With the domestic season at a close I thought we might nominate our players of the year in various categories. I only consider players who have featured in at least 4 FC matches for their franchise and focus on first-class cricket.
Feel free to add your nominations or expand the categories, or point out glaring omissions :)
Bowler of the year
In a season dominated by bowlers in the Logan Cup, 8 bowlers took 20 wickets or more at an average of less than 21. But for all the sterling efforts of Shingi, Tiripano, Ncube, Chatara, Manatsa, Rainsford, and Jarvis, there's no looking past Glenn Querl's 45 wickets @ 12.88. There remain doubts over his action, and he will be hard pressed to prove this season was not a one-off, but for now he deserves all the praise he gets.
Batsman of the year
Gary Ballance
Allrounder of the year
A tricky one. Shingi had a below-par season with the bat. R. Kaia made a case for himself with a lot of wickets in the Pro50 competition, but cannot be classified as an allrounder at FC level. Nathan Waller is a contender, but then Tino Mutombozi took far more wickets (19) and scored his runs at a slightly better average: 235 @ 18 does not necessarily indicate an allrounder, but rather a bowler who bats, but Tino still gets the nod.
Rookie of the year
Glenn Querl
Most improved bowler
Donald Tiripano just pips Manatsa to this award.
Most improved batsman
Kevin Kasuza would have been a shoe-in for Rookie of the year were it not for Glenn-picked-from-the Shires-Querl. But he gets my nomination in this category instead. :D
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Good selections, and hard to argue with any of them logically, so I will do so based on sentiment! :)
Allrounder = Nathan Waller. I like him. :D Once again - "there are NO spinner-allrounders in Test(or FC) cricket!" :x
Is it the love of the sterling? Can't believe his brother is going to Scotland, while he's going to Ireland! Don't these misguided boys know of a place called South Africa, just a few K's away! It's actually got a competitive Club cricket system where they'll face proper bowlers&batsmen, but I also think they can play a bit of provincial cricket before the season ends shortly!
Allrounder = Nathan Waller. I like him. :D Once again - "there are NO spinner-allrounders in Test(or FC) cricket!" :x
Is it the love of the sterling? Can't believe his brother is going to Scotland, while he's going to Ireland! Don't these misguided boys know of a place called South Africa, just a few K's away! It's actually got a competitive Club cricket system where they'll face proper bowlers&batsmen, but I also think they can play a bit of provincial cricket before the season ends shortly!
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Is there much of a winter club scene in SA that pays?
The Third Innings
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hhm wrote:Allrounder = Nathan Waller. I like him. :D Once again - "there are NO spinner-allrounders in Test(or FC) cricket!" :x
Yeah, I like him too. Tino is a bit of a left-field choice tbh, but I do love spinner-allrounders :mrgreen:
Maybe Nathan should cut his ridiculous run-up down to three paces and pretend to be a spinner. 😂
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Bowler of the year
1.Querl (winner)
2.Shingi (first runner up)
3. Chatara/Ncube/Tiripano (3 way split for second run up)
Rainsford was okay without being exceptional. Certainly if we were to go the experience route, his name would be right up there. Jarvis having made your minimum number of games, has not been that bad, very healthy ave and strike rates, but I am stretched to include him above those I have listed, Vitori and Mpofu have only played 2 matches, each, so not even considered. hhm's favourite Panyangara, having had 5 more innings than, Mpofu and Vitori, has ONE more wicket than Vitori (who plays for the same team,... read closest conditions...), and almost a dozen LESS than Jarvis. Enough said.
Batsman of the year
1. Gary Ballance
2. Wessels
3. Mutizwa
Duffin deserves a mention here, he has done very well, and if we ever needed an opener, as we did in NZ, he certainly has my vote, but for me Mutizwa from half the game time is just 14 runs short of Duffin, and hence gets my vote ahead of him, Maruma also deserves a special mention too.
Allrounder of the year
For me no one really deserves this title, we really do not have all rounders, the fact that Chigs, is spoken of so highly despite his patchy two year (or so) drought of runs, just shows how shallow we are, but forced to name someone, I'd have to settle on Waller.
Rookie of the year
Glenn Querl
Most improved bowler
Manatsa .
Most improved batsman
Marillier as an emerging opener he has impressed me. He hasn't made any big scorers but seems to be adept at seeing out the new ball which is exactly what his job is. And if the criterion is improved...then few can lay a claim...
My 2cents worth...
1.Querl (winner)
2.Shingi (first runner up)
3. Chatara/Ncube/Tiripano (3 way split for second run up)
Rainsford was okay without being exceptional. Certainly if we were to go the experience route, his name would be right up there. Jarvis having made your minimum number of games, has not been that bad, very healthy ave and strike rates, but I am stretched to include him above those I have listed, Vitori and Mpofu have only played 2 matches, each, so not even considered. hhm's favourite Panyangara, having had 5 more innings than, Mpofu and Vitori, has ONE more wicket than Vitori (who plays for the same team,... read closest conditions...), and almost a dozen LESS than Jarvis. Enough said.
Batsman of the year
1. Gary Ballance
2. Wessels
3. Mutizwa
Duffin deserves a mention here, he has done very well, and if we ever needed an opener, as we did in NZ, he certainly has my vote, but for me Mutizwa from half the game time is just 14 runs short of Duffin, and hence gets my vote ahead of him, Maruma also deserves a special mention too.
Allrounder of the year
For me no one really deserves this title, we really do not have all rounders, the fact that Chigs, is spoken of so highly despite his patchy two year (or so) drought of runs, just shows how shallow we are, but forced to name someone, I'd have to settle on Waller.
Rookie of the year
Glenn Querl
Most improved bowler
Manatsa .
Most improved batsman
Marillier as an emerging opener he has impressed me. He hasn't made any big scorers but seems to be adept at seeing out the new ball which is exactly what his job is. And if the criterion is improved...then few can lay a claim...
My 2cents worth...
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There is one man who should fit the bill as a spin bowling all rounder of the year, that man is Timycen Maruma
So why did he hardly bowl this year ?
Injury i can understand, so is he injured or has he been injured ?
If he just didn't feel like bowling because he was made captain then he should have the captaincy taken away, quickly
24 years old, 189 first class and 80 limited overs wickets
Get the man back bowling next season and then he can pick up the all rounders award, as long as he can beat Cremer that is ;)
So why did he hardly bowl this year ?
Injury i can understand, so is he injured or has he been injured ?
If he just didn't feel like bowling because he was made captain then he should have the captaincy taken away, quickly
24 years old, 189 first class and 80 limited overs wickets
Get the man back bowling next season and then he can pick up the all rounders award, as long as he can beat Cremer that is ;)
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Spinning allrounders are my favourite type of allrounder. Daniel Vettori, Shakib Al-Hasan, Graeme Cremer (hopefully).
My All-time Zimbabwe XI
Neil Johnson, Brendan Taylor, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), David Houghton, Sean Williams, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Paul Strang, Eddo Brandes, Blessing Muzarabani
Neil Johnson, Brendan Taylor, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), David Houghton, Sean Williams, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Paul Strang, Eddo Brandes, Blessing Muzarabani
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good, logical selections foreignfield
I vaguely remember this conversation .. but surely Shakib comes pretty close
hhm wrote: Once again - "there are NO spinner-allrounders in Test(or FC) cricket!" :x
I vaguely remember this conversation .. but surely Shakib comes pretty close
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Train Driver wrote:There is one man who should fit the bill as a spin bowling all rounder of the year, that man is Timycen Maruma
So why did he hardly bowl this year ?
May be he's trying to do an Ewing?
For the all rounder spot, Mark Mbofana began the season well, but faded away very quickly. Still expecting more from him in the coming seasons. Nathan Waller, the way I look at it as of now, might at best be a Craig Evans kind of player, not quite the Elton Chigumbura or Guy Whittall we are looking for. Needs to put in a lot of hard work if he has to reach there.
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Train Driver wrote:There is one man who should fit the bill as a spin bowling all rounder of the year, that man is Timycen Maruma
So why did he hardly bowl this year ?
Injury i can understand, so is he injured or has he been injured ?
If he just didn't feel like bowling because he was made captain then he should have the captaincy taken away, quickly
24 years old, 189 first class and 80 limited overs wickets
Get the man back bowling next season and then he can pick up the all rounders award, as long as he can beat Cremer that is ;)
I'm afraid he's lost all confidence in his own bowling. When he took all those heaps of wickets he still had his leg-break going for him, as well as the googly. It was then reported that he'd "lost" his leg-break -- it would be great if someone could find it and hand it back to him. I remember when Zim toured the Carribean he only bowled googlys and the occasional straighter one which flummoxed the Windies batsmen for about 3 or 4 balls. I think as a captain his assesment of his own bowling stocks at present are pretty astute.
I have often wondered, ever since I read that report about his "lost" leg-break, whether there is someone who cares about things like that in Zim's coaching set-up. I would think what Timycen needs is to work with a specialist coach/tutor for a considerable time, and there isn't one in Zim. What to do? Pack him off to Australia or even NZ where Paul Strang is coaching?
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