[Match Thread] Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka: 2nd Test, Harare

[zimfan1]

Wo just seen the highlights and Chari comes across as a bit of a biffer, not sure that he has the game to score consistent runs in international cricket.

Ervine showing his class again, shame he will not play 50+ tests in his career as would love to see how good he could be.

Time up for Hammy? If there was a 3rd test then surely Musakanda would get a game.

[eugene]

Hammy is a shadow of his former self. I think he is heading down the Sibanda path to be honest. Chari needs more game time and 'A" team experience but he could be a good talent I think.

[sloandog]

ZimFan fella where the highlights at?

[sloandog]

anybody got some highlights?

[TapsC]

definitely Craig Ervine has the talent.. Pat Symcox was right in saying Craig is well below his potential with an average of 30..Ervine Williams and Masakadza should be averaging at least in the 40s but it looks like Hamilton will just never live up to his potential. its time to move on. I believe we are about 60% there with Ervine Mawoyo Williams PJ Cremer Chakabva(when in form) and Tiripano in terms of our test team. if we get BT back and Chatara miraculously fired up again along with Mumba then we can push these teams even further.

[zctears]

Yes Hamilton does need to do something to save his test career. I've felt for some time now that he would be better off as a lower order batter in ODIs and T20s. He can't get enough high scores to justify being high up in the order but he is strong and a good striker of the ball when he's in. Could play a sort of Chigumbura role. And he can be useful with the ball.

[Kriterion_BD]

Chari does look like a guy who has some talent. Very tinely score for him. Ervine is class, Williams less so, and Moor might just be the aggressive accelerator the team needs down the order. Raza and Musakanda can also slot in.

And lol at the words 40 average and Hamilton being used in the same sentence. His 29 average actually makes him look better than he is. Averages 25 across all 3 formats against non minnow sides. Yes better than a Chigs who goes at 20 flat but averaging 40 is leagues beyond a guy who averages 25.

Tiripano can be picked as an all rounder with his healthy 25 average.

If Taylor comes back, Zim could still field a strong lineup.

Main goal now, dont collapse, avoid the follow on, and then see if a draw can be eked out.

[sloandog]

Thanks chaps, I found the highlights..

I've got to say I was pleasantly surprised with what I've just seen with the bat. Looks like Chari's come out of that cocoon to play some shots. Those two six's were absolutely MASSIVE! And that cover drive at the end was sublime. The lad can evidently bat, but i think Zimfan1 said it correctly that his technique might not allow him to score runs on rapid wickets or rag turners. Twice given out and could have been caught in the slips/by the keeper. But hey, he rode his look and he starts tomorrow on 60*.

Ervine looks pure class.
I'm not sure why everybody is jumping on the Mazakadza band wagon, he's still got a lot to offer and is 10 times better than what we have domestically. Musakanda could have been an option but I would stick with Hammie - he'll come good.

[Jemisi]

Hami is in our best six batsmen. Perhaps he should swap roles with Ervine and move to four, or five if he bowls a decent number of overs and move Williams up to four, but out the door? The only players you could put ahead of him are Williams and Ervine. Is Waller better? No. Is Moor better? No. Is Chari better? No, by a stretch. Is Raza better? No. Is Mawoyo better? No. Is whoever isn't in the team better? No.

And what is more he is the only bowler who doesn't get belted for a boundary every over. The only thing I can say is that familiarity breeds contempt. Hami scored 500 runs in BD this year, how many of our guys would have done that? Not many.

[CrimsonAvenger]

A parallel observation, or whatever you might want to call it. I'm not sure if I am reading too much into it, but I see some kind of a strange behavior by the rest of the team towards Waller and Masakadza in particular. Team huddles and high fives seem forced when they have gotten together to congratulate if the achiever is one of these two. Is it a cultural difference that those two are from a different generation (slightly older) to others? But Chigs and Vusi did not seem to have this issue. May be it is just a couple of incidents, or may be I am trying to see signs that agree with my hypotheses. The way Jongwe and Madziva behaved with Waller in that tight T20 run chase in BD that we won, the way nobody seemed to care when he was limping after the first over of this test match, and the way Masakadza does not get too many people huddling to congratulate when he gets wickets (however unexpected they may be, and they must be celebrated more when they are unexpected like that) are sometimes sad. Masakadza seemed to celebrate his second wicket all by himself in this test. Only Williams appears to be a bit close to these two, again probably due to earlier / longer acquaintance...