New Zealand in Zimbabwe

Originally posted by Mikey Someone tell me when BD have ever done that against a test quality side?

Edited by sam_ahmed - 26 October 2011 at 6:43am

NZD has been routinely thrashing Zimbabwe in this series and are clearly head and shoulders above West Indies at this point in time. For Zimbabwe to chase that total down was amazing. BD was playing at home on what turned out to be a big turner... no surprises they bowled well. In terms of batting though, no one really went on - a lot of starts, but BD players tend to slip up when it comes to converting starts into tons. I must say, Zimbabwe do a lot better in that front - with Taylor making 2 not out tons in a row and Waller scoring 99* in the 3 ODIs.

Why dont we mix 2 sides and make 1 good side that can challenge top teams and team name would be Zimbadesh


Edited by mystery - 28 October 2011 at 6:47pm

I think they need to play alot more test matches than Odi's to improve otherwise they will always struggle they are doing wrong the first thing you need to learn is how to defend and how to take wickets but in Odi's both are not needed so they wont improve much with playing Odi or T20 cricket.

With Vettori back I think NZ should win comfortably. I'm going to back him to make a good score with the bat, although I am not one for predictions.

It's a stiff task facing Zimbabwe if they expect to draw this test. Sibanda and Masakadza are good players and ZIM losing them probably makes NZL favourites on a day 5 wicket. Taylor will have to bat for the vast majority of the day to save the match and the partnership with Mawoyo will be critical. They must bat through to lunch at least to stand any chance because, based on their performance in the first innings, the Zimbabwean tail should be dismissed fairly quickly.

Nothing against the Kiwis but I am hoping Zimbabwe can somehow salvage a draw. It will do wonders for both their confidence and their credentials. They play with passion, as clearly evidenced by their celebration of the Test match win against Bangladesh. They seem to play for each other and I get the sense that every game is being treated as part of the re-building process.  If they can enjoy relative success then it will breed confidence and create opportunities, which in turn will further enable the development of cricket in the region. It is nice to see Zimbabwe cricket on the rise again. With dedication, they can possibly reach the heights of the likes of the Flower brothers and Heath Streak.

I agree with one of sam's earlier posts comparing BD and ZIM cricketers. What ZIM lack in raw talent, they make up for in determination, application and patience. The only excellent player in the squad I would say is Brendan Taylor and it is apparent the team is very reliant on him. I was impressed with him a few years ago when he hit a six off the last ball to seal a game for ZIM against BD but he has really come into his own over the course of the last few series.

They have a containing spinner for ODIs in Utseya and a wily operator in Price for ODIs/Tests. Mawoyo, albeit a defensive player, is valuable seeing as he ensures rigidity at the top. Sibanda and Maskadza are both good batsmen, Taylor is class, Taibu has experience, Waller showed he can handle the pressure in the 3rd ODI. The batting is solid and the spin department is reasonably skillful. Their biggest area of concern is the seam bowling department. Jarvis, Vitori and Mpofu are going to have to improve if they are to consistently cause problems against the top sides.

Having said that, there is enough there to build a side around and they should look to excel in other aspects of the game like fielding to make up for their shortcomings in the bowling department. Even if a lack of natural talent will always impose restrictions and prevent them from reaching the level of the top 6 international sides, they appear to have the resources, mental approach and attitude to consistently challenge NZL, WI and BAN in a few years time. Or am I being too optimistic?

120 to win with 7 wickets in hand and a session and a half!! GO ZIM GO!!!!! Taylor is a LEGEND!!

So heart breaking for Zimbabwe but credit to them for going for a win and not a draw - a draw was very, very feasible for them.

Bit of controversy with Taylor not walking, claiming a catch wasn't taken cleanly. I'm on the fence when it comes to walking on those ones - but nonetheless, he is only the 2nd Zimbabwean to make a ton in the 4th innings of a test. He has to be one of the in-form batsman in the world at the moment... making runs all the time now!

NZ have been disappointing, can't really say they did anything to inspire me too much in this match. I reckon if this was a 2 or 3 match series, which it should have been, Zimbabwe would have gone for a draw and looked to try and match NZ better. They took a risk, it didn't work out but heck for me they were the better team.

All credit to Zimbabwe for batting two whole sessions and getting themselves into a great position to win the match. At the start of the day, I personally thought that a win was completely out of the equation and that it wouldn't be something they would consider. Taylor showed his class and to hit a hundred at a strike rate of 80 on a day 5 pitch, when even a draw seemed unlikely, is something very special and refreshing to see, especially considering this lad hadn't played a Test match for 7 years before the win against BD.

I can guarantee that most teams, if they had gotten themselves into ZIM's position, would have settled for the draw. The approach reminded me a lot of the classical Australian mantra of "Win or lose but no draws". Of course, that team was stacked with legends and had talent in abundance, an established side with experience and unrivaled skill. To see a similar approach from an inexperienced outfit, short on big names, speaks wonders about how they view themselves and their place in world cricket. A confident group of guys who will back themselves and always fight to win, even if it means defeat. Zimbabwean cricket appears to be flourishing again and the international stage is certainly the richer for it.

When I went to bed last night at 2am Zimbabwe had 6 wickets in hand and only 99 runs to get and I  thought we had no chance of saving it. Was very happy when I woke up and checked the score. Doug Bracewell did very well on debut and I think he has a big future. Vettori showed again that he is all class.  Williamson and Guptill are in great form and with Ryder returning to the team i'm really looking forward to the rest of the season.

Originally posted by sam_ahmed Similarly Jarvis can improve a lot I think, he too is fairly quick and well built, Streak needs to work well on him.

I believe Jason Gillespie coaches a franchise in Zimbabwe - now that'd be a guy I'd take fast bowling tips from! Bowled well in all conditions, even in India and was genuinely express in his youth.

Probably ran out of coin and is looking to make some quick cash. It sounds synical, but he retired early-ish because of injury, so it's not like he has the fitness to play first class cricket...

Can you imagine a Zimbabwean being one of the best batsman currently on form?  Haha, Brendan Taylor is playing superbly, so good that he is average 49 this year in ODI's, with 3 century and 4 half century I think.  Incredible!

Yeah, when Zimbabwe used to get thumped, he use to "look" more at ease than the others.  I'm really happy that they're having a bit more success now!