[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v New Zealand: Test Match

[zimfan1]

Malcolm Waller 100% playing tomorrow, via facebook

[ZIMDOGGY]

regardless of your stance on this you cant compare bangladesh to any other test team.

bangladesh= mountaineers

[eugene]

You have summarised the argument succinctly there. Basically hhm wants to contain teams, lose less embarrassingly for a while

AKA the Kevin Curran approach. And we all remember how much fun it was when he was coach...

hhm's tactics are summarised well here. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe hhm is Kevin Curran in disguise. hhm is motivated by not losing by large margins, instead of being motivated by winning. I will take a few thumpings along the way if there are some wins in there (which there already have been). This idea of containing the opposition can only lead to defeats or draws at best. To my mind one loss is the same as the other, they all mean that you didn't win.

[Jemisi]

I am somewhere in b/w. Draws for Zim against big teams are good. But we do need to be aiming at wins

[sscricket]

I started following Zimbabwe this month and am really excited by Meth. I have never seen anyone swing the white ball so much. He should have gotten more wickets if not for blind umpiring (Bruce oxenford worst umpire ever alive) and poor fielding.

Also the guy bats with superb technique(very much like the indian batsman) I am suprised he has not got more runs than he has. I think he will if he is more patient. The match is free on ten sports and I casually tuned in for the 2nd and 3rd odi's. It was definitely worth it.
From the outside, zim looks a very ordinary team but they have an excellent chance agains nz I think. NZ is by far one of the worst test teams out there. Their bowlers are simply incapable of dismissing a quality batting side twice on a flat track.

Zimbawe's odds are 10 on bet365 but I think it is a great buy. If Meth and Waller play I dont see NZ getting past these two guys. It will be criminal if Zim dont play Meth. He is the best weapon they have. The other guys dont know how to take a wicket unless it is gifted by the batsman or the umpire.

[Jemisi]

Welcome to ZCF

[Zimfanatic69]

I started following Zimbabwe this month and am really excited by Meth. I have never seen anyone swing the white ball so much. He should have gotten more wickets if not for blind umpiring (Bruce oxenford worst umpire ever alive) and poor fielding.

Also the guy bats with superb technique(very much like the indian batsman) I am suprised he has not got more runs than he has. I think he will if he is more patient. The match is free on ten sports and I casually tuned in for the 2nd and 3rd odi's. It was definitely worth it.
From the outside, zim looks a very ordinary team but they have an excellent chance agains nz I think. NZ is by far one of the worst test teams out there. Their bowlers are simply incapable of dismissing a quality batting side twice on a flat track.

Zimbawe's odds are 10 on bet365 but I think it is a great buy. If Meth and Waller play I dont see NZ getting past these two guys. It will be criminal if Zim dont play Meth. He is the best weapon they have. The other guys dont know how to take a wicket unless it is gifted by the batsman or the umpire.

It might be worth backing Zimbabwe at 10/1 on the assumption they have a good couple of days and then laying the bet when the odds shorten.

[hhm]

You have summarised the argument succinctly there. Basically hhm wants to contain teams, lose less embarrassingly for a while

AKA the Kevin Curran approach. And we all remember how much fun it was when he was coach...

hhm's tactics are summarised well here. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe hhm is Kevin Curran in disguise. hhm is motivated by not losing by large margins, instead of being motivated by winning. I will take a few thumpings along the way if there are some wins in there (which there already have been). This idea of containing the opposition can only lead to defeats or draws at best. To my mind one loss is the same as the other, they all mean that you didn't win.

Unfortunately, it appears the threat of losing Test status - involuntarily this time - does not seem to faze you. Various reporters, our own Mbangwa, Firdowse, other Cricinfo reports have pretty much signalled our downward spiral, with no upward curve in sight!

It's a horrible misconception that you have, and founded on nothing. I asked you guys to pose a tangible reason why you say this team won't beat anyone, and is setup to lose respectably, but you've still not provided one! My reasons: Mature palyers - Duffin - specialist FC opener, Matsi & Ewing - specialist middle order batsmen and leaders in their right, Rainsford, Mpofu & Panyangara - specialist opening bowlers and seasoned campaigners; Youngsters - bowlers are too expensive and pose no threat and apply zero scoreboard pressure on quality batsmen - it's a stroll in the park for them, while the young batsmen cannot pace their innnings unless they are dropped three times in an innings! As a counter argument, the only thing you've said is that this team has a varied attack, hence is most likely to get wickets - one is a left armer and the other one is a right-arm quick! Could've fooled Pakistan&NZ batsmen! Guess what, this 'Bangladesh' whom the youngsters helped bowl out in the Test, also brought a varied set of pacemen and spinners but we beat them all the same. Just as much as our varied team will get 'beat' - heavily! When we beat Bangladesh in the 3 ODIs the games were close, when they beat us however, it was convincing! Had we played another Test match against them within a week after those ODIs, they stood a great chance of beating us. Not this team I propose, and that's my point. Again as brilliant as our win against NZ was, that attack was as good if not worse than a Kenyan attack not even at its height! Even Ireland would've got that target against NZ.

Welcome sscricket. I see you support the champions from Matabeleland, the Tuskers. Good on you. Where are you from. (Anusha ALWAYS reminds us he's from SL). Anyway, I like the fact that you've unconsciously backed up my point about how worthless that NZ attack was! Just be careful on that point, this particular team has Martin & Vettori, while Southee&Mills are missing. They ruffled up Indian batsmen so don't discount their full strength attack After Eng, SA, Pak & Aus - it's the best right now.

[PieChucker]

V Sibanda,
TMK Mawoyo,
H Masakadza,
BRM Taylor*,
T Taibu,
MN Waller,
RW Chakabva†,
RW Price,
KM Jarvis,
CB Mpofu,
N Ncube

A couple of surprises there! Glad that Tatenda is in - Chakabva keeping - hmmm not su sure about that. I guess they felt Forster's keeping not up to the job.
Chigs out
Meth out
Ncube gets a debut

the tail looks pretty long to me

[BaijuSpeaks]

A suspense thriller
Taibu into the team. All our talks have gone waste .

Great opportunity for Chakabwa and Ncube. Hope they make it big.