Stuart Matsikenyeri

That looks like a young Dave Brain keeping wicket. That seamer looks more than useful, wonder who that is?

The no helmet era, seems like a lifetime ago.

Interesting comment from Mike Wiley- he says people were relying on others to provide them with opportunities. I'm afraid that's true. Back then only Mangongo and Makoni had the determination to form their own club with their own grounds and not much has happened since then. One club?

Seems like Stuart had a tough time, but had some opportunities and took them, not sure what your gripe is, Gargamel?

Also interesting to see how cricket in general has improved over the years. There's a few youngsters I've seen that are a lot more accomplished than that at 12 years old.

We've been left so far behind here in terms of junior development that I'm afraid we're never going to bridge the gap between us and the other top nations. Sadly a lot has to do with the economy, but also ZC is not investing the money, nor the right personnel into junior development. If it was well organised and well run I guarantee ICC would help. I'm sorry to keep being the voice of doom but we've got nothing in the tank. Desperate times for our cricket.

What Matsi did at the world cup was disgraceful....

What did he do?

Googly wrote:Gargamel-

The standard of school cricket, and cricket in general, is getting worse every year. It's really depressing and we are past the point of no return. What do you think is causing this? I know the answer, but I'd like to hear what you think is the cause.

You have said this a few times but is it really true?

I am a little sceptical of the doom and gloom. Perhaps we arebnt going forward, but Im not sure we are getting worse?

The reason I say this is the last under 19s team in the WC seemed to have done better than any 19s team before then in the last decade.

Sure we are going to lose them but there was a good 3 or 4 players that would be stalwarts in the national team within 12 months if they hung around. 3 or 4 is what you'd ideally like to cherrypick from an under 19s side going forward.

This current under 19s team appears to be a bunch of (largely white) 16 yr olds I have never heard of, and they are dominating Namibia at the moment.

I cant recall for a while us dominating Namibia so much at age group level. Contests are usually tight between the two.

Sixes fan seems to know the players and seems largely optimistic about them, despite being pessimistic usually.

Which of those last U19 guys would be a stalwart in our national side in 12 months time, Zimdoggy?

As mediocre as our national side is in international terms, there's still a huge difference between u19 and senior cricket.

We need a specialist keeper with batting skills, Murray would certainly be a possibility, but I really don't see any other stand out players. Sure there are a couple that should be given FC opportunities, but again that's fast tracking because they should prove themselves at club level first. Until club has regular longer seasons without ridiculous stoppages we don't have the correct platform to allow players to progress from one tier to the next.

The drop in standard of school cricket in the last few years has been massive. I watch quite a lot of it and it's dire. Of course there will always be a few really talented individuals, I'm talking like a small handful, maybe two per age group, that could become really good if they played more cricket and played in age groups above them. Dane Shardendorf is at St Johns and is an over age Form 1 and is in their First team squad. He's a really good little batsman, and Myers from Saints is a Form 2 in their First team, also exceptionally talented. The fact that they're being allowed to play up is only partly because the schools are being a bit more proactive, but also an indication of the poor standard currently in the First teams. That's not going to change either. You will get the odd strong first team that might dominate a given year but gone are the days when there are 5 or 6 decent teams to raise the overall standard. ZC need to go and take a look at what other countries are doing with their good youngsters to see that we are light years behind.

And when you see what looks like a decent youngster, in reality it's hard to tell because he's invariably against poor opposition. When they get involved in a tight game against better opposition they often fail because they're not used to it and don't know how to think and absorb the pressure and stick to the plan. That's as much a part of cricket as just being able to hit a ball well and have a decent technique. If a kid isn't getting 10 of those games a year he's not developing. It's probably why our FC guys are so erratic.