21 Feb - Australia vs Zimbabwe

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Thanks and Done

 

[King Cricket]

Just hoping for the Aussies to bat first. Need to get entertained

Nah, I don't want this to be another boring slogfest. We've already had two in two days. If Ponting is smart, he should choose to field, let his brute bowlers loose on Zimbabwe, and finish the game within hours. The sight of Lee ripping apart the Zimbabwean batting is always much more refreshing than watching Ponting pummel no-name bowlers on flat pitches.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

True KC, would love to see Ponting winning the toss electing to bowl ripping Zimbabwe for almost 160 runs adn Watson hitting hard

 

[riz7khan12]

this should be a closer contest if ray price can somehow pick up 5 wickets or bowl very economically and then rely on the likes of Coventry, Taylor and Taibu to conjure up something, and Chigumbura is in form too so hopefully this is a close contest.

 

[aussie1st]

Aussies win the toss and bat first. Does give them some good batting practice against the spinners as Zimbabwe have 2 quality ones and a couple of other handy ones.

 

[angryangy]

Australia of course bat first, contractually obliged by Channel Nine who aren't showing the first 3 hours of the game.

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There's some inconsistencies on the surface, even some green patches, might not be the regular Ahmedabad pitch.

 

[used2bcool]

I'd be interested to know what the highest run chase by a minnow against a Test nation is in ODI, I'll guess it will be less than 250ish, deffo less than 270.

Hmm, let's see what Statsguru throws up...
If you exclude Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as minnows, the only win a minnow has over a Test nation chasing is Ireland's win from the last world cup. Their 133/7 is the second lowest score by a minnow to win against a Test nation while chasing.

If we add Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the number of results grows to 32. The best is Zimbabwe's 290/4 that beat WI in Chester-le-street in 2000. The next three times, India were their victims, 289/4 (Bulawayo 2010), 284/9 (Jodhpur 2000), 277/9 (Faridabad 2002). In all, Zimbabwe have six scores above 250 to win an ODI against a Test nation.

Bangladesh's best is 276/7 against WI in Rosseau in 2009. They have another score of 250 (v Australia at Cardiff, yes, THAT match), and 249/7 also against WI in Basseterre in 2009.

No one else has done it.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Slow but watchful start from Australia. They will still make 280 odd runs

 

[used2bcool]

Australia of course bat first, contractually obliged by Channel Nine who aren't showing the first 3 hours of the game.

You haven't missed much as yet. Australia are 31/0 in 12 overs. Of course eventually they will remember that they are Australia and wind up with something above 250.

Btw, totally ridiculous comment by someone on the cricinfo commentary: "Someone should tell Ponting that Australia are currently scoring at the same rate as Canada did the other day. So if Canada should be ejected from the World Cup (as Ponting has said), then logically so should Australia!!"

Really?

 

[aussie1st]

Zimbabwe unlucky not to get Haddin there. Now will he get a move on, if he had lost his wicket there then all those balls wasted would have been for nothing.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Haha!! That commentary is indeed funny!! do they really know the difference between Australia and Canada Cricket?

Haddin was indeed lucky there but the Zimbabweans should not lose hope and continue to play as tight as possible

 

[used2bcool]

If someone's watching the stream, can you answer this:
Is the slow rate due to the bowlers causing trouble to the Aussies, bowling a particularly tight line, or just because Haddin and Watson are biding their time?

 

[aussie1st]

Any team playing us should be looking at 3 spinners, neither batsmen have taken to them so far and having 3 allows you to start one off in the powerplay like Zimbabwe have done.

 

[Chewie]

Any team playing us should be looking at 3 spinners, neither batsmen have taken to them so far and having 3 allows you to start one off in the powerplay like Zimbabwe have done.

Could be quite a good tactic for NZ, NcCullum is quite used to bowling within the powerplays, and Vettori and Woodcock slowing the pace down in the middle could be quite effective.

At least Zimbabwe know how to use the referrals properly though.

 

[midgetwars]

Ah...

Who needs to be entertained?? Another BORING slogfest?