and continue to draw against other sides, and if ZIM don't pull of a few wins at home...the rankings may not be at stake by 2022.

[jaybro]

I'm pretty sure u guys will tour before 2022 mate that's 8 years away, it may not be scheduled but I'm sure after the World Cup an invitation will be sent .....

ODI's are different to Tests and willy always bats 5 and down so chances of him making centuries are slim just look at Misbah he has never scored a ODI hundred ......

We're much stronger now then we were for that last series in Zim, yes Jarvis and Cremer are gone but we have more depth in the batting department ......

BD do a lot of things better and play a lot more we need to follow suit, more international matches more A tours and better coaching is required. BD really have no excuses not to be better they have specialist coaches and don't seem to have the player drain Zim suffer from ......

A question for you Krieton how do u think guys like Mominul, Sakib and co will go on seaming pitches ?? Tamin has scored runs in England so I feel he has the skills to cope but I feel the seaming ball will hurt Mominul especially.

[Kriterion_BD]

I meant to say 2020ish. So 5 years. This was part of the BCB strategy of avoiding the test challenge. Next four tours are all in BD as per the FTP draft. Of course it can change and I would love to see a tour of ZIM asap. Us having a 4-2 edge overall and drawing a series in Zim may be enough for most BD fans and neutrals to take bragging rights, but it seems a lot of ZCFers aren't convinced.

Willy might bat at 5 but I'm sure he comes in inside 15 overs on a routine basis. 35 overs is enough time to score tons even with a cautious start. Especially in the T20 era with batting power plays and such. Regardless, reading match threads its apparent his fans believe he throws away starts most often than not.

I agree with you BD do some things better. However lately we haven't played more matches. Since readmission we've only played 3-4 tests more and that too because zim have opted for a lot of one-off tests. And ZIM have actually played more ODIs overall I think. I don't consider T20 to even be cricket so I won't count those.

Glad to hear you feel Zim are even stronger now. Panny and Chats are certainly more consistent than Jarvis, who has struggled with Lancashire so far.

As for our boys in seaming conditions...yes Tamim has 2 tons in England, Shakib and Mahmudullah both have tons in NZ, and Mushy just hit one in WI. Mominul hit a half century on a sporting pitch in Colombo, where both teams' totals were half what they were at Galle. He also hit 50+ on a green top in St Lucia against Roach, Taylor, and Gabriel who was consistently at 145-150 kph. Mominul also Handled the short stuff particularly well. Also hit a 150 during the A team tour of WI with Gabriel in the attack. Hit a 100 at academy level in SA also against a side led by Merchant de Lange. He can definitely bat outside Asian conditions I would imagine.

Mominul's technique is solid. Not as good as Mushy's who I would rate at 10 out of 10, but more like an 8. Either way his mental strength is surreal, his work ethic second to none and his temperament first rate. He is acutely aware that he lacks the talent of Tamim, Ashraful, Nasir, forget about Kohli or De Koch. That's what makes him special.

[jaybro]

I feel the hype over Monimul is a bit over the top and I do think he will struggle in seaming or bouncey pitches, I'll have a lot more respect for him when he makes runs in these conditions .....

[jaybro]

Gabriel is nothing flash NZ dealt with him very easily .....

[Kriterion_BD]

I feel the hype over Monimul is a bit over the top and I do think he will struggle in seaming or bouncey pitches, I'll have a lot more respect for him when he makes runs in these conditions .....

There was pace, seam, and bounce in Dhaka and Mominul did quite well there and may have gone on to hit a ton if he hadn't run him self out. In fact it was when the ball stopped on him and failed to come on that he was dismissed twice c & b to panny during the series. Hit 144 off 180 against de Lange, who is quick and decent, in Pretoria. That and the WI ton was back in 2011 when he was 19-20. Decent for a youngster.

Mominul is a tough cricketer and those are the best kind. Lazy talents like Ashraful and Aftab Ahmed end up achieving very little. His mental toughness will overcome whatever technique flaws he will come to have. And he doesn't have many. His main one, IMO, is driving away from the body on occasion, but even that doesn't seem excessive.

Bounce won't be an issue due to his height. A regular bouncer will sail way over his head. He is very strong on the cut shot and has worked on his pulling as well. Pace doesn't seem to trouble him.

Of course I hope he ends his career with an average of 60+, second only to the Don. Will that happen? Almost certainly not.

That being said how many players have kept a 63+ average after 10 tests without bashing ZIM or BD? If it was that easy, every Asian batsman would do it.

[Kriterion_BD]

Gabriel is nothing flash NZ dealt with him very easily .....

What about Roach (and Taylor)?

Regardless Gabriel is rapid and that presents a challenge of its own.

[jaybro]

You jump to a lot of conclusions mate, time will tell on how he handles the bounce and seam but the Pakis and Indians have failed to cope in recent times in South Africa and Aus so I would bet Mominul would do the same .....

Especially if he stays at 3 ......

Do u think he could cope with Mitch Johnson in Australia when even the English couldn't ???

[Kriterion_BD]

Fair points.

But by the same token, don't you think its jumping to conclusions to say Williams would have coped better than his team mates against spin in BD? If Willy can push his average up to 20 in India, SL, or UAE, I'll have a lot more respect for him. You've seen the tracks in BD...pretty flat. How many chances did Hammy and Regis need to score their hundreds vs the 10th ranked bowling attack? 3-4 combined would be my guess. Just because the tracks are flat doesn't mean you will score runs because you remembered to brush your teeth. It takes work, mate.

At any rate, mominul has hit fifties overseas against reasonably quick bowlers. Got two dodgy calls in the 50s in WI where the DRS didn't spot any evidence of a nick but 'umpires call' stood.

Will he finish his career averaging 60+? Almost certainly not. But I am fully confident he can average 35+, maybe more, in England/Aus/NZ/SA. The only one of those countries we're touring anytime soon is probably NZ and with Boult and Southee that will be a massive test of Mominul's abilities.