Zim U18s in SA

I'm not disagreeing with Googly's observations on Murray and the other keeper. After all, he is the one on the ground and has more insights. I have also observed different skipper and keeper in almost every match now. But to blame 13 wides out of 15 extras on the keeper is like applying the same ZC logic (the lack of it) here too.

There is some logic behind Googlys theory, if a bowler bowls a wide it costs him one extra but if the Kepler also misses it could cost him 5 extras ......

jaybro wrote:There is some logic behind Googlys theory, if a bowler bowls a wide it costs him one extra but if the Kepler also misses it could cost him 5 extras ......

Well, I continue to maintain that this is the bowler's mistake in the first place that it was so wide that it ran the risk of eluding the keeper. A taller Murray might have been able to reach though, you never know. But the point is, you can't blame a keeper for the wides. Its not like byes which are due to the keeper error.

My outburst against the keeper was unwarranted, he's doing his best, but he's not in the same league as Murray. He is brilliant standing up to the wicket and in typical keeper fashion has a lot to say to the batter, most of it very subtle clever sledging. He's hard to ignore when he's in your ear. Having said all that he had two great spells with the ball as an offie. Outstanding bowling returns. I've seen him bowl in the nets when he's messing around and he can bowl a bit of everything, just a talented cricketer. My point is that he's not a great offie (figures would indicate otherwise), more of a container, but he is a great keeper. I'm annoyed with them for not picking Huchu and equally irritated at them for not having a permanent captain. Today they gave NW a go and it may have been coincidence but they bowled and fielded brilliantly and his bowling changes and placements were out the top drawer. We would have beaten Natal with NW calling the shots yesterday, pure and simple. In a tight game captaincy is everything. It was his first shot at it and he took to it like the proverbial duck to water, and it stops him constantly harassing the batters with a stream of marginal comments as he now has to think about other things.

Good game boys!!

The problem is that we are limited for choice at U19 level and Chawaguta and Singo are clearly looking at different options for the U19 squad, but this is not the place to do it. All the other teams came prepared, having had plenty of games and practice beforehand. We're using this to experiment? The U19 festival is in early January and it looks like we will be equally unprepared for that as well. Murray should be penned in as the keeper and Huchu penned in as an offie. I shouldn't even be writing this as it will ensure they don't do it. Chawaguta knows a bit but Singo is clueless and insists on meddling. This u19 side is going to struggle big time. As I said before we hold our own up to u18 level and then the jump to u19 is where we really fall behind. We have no opening batters that will cope next month and only a couple of decent bats. Again they have no captain, unless they pick Huchu, who has not even been in the mix and maybe won't have the leadership skills to deal with older boys, he has the cricketing brain though. I know the players in the 15-19 age groups well and we're in big trouble now.