***Official*** New Zealand in Zimbabwe & Zimbabwe/New Zealand/India ODI Tri-Series

[shaka]

Mills is less likely (and almost at 0) to make this team if Bond remains fit.

 

[Kippax]

My side -

J Marshall
Fleming
H Marshall
Vincent
McCullum (should help remove any feelings of being in a rush for McCullum. If he builds an innings and is the sixth or seventh to fall, he still gets a nice gap on either side of his keeping duties.)
Oram
Styris
Vettori
Franklin
Bond
Martin

The side I think they'll select -

Cumming
J Marshall
H Marshall
Fleming
Vincent
Astle
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Bond
Martin

 

[Chubb]

Zimbabwe Squad
Tatenda Taibu *+ (Mash)
Heath Streak VC (Mata & Warks)
Andy Blignaut (Mash)
Stuart Carlisle (Mash)
Graeme Cremer (Mash)
Dion Ebrahim (Manica)
Keith Dabengwa (Mid)
Anthony Ireland (Mid)
Blessing Mahwire (Manica)
Brendan Taylor (Mash)
Craig Wishart (Mid)
Neil Ferreira (Manica)
Hamilton Masakadza (Mash)
Chris Mpofu (Manica)

I'm not sure I have the provinces right, I'm having a lot of problems with AOL at the moment and it can't support Cricinfo, it keeps crashing with two windows open.

Keith Dabengwa is a very surprising choice, he is a SLAing allrounder, capable of giving it a whack. Obviously if the pitch is going to turn he'll partner Cremer. Also they have gone back on their decision to ban Brendan Taylor. I expect this is because they don't want to select Gripper (too old, white) and the opener they would have selected to partner Ferreira, Terence Duffin, is injured. Strong (relatively) batting lineup but I would have liked to have seen Chigumbura insteads of Wishart. Probable team:

Ferreira
Taylor
Ebrahim
Carlisle
Masakadza
Wishart
Taibu
Blignaut
Streak
Mpofu
Cremer

In case of a spinning wicket, Wishart would probably make way for Dabengwa. Don't rule out Ireland replacing Mpofu but I don't think it'll happen.

 

[shaka]

some good and able players in that team

 

[Langeveldt]

Good to see a good Zimbo side, Vernon's back! Great to see, at least it will probably not be totally one way traffic

 

[cricket player]

Go Zimbabwe Go Zimbabwe.............................

Chubb I would rather have wishart in team then chigumbura

Wishart is capable of thrashing any bowling opposition and making big scores as for chigumbura he is a lower order batsman he is a good attacking player,but he is not in the class of wishart.

Nice to see Brandong Tylor owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

hope Zimbabwe wins.

 

[Blaze]

hope Zimbabwe wins.

I don't

 

[cricket player]

will it is clear why you dont

you are Kiwi.

 

[Blaze]

will it is clear why you dont

you are Kiwi.

True.. The main thing I am looking forward to in this series is seeing Shane Bond in action once again.

 

[cricket player]

yeah I am looking forward to that too Blaze.

 

[shaka]

also to see how the returned cricketers for Zimbabwe go.

 

[Woody_cloudofsm]

Recall Guy whitall from Retirement.

 

[Chubb]

Guy retired due to injury, not because of a political "retirement"

 

[James]

NZ v Zimbabwe - 1st Test
Sunday @ 7:55pm Sky Sport 3 (NZ)

or here on the Cricket Web:

 

[lord_of_darkness]

The main thing I am looking forward to in this series is seeing Shane Bond in action once again.

Word.. but we can expect big things.. i mean even if he bowls half decent he is sure to trouble the zimbabwean batsmen..

Sweet james thanks for the heads up.. guess ill head to the gym or the pub to catch the start..

 

[shaka]

too much sport so they had to find a 3rd sports channel just kidding one cannot have enough sport.

 

[James]

Including the rugby channel that's four

 

[aussie]

True.. The main thing I am looking forward to in this series is seeing Shane Bond in action once again.

Word to big bird mate, he is one of the biggest talents in modern cricket that has got the chance to really show his full worth. I hope he hasn't lost too any pace that would be a crap

 

[Chubb]

Isn't the practise match supposed to be today? Who is it against, a province, the A team or the County Districts?

 

[Kippax]

Isn't the practise match supposed to be today? Who is it against, a province, the A team or the County Districts?

The NZ squad played amongst themselves, with a few Zimbabwe Academy guys fielding apparently.

Nice to read about Bond sending Cumming's middle stump for a stroll, but really, "captain Matthew Fleming", Reuters?

HARARE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Stalwart all-rounder Scott Styris is confident New Zealand are ready to become a more competitive team in foreign conditions.

"We've got good depth now, and that breeds confidence," Styris told Reuters in Harare on Thursday.

"Hopefully we'll be a better side on the field and start winning series overseas, the confidence is growing."

New Zealand arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday to start a two-test series in Harare on Sunday.

The visitors had a practice on Thursday involving their squad as well as players from the Zimbabwe academy.

The New Zealanders scored 363 runs at a steady pace and lost 12 wickets in the 93 overs that were bowled.

Captain Matthew Fleming cracked nine fours in his 62, while Hamish Marshall's 52 included 10 boundaries.

Fast bowler Shane Bond, who is hoping to return from more than two years on the sidelines because of stress fractures, bowled 16 aggressive overs in which he took four for 65.

Bond let out a yell of satisfaction when he sent Craig Cumming's middle stump cart-wheeling.

Styris was hopeful that Bond would be fit for selection for the first test.

"It adds a new dimension to your attack when you have someone with wheels," he said.

"It also makes you more confident standing in the slip cordon."