Zimbabwe Senior National Discussion

[Madcarrot]

Bangladesh T20 tour season 57

The pitches selected were
1. Dry
2. Crumbling
3. Slow

We picked a much different team to the seam heavy SOD tour earlier this season, with a couple debutantes, and a couple returning veterans.

Bat
Johnson Mangwende (spin specialist) - 4 caps
Hashim "Richard" (seam specialist, safe hands) - 11 caps
Ulrich Lukeman - 3 caps
Eric Mackenzie (finisher) - 3 caps
Regis Mlambo (sturdy) - 17 caps
Jason Nye (seam specialist) - 7 caps
Tafadzwa Sodumo (boundary hitter) - 3 caps

Keepers
Phil Pfizer - 3 caps
Brett O'Leary (spin specialist) - 4 caps

Bowlers
RF Andre Krige - 3 caps
LFM Tinashe Maraire - 7 caps
RFM Ko'rona Vyress - 3 caps
LWS Lovemore Samkange (skilled bowling) - T20 debut
RWS Cobus Lillie - T20 debut
LFS Savieri Kadziche (Doosra, Old ball bowler) - 6 caps
LFS Excellent Kambarami - international debut

All Rounders
LM Bea O'Problem (skilled bowling) - 3 caps
RFS Keyran Pennefather (sturdy) - T20 debut

Game 1 - Bangladesh (slow)
Game 2 - UAE (dry)
Game 3 - Ireland (dry)
Game 4 - Australia (crumbling)
Game 5 - Pakistan (crumbling)

This is a great chance at getting out first T20 world cup qualification since session 41. That's 16 seasons since we last qualified. We are only 1 point behind the top 12 so credit to Chezza for getting us into division 2 and giving us the best chance to get there.

[Madcarrot]

Game 1 - Bangladesh (sunny/slow)

Nail biting finish losing by 9 runs in the end.

Maraire took a wicket in the 1st over but Bangladesh otherwise started very strong, kept a consistent pace the entire time and scored 153.

We stayed in it all the way through the entire innings, and Eric Mackenzie almost was the hero for us. But with 12 runs required in the final over, he hit a single on the first ball which exposed our tail and caused the collapse that lost.

Zimbabwe Top Scorers
1. Eric Mackenzie 39* from 30 balls
2. Hashim Dic k 38 from 32 balls
3. Regis Mlambo 22 from 20 balls

Top bowlers
1. Savieri Kadziche 2-18
2. Tinashe Maraire 2-32
3. Cobus Lillie 1-46

Zimbabwe
Fielding
7 great fielding
2 misfields

4 catches
1 missed stumping

Bangladesh
4 great fielding
4 misfields

3 catches
1 runout
1 dropped catch
1 missed stumping

[Madcarrot]

Game 2 - UAE (Sunny/Dry)

Batted first and had an extremely strong start, opening pair had a 97 run partnership from 70 balls. Jason Nye went on to get 75 and despite a middle order collapse we finished at 6/159 which I thought was a decent score.

Unfortunately though UAE cruised through to victory thanks to a 128 run opening stand and by the time wickets started to fall it was too little too late. UAE chased it down with 7 wickets and 7 balls to spare.

Zimbabwe Top Scorers
Jason Nye 75 from 46 balls
Ulrich Lukeman 46 from 37 balls
Tafadzwa Sodumo 15 from 18 balls

Best bowlers
Lovemore Samkange 2-24
Ko'rona Vyress 1-37
Keyran Pennefather 0-23

Zimbabwe Fielding
8 great fielding
2 misfields

3 catches
1 dropped
1 missed stumping

UAE fielding
9 great fielding
0 misfields

3 catches
2 stumpings
2 dropped catches

[Madcarrot]

Game 3 - Ireland (Humid/Dry)

This was pretty much a must win game for us, a loss would make us 0-3 and almost secure relegation, and maybe even dash our chances at world cup qualification.

Despite a steady loss of wickets on one end, runs managed to keep flowing mostly thanks to Tafadzwa Sodumo who opened and took an impressive 74.

Zimbabwe ended up on 151 and despite considering that to be a good score, was worried about a repeat of our loss against the UAE.

First ball wicket a quick flurry of wickets early on made it a very uphill battle for Ireland and eventually we were able to snatch victory away comfortably in the end.

Zimbabwe won by 23 runs
Best Zimbabwe batters
Tafadzwa Sodumo 74 from 57 balls
Johnson Mangwende 28 from 16 balls
Phil Pfizer 20 from 18 balls

Best Zimbabwe bowlers
Timashe Miraire 4-24
Savieri Kadziche 3-13
Cobus Lillie 2-31

Fielding
Zimbabwe
6 great fielding
3 misfields

7 catches
1 stumping
3 drops

Ireland
7 great fielding
1 misfield

4 catches
2 drops

[Madcarrot]

Squad is locked in for the upcoming T20 tour in the West Indies.
The Windies have decided on hard, green and flat pitches.

Here is the touring team

Craig Cohen (Wools Wanderers) T20 debut
Phil Pfizer (Exiles) 9 matches 26.89 ave

Jeremy Adcock (Johnny's Fireballs) NAT debut
Ryk Esterhuizen (Exiles) NAT debut
Ulrich Lukeman (Hasraz) 9 matches, 34.0 ave
Eric Mackenzie (Rustars) 12 matches, 24.0 ave
Jason Nye (Thumbtacks) 15 games, 21.77 ave
Marcell Perrin (Armstrong 13's) 3 games, 47.0 ave
Talkmore Sitole (Handford CC's) T20 debut

LF Bertram Gould (De Houthakkers) NAT debut
RFM Patats Jankielsohn (Edgham Town CC) NAT debut
LFS Savieri Kadziche (Illawarra Dragons CC) 12 games 14.05 ave
RF Andre Krige (Allmänna Idrottsklubben) 9 games 18.21 ave
RM Enoch Mabuza (Staindrop Village CC) NAT debut
LFM Tinashe Miraire (Rustars) 13 matches 15.95 ave
RFM Ko'rona Vyress (Ball Busters) 9 matches 34.12 ave

LM Bea O'Problem (Kaiapoi Bogans) 9 matches 4.0 bat ave, 31.5 bwl ave
RM Hamilton Hlongwane (Moorlands Radio) T20 debut

[Madcarrot]

Here is how the tour looks for us so far.

Game 1 Pakistan (Green)
Game 2 West Indies (Hard)
Game 3 Kenya (Hard)
Game 4 Canada (Hard)
Game 5 Sri Lanka (Green)

I think having green 2 pitches right at the start and end kind of validates our strategy of bringing in a specialist Medium, we also decided only to bring the 1 spinner given the pitches that we have as well. We had to toss up between the gamble of having hot or windy weather, or not and having an expensive spinner on a hard or green pitch. We ended with Kadziche because we thought his Old Ball Talent would help mitigate any disadvantage that he could face while also helping cover for any weather shenanigans.

We are in division 3 and with the current set-up of only 2 tours to qualify for the cup, so promotion is critical. But I believe that we have the quality of players to do the job, and I'm happy with the selection of the pitches that we have.
Let's go Zimbabwe

[ss888]

With season 59 underway and after a very hectic election process its back to routine for the NAT team.
Madcarrot has secured a second term and the NAT team has one change- CalZim replacing Bura.
Over the last few days there has been an update to the potential squad of 30.
But we would like the members of the community to reach out to us if they do think we have missed out on one of your players in this forum, on discord or through in game messaging.
As a part of our internal discussion communication in the forums was identified as one of the things we need to improve.
I will be the lucky one updating you regularly here.

[Madcarrot]

Thanks for volunteering to be our spokesperson mate! Looking forward to a good season ahead

[ss888]

The pitches for the first tour are out
Crumbling
Slow
Dry

Our sources from inside the Madcarrot’s kingdom tell us that deliberation has begun for the touring squad.
Initial updates tell us that a there are a few new names being thrown around the table
We will have to wait and see what the selectors come to a consensus on.

To make their job a little more interesting please feel free to message here your player you think is good and hasn’t gotten a chance yet.
We will make sure ss888 tables these names in the selection meetings. Sources tell us he is unhappy with carrot and has threatened to dip him in hummus before eating him

Selected squad to come out soon……

[ss888]

The selectors have announced the squad going to Canada on their first tour of the season.
With Crumbling Slow and Dry pitches on offer no surprises on extra spinner being taken along
4 Debutants are going on this tour with another 4 players having played less than 5 matches.
This could be the change which Zimbabwe have been looking for.
Look forward to the first match against England on 2 September.

Touring Squad
Christoffel Gerber
Bruce Grobelaar
Rohan Hyde
Eric Mackenzie
Oliver Masingata
Christo Mosehle
Marcell Perrin
Craig Coen
Phil Pfizer
Derek Jackson
Bea O'Problem
Jacko Brewis
Lwando Phiri
Paddy Perraton
Tinashe Maraire
Mduduzi Nkosi
Cobus Lillie
Ko'rona Vyress

[Madcarrot]

Unfortunately went down to the English in game 1. We didn't score enough runs. Solid 83 run 2nd wicket partnership and Oliver Masingata got a strong 57 run stand against his own club manager. There were a couple of small middle order runs which gave us some hope but nobody was able to stand up and give us a big score.

All out for 242

Paddy Perraton bowled well for us in the defence, just needed about 40 more runs I think to help us build some pressure on them.

Got the kiwis tomorrow, they lost to Canada so it will be a must win game for both teams if we want to promote

[Madcarrot]

Huge wins over the Dutch and the Kiwis. After day 3 we are currently sitting in 2nd place behind England but we have the highest NRR. Looking like we are in a good position.

We've got Canada and then Bangladesh for games 4 and 5. Bangladesh is 3rd and they play England in game 4.

I think if England beat Bangladesh and we beat Canada then that will guarantee us through but we've still got 2 games to go. Promising start though!

[ss888]

Tour 1 is finished and finally ZIM is upto Division 2

Match 1 We lost to England by 6 wikcets - Scoring 242 batting first on a Hot day and Dry pitch was never going to be enough.
Match 2 We beat New Zealand by 60 runs - Moshele and Grobelaar scored 119 and 101 respectively with Phiri taking 4 wickets
Match 3- Playing against the Dutch we lost the toss and bowled first restricting them to 96 runs and O'problem creating plenty of problems for the Dutch batsman ending with figures of 4/30. Our batsman chased the total in 24 overs with 7 wickets in hand
Match 4 We lost by 23 runs to the Canadians with our batsman having a collapse at the end.

Coming into Match 5 we needed a win and surely we did get one

We beat Bangladesh by 4 wickets and finished the Division on 2nd position to get promoted in Div 2

It was impressive to see some young talents like Masingata, Grobelaar and Phiri perform well in this tour

Thank you all for your support