Match thread - Game 3 - Sth African Composite XI vs Zimbabwe

maehara wrote:...and Zim wrap it up, winning by 134 runs. I'm not going to complain too much about a 3-0 series sweep - even if they did make it more difficult for themselves than it needed to be...

Agreed. Anything but a 3-0 sweep would have been unacceptable, it was a Full Member vs a 4th tier South Africa team. I think there were some very good individual performances - Utseya's century, Utseya's bowling, Masakadza's 80 or so, Williams hundred, Taibu's hundred, Taylor's cameo in game 2, Maruma's batting display...

A huge thanks to CSA for arranging the series, they are doing so much to help Zimbabwe cricket which I think is going largely unrecognised.

maehara wrote:Well, you know how it goes - every time we lay into someone, they score big.

It is indeed this glorious inconsistancy among the players that is creating problems. Picking the best playing eleven would be very difficult, since you never know, the centurion of the last match might get out for a duck :)

CrimsonAvenger wrote:the centurion of the last match might get out for a duck :)

We're looking in your direction Tatenda Taibu! 😂

Well done Keith Dabengwa, another FC fifty to his name. Pretty good strike rate too.

Zimbabwe 7/195

RW Price c Bossenger b Kruger 7

217/8. 250'll be tough to reach...

zimdan wrote:I shal say it again, Dabengwa is zimbabwes most consistent player by far.

He might not always make huge scores like today, but aways contributes.

You've said it a few times now, but I struggle to remember the last time he made any meaningful contribution besides the odd 15 or 20. He seems to be the sort of bloke that can bat and bowl, but doesn't really excel at either.

I hope this is a turning point though, 72* and must be going pretty well. Hopefully Maruma can stick around so he can score his century.

8/230.

maehara wrote:250'll be tough to reach...

Mmmm. This crow is tasty. Maybe I'll follow it up with some pie.

Here's hoping Dabengwa can covert this to a century. Maruma's putting in a good knock, too.

I can see your reasoning, and I do agree consistency is the key. But I do query what he brings to the team - he's 27, yet he's not as experienced as guys like Brendan Taylor and Stuart Matsikenyeri (both omitted). He hasn't bowled recently, and isn't required to bowl 10 overs in ODI's or take a share of the load in the First Class matches.

Surely then he is playing as a specialist batsman, while there are guys trying to get in the team that are better batsmen. It was Sean Williams in the last game, it is Brendan Taylor in this game.

His 79 today is a start, I really hope he can continue that form. I think he has been very lucky to date though. 15-20 an innings wouldn't buy any other player such an extended run in the team.

Maruma travelling nicely on 22. Let's hope Mpofu can support him a bit. Maruma is an underrated batsman, he has a bit of skill. I think it is unrealistic to expect us to bat out the remaining 19 overs, but it would be nice if we could survive a little bit longer, perhaps add another 25 or 30 to the score, and if required bowl a few overs to the South Africans and take a late wicket.

256 all out. All things considered, that's not actually that bad...

maehara wrote:256 all out. All things considered, that's not actually that bad...

I think it's about 100 short of where Zimbabwe ought to be, but considering they made 89 all out in the previous match, they'd take 256. Credit must go to Dabengwa for a fine knock, a real shame that wasn't converted to 100. Useful contributions from Chibhabha, Utseya and then Maruma.

I suppose we'll get about 16 overs at the South African's, it's important we get a wicket or two and hopefully don't concede much more than 40 runs by the end of the session. I think it is a mistake not having Gary Brent in the team, this is the sort of situation where he would really choke the opposition for runs through his nagging line and length. Let's hope Mpofu can replicate that.

andy24 wrote:live score very slow. williams is easily better then some of the people that get picked before him in the side

As is Brendan Taylor. How Keith Dabengwa keeps his spot in the side is beyond me. I'm not doubting he has talent, but he hasn't done anything to prove it.

andy24 wrote:chibhabha nearly to his fifty

:)

...but out for 45, sadly. Williams is off to a slow start, as well.

Another one down (Williams, 28).

This is quite a way short of being Zim's strongest possible side, and they're paying for it. It almost caught them out last match as well, but they got lucky there... Hopefully this should sound a few warning bells with the people concerned. If we play sides like this in Pakistan, we're going to get hammered.

It isn't good enough. You are absolutely right maehara, if we play a side of this strength in the MTN series let alone the Pakistan series, we will be hammered.

I agree.

Dabengwa has made his first useful contribution for the series, currently 26*. Maybe he can silence his critics (us :mrgreen: ) by turning that into a big score. Utseya looking good with 20 from 32.