*Official* Zimbabwe in Australia Thread

[Richard]

My favourite players tend to be those who blend the aggression with top technical proficiency, such as Tendulkar, Lara, Sarwan, Ponting and of course Mark Waugh.

Of course there is something to be said for speed of scoring (though personally I don't like to see scoring-rates too fast).
As for Ramnaresh, what a player he could be if he got less 70s and 90s and more 140s and 170s.
Though looking at his First-Class average his overall disappointing Test record is not especially surprising.
And the amazing thing about Ponting is he's about the best player when going well and yet he looks so dreadful when things don't go his way.

 

[Mr. P]

With Aravinda retired, there is no better player of the back-foot cross-bat leg-side shots. Ponting was heir to Arrie's throne for a long while, and I'll be surprised if there have been many better pullers in history.

I'm with you on this. Some of his shots, they're just amazing. (Go back to the WC final....)

 

[Mr. P]

Of course there is something to be said for speed of scoring (though personally I don't like to see scoring-rates too fast).
As for Ramnaresh, what a player he could be if he got less 70s and 90s and more 140s and 170s.
Though looking at his First-Class average his overall disappointing Test record is not especially surprising.
And the amazing thing about Ponting is he's about the best player when going well and yet he looks so dreadful when things don't go his way.

True, but Punter has fixed most of his problems now. Except sometimes he still squares himself up early in his innings.

 

[Richard]

True, but Punter has fixed most of his problems now. Except sometimes he still squares himself up early in his innings.

And this one problem can mean that when he gets it wrong (if the bounce is inconsistent or the ball is really swinging, seaming or turning) it is hard to believe it's the same player.
The main reason he's so good, though, is that just like Stephen Waugh he can conquer difficult conditions. Even in Sri Lanka 4 years ago he managed to average 80-something.
This, for me, is what sets Waugh, Ponting and Lehmann apart from the rest of the Aussie batsmen. Slater and Taylor used to have it, too, but I fear Slats has played his final Test.

 

[Mr. P]

The good thing is is that this problem is only really in the early parts of the innings, and he does it mainly in OD's. Unfortunately he does it in tests a bit too, but not as much.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Ponting averaged 39.43 in his first 20 Tests and Sarwan averaged 39 through his first 20. Sarwan had 11 fifties and Ponting had 7. Ponting had 2 hundreds to Sarwan's nought.

Interesting comparison. IMO Sarwan has only really emerged in the last year and a half.

 

[age_master]

the Aussie batting exhibition ended, great efforet by all batsmen now to see if the bowlers can pick up some more wickets, they all looked abit out of practice yesterday though

 

[marc71178]

Boycott has more entertainment value than Flintoff?

Actually he said he'd prefer to watch Boycott than Flintoff - there's a distinct difference.

 

[Mr. P]

Lunch day 3 Zimbabwe 4/154. MacGill has bowled well. Wishart and Evans are in.

 

[Eclipse]

And this one problem can mean that when he gets it wrong (if the bounce is inconsistent or the ball is really swinging, seaming or turning) it is hard to believe it's the same player.
The main reason he's so good, though, is that just like Stephen Waugh he can conquer difficult conditions. Even in Sri Lanka 4 years ago he managed to average 80-something.
This, for me, is what sets Waugh, Ponting and Lehmann apart from the rest of the Aussie batsmen. Slater and Taylor used to have it, too, but I fear Slats has played his final Test.

This is so true.

Ponting when in poor form can look rather ordinary but when in top form there is no better player to watch in the world.

The way he can take good length balls and just cream them on the up through the offside is sensational and his on drives and genral legside play looks so classy.

 

[Eclipse]

I cant beleve Wishart has souch a crap avrage he looks so good.

he obviously has the talent to avrage at least 32-35 at test level.

 

[Mr. P]

Im with you on that eclispe. For me all the Zimbabwe bats except Carlile have looked good and make starts. I have been most impressed by gripper and wishart. Vermeulen was perhaps the least impressive, but even he had his moments.

 

[Eclipse]

Im with you on that eclispe. For me all the Zimbabwe bats except Carlile have looked good and make starts. I have been most impressed by gripper and wishart. Vermeulen was perhaps the least impressive, but even he had his moments.

yeah Vermeulen look's like he is a bit off an eye player techneque need's some work but still he looks allright.

Having said that I think he has a bright future for Zimbabwe batting because he has the best FC record of all of them.

 

[Mr. P]

7/231 and taibu is gone after looking very solid for a while there, its a pity, as he was looking good.

 

[Mr. P]

Its now 8/231 as Streak is bowled by a screamer of a ball by brett lee. zimbabwe are in trouble, and might be batting their second innings after tea.

 

[Mr. P]

9/231! brett lee on a hat-trick! blignaut was absolutely plumb, lee is swinging the ball a mile!

 

[Mr. P]

Booo!!!! No hat-trick for lee.:!( :!( :!(

 

[Mr. P]

And finally zimbabwe 238 all out. Gillespie gets Ervine to finish the innings

 

[Richard]

I cant beleve Wishart has souch a crap avrage he looks so good.

he obviously has the talent to avrage at least 32-35 at test level.

I've thought exactly that since I first saw him bat at Kingsmead in early 2000.
Why on Earth hasn't this guy scored far more runs than he has at international level?
Still, there's some clues in his domestic averages. Likewise Carlisle, a good player with a disappointing record. Guy Whittall was exactly the same, too, though he had the best ever average counting only scores over 100.

Just found-out the Aussie assistant-coach is substituting! What a state the organisation must be in there! No 13th-man!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Its now 8/231 as Streak is bowled by a screamer of a ball by brett lee. zimbabwe are in trouble, and might be batting their second innings after tea.

I assure you, Zimbabwe have been in trouble since a long time before 231/8.