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Match Thread

Zimbabwe vs Australia

1st ODI · Harare Sports Club

Status MATCH OVER

Series: Australia ODI Tour of Zimbabwe 2026

AdminLegend

Opening post

The first game is probably our only shot at pulling off a surprise win.

Who you got in your XI? Mine ⬇️

Curran, Kaia, Ervine, Bennett, Wes, Raza, Maru, Evans, Nyamhuri, Cremer, Muzarabani
ZCF Admin
ZCF OriginalLegend
I hope they haven’t curated a green top for sammons’ four man seam attack obsession. we saw in that India series that when you can’t bat, the opposition can bat and their seamers are better than yours that it backfires massively. Slow and turgid is the way to go 😂

See social media chatter saying promote evans to six, he’s just in a purple patch and nothing more. No ways is he a genuine all rounder.

I think I’d play Curran, Kaia, Ervine, Bennett, Wez, Raz, Burl, Marumani, Evans, Nyamhuri and Blessing. Get ten overs out of Bennett, Wez and Burl between them surely and bat a little deeper.
Veteran
Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46652

See social media chatter saying promote evans to six, he’s just in a purple patch and nothing more. No ways is he a genuine all rounder.



Finally! Someone's said it.
Yep, Evans would be best off at his current number 8 slot, promoting him would backfire - like how we'd tried to fiddle with Irfan Pathan by bumping him up to number 3 or making him open. It just never works.
Zimbabwe fan, long time lurker on the old ZCF
ZCF OriginalLegend
Quoted from dandy in post #46653

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46652

See social media chatter saying promote evans to six, he’s just in a purple patch and nothing more. No ways is he a genuine all rounder.



Finally! Someone's said it.
Yep, Evans would be best off at his current number 8 slot, promoting him would backfire - like how we'd tried to fiddle with Irfan Pathan by bumping him up to number 3 or making him open. It just never works.


You can count on me to talk sense 😂😂
Brian Bennett is not a natural ODI player. He should focus on his strengths as a test match batsman and a T20 batsman. I would not want to see his confidence get eroded by a bad series. Dion Myers or Milton Shumba would be a better fit in this format.
ZCF OriginalVeteran

Edited

Quoted from Zolsky1 in post #46660

Brian Bennett is not a natural ODI player. He should focus on his strengths as a test match batsman and a T20 batsman. I would not want to see his confidence get eroded by a bad series. Dion Myers or Milton Shumba would be a better fit in this format.


You're taking the p**s, right?

p**s is getting censored
Gulp 😲😳 they really don't know cricket at all. How come ZC don't listen to the fans. When if it wasn't for the fans they wouldn't have a job. Mr Zolsky.
Thomas Purcell
ZCF OriginalVeteran
Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46652

I hope they haven’t curated a green top for sammons’ four man seam attack obsession. we saw in that India series that when you can’t bat, the opposition can bat and their seamers are better than yours that it backfires massively. Slow and turgid is the way to go 😂


Surely Sammons isn’t that stupid. A green top would be a disaster for our batsmen and especially Raza :)
A slow and low wicket is exactly what Australia hates.
ModZCF OriginalVeteran
Slow would help the spinners and the big oval.

Funny but I think this summer Aus cricket have asked for more batter friendly wickets in the domestic comp.

But a green deck and losing the toss would be a disaster.
ModZCF OriginalZCF Hall of Famer
Welcome to the forum Zolsky.
My All-time Zimbabwe XI
Neil Johnson, Brendan Taylor, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), David Houghton, Sean Williams, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Paul Strang, Eddo Brandes, Blessing Muzarabani
AdminLegend
Aus won the toss and chose to bat.

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Innocent Kaia, Brendan Taylor (wk), Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza (c), Wessly Madhevere, Brad Evans, Newman Nyamhuri, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Matt Renshaw, Ollie Peake, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
ZCF Admin
AdminLegend
Quoted from Mr Twig in post #46668

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46652

I hope they haven’t curated a green top for sammons’ four man seam attack obsession. we saw in that India series that when you can’t bat, the opposition can bat and their seamers are better than yours that it backfires massively. Slow and turgid is the way to go 😂


Surely Sammons isn’t that stupid. A green top would be a disaster for our batsmen and especially Raza :)
A slow and low wicket is exactly what Australia hates.


They went with a green top. At least we're bowling first.
ZCF Admin
Veteran
Was hoping to see Maru today, but might as well give BT a go
Zimbabwe fan, long time lurker on the old ZCF
AdminLegend
Evans gets Head Bowled 'em cricket sticker

How many times has Head dragged it on to his stumps lately?
ZCF Admin
ZCF Original
Evans strikes 🏏
Shukla
ModZCF OriginalVeteran
Boys have done there homework.

Head has gone out like that three times in the last month or so.
ModZCF OriginalVeteran
Good to have a few ex rhinos on the comms
AdminLegend
Quoted from Andy31 in post #46678

Boys have done there homework.

Head has gone out like that three times in the last month or so.


Who are you supporting? Must be weird rooting for Zim against your own country.

Apparently "root" is a bad word in Aus 😂
ZCF Admin
ModZCF OriginalVeteran
Nah full Zim support here.

Nothing to do with a bet I put on.


I do like this squad but Aus have lost me a little with their selection in squads lately.
ModZCF OriginalVeteran

Edited

Felt Newman would be the one to get Marsh. That unpredictable line and length.

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