Zimbabwe U20 Nationals Discussion

[Eepan]

Matchday 3 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on New Zealand U20’s, on a Hot, Slow pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758246

01) F. Chiyangwa
02) T. Ramage
03) C. Atkins
04) C. Kambarami
05) L. Mott
06) C. Phelps (wk)
07) M. Karppinen
08) I. Maregwede
09) S. Langdon
10) C. Kinloch (c)
11) E. Dunjwa

New Zealand U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

Zimbabwe U20 – (160-10) – 47.4 overs – M. Karppinen (40) C. Phelps (38), R. Eve 8.4-1-31-4 A. Noblet 10-2-23-2

- NBB talented Medium Eve was on fire for New Zealand, Taking 2 wickets ensuring we ended the first 10 overs at a slow 27-2.
- None of the top 5 main pure batsmen scoring higher than 16, put us on the back foot setting the pace.
- Thankfully Mott, Karppinen & Langdon offer some restitent, Recovering us to an outside chance of success

New Zealand U20 – (161-5) – 40.5 overs – H. Sa'u (53) S. Blackadder (32), E. Dunjwa 8-2-26-1 I. Maregwede 8-1-21-1

- A first over wicket, offered a glimmer of hope for Zim
- New Zealand recovered well, not losing another wicket until the 20th over
- This great platform allowed them to kick on and in fact turn on the style, chasing down the remaining runs at just over 4 an over, to take the 5 wicket victory

New Zealand U20 won by 5 wickets

Zimbabwe U20 MR 164,657 New Zealand U20 MR 168,620

Unfortunate to see the team struggle, recover, struggle to defeat! Sets up a spicy ending to the tour, with 4 teams with a 1-2 record, the final 2 games will be crucial for our survival!

Next up we take on South Africa U20 tomorrow on a Uneven pitch, Thanks for tuning in!

[Eepan]

Matchday 4 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on South Africa U20’s, on a Hot, Uneven pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758244

01) R. Mutendera
02) F. Chiyangwa
03) P. Boyle
04) T. Ramage
05) C. Atkins
06) R. Gartrell (wk)
07) W. Leabeater (c)
08) I. Maregwede
09) O. Chimusasa
10) E. Takawira
11) T. Chiesa

South Africa U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

Zimbabwe U20 - (257-8) – 50 overs – W. Leabeater (76) I. Maregwede (62*), R. Jacobs 10-0-55-4 T. Hatton 10-2-32-0

- For some reason Zimbabwe and shaky starts go together like two peas in a pod! 17/3 off 4 overs, rescued by Boyle & Atkins to 5-102.
- Still with the game in the balance, one partnership from Wikus “Ben Stokes” Leabeater and Isaac “Liam Dawson” Maregwede scoring an incredible 111 from 90 balls, led to both players top scoring for Zim
- This put us in a commanding position! However, given the high totals chased in the division, despite the hot weather, we were all holding our nerve, hoping for a positive reply with the ball

South Africa U20 - (183-10) – 46.5 overs – J. Hofmeyr (41) E. Swan (38), W. Leabeater 10-2-32-2 E. Takawira 8.5-0-40-4

- SA recovered from an early breakthrough to bring some early nerves to the Zim faithful
- With the scores level pegging at the 30 overs, Zimbabwe did have an extra wicket in hand and a couple of extra runs at the equivalent 40 overs mark, the match reaching its tipping point
- The South African tail fortunately fell to 183 all out, Zimbabwe taking a hugely deserved victory into the final day!

Zimbabwe U20 won by 74 runs

Zimbabwe U20 MR 166,052 South Africa U20 MR 152,957

Huge win, After the day 1 defeat to a plucky Dutch side, the team pulled the match back into our favour multiple times today. This sets up a mouth-watering day tomorrow, where winning, drawing or losing could see us in Div 1, 2 or 3!

We’ll draw on everyone’s support, to push our squad towards the promised land of Div 1, tomorrow is a can’t miss affair!

To wrap up the tour we take on India tomorrow on a Uneven pitch, Knowing the winner is likely to join New Zealand in Division 1!

[epcguy]

Great work Eepan

[Eepan]

Matchday 5 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on India U20’s, on a Humid, Uneven pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758239

01) Friday Chiyangwa
02) Cephas Kambarami
03) Pietie Boyle
04) Tonderai Ramage
05) Lynton Mott
06) Clyde Phelps (wk)
07) Meyrick Karppinen
08) Tokkie Chiesa
09) Chris Kinloch (c)
10) Esrom Takawira
11) Enoch Dunjwa

India U20 won the toss and elected to bat.

India U20 - (272-4) – 50 overs – G. Swamy (98*) V. Narayanan Jr (84*), C. Kinloch 10-1-38-2 E. Takawira 10-0-51-1

- The first 10 overs were brilliant, taking a couple of wickets, restricting runs, 3 missed chances showed we were threatening
- The remaining overs, India seized back control, setting up a strong platform with 10 overs to go. with wickets in hand
- Looking back at those final few overs is one humbling experience, with settled batsmen smashing it over after over! India posting 272-4 in humid conditions!

Zimbabwe U20 - (209-10) – 46.3 overs – P. Boyle (58) C. Kambarami (53), A. Singh 10-2-22-4 C. Green 8.3-0-28-2

- The Zimbabwe U20 Tigers started brightly, all the way up to drinks at 110-2
- But already that meant requiring over 6 an over, which in that heat was too much to overcome, limping in the end to 209-10 all out, short of what was required.

India U20 won by 63 runs

Zimbabwe U20 MR 158,773 India U20 MR 157,598

A debrief on the discord / personal message, to see what learnings we can take from this tour, will be interesting to learn.

As finishing 3rd is perfect for WC qualifying contention, being able to vie for Div 1 again. A few moments of brilliance have saved us. I can’t help feeling disappointed with the overall performances.

Thanks for tuning in this week! Some Stats below, any feedback will be considered!

Thinking of adding maybe the table at the bottom of each matchday could improve things next time!

[Eepan]

Yoinked and tweaked from the Scottish forum section, credit to them!

Only Boyle made the overall top 10 run scoring batsmen in the division, with no bowlers in the top 10 wicket takers.

Highlights how crucial Boyle is but also why we struggled as a team overall

[Eepan]

Great work Eepan

Cheers mate! I'll ping you on FTP Game IGM to pick up, but was a rollercoaster!

[Eepan]

The T20 Tour is up next, starting on Monday!

Our selected squad for Division 3:

Chrysander Atkins (The Collywobblers)
Pietie Boyle (Staindrop Rockets)
Chrysander Campbell (VVV Cricket Club)
Friday Chiyangwa (The Collywobblers)
Jeff Kolisi (Billinghay Blockers)
Enoch Mokonyama (Modena)
Vilen Schultz (The Mighty Mighty Ducks)

Randall Gartrell (Kent International CC)
Matsobane Mufambisi (Hay Reptiles)

Wikus Leabeater (Takashinga Cricket Club)
Steven Mdhlongwa (Kent International CC)

Tokkie Chiesa (Mighty Tigers 2nd XI)
Enoch Dunjwa (Billinghay Blockers)
Innocent Khozo (Bangers and Mash)
Saturday Langdon (Old Chelmsfordians)
Francis Masekela (Lethal Weapons)
Dirk Slabbert (Billinghay Blockers)
Schalk Symonds (Shaktar Senseless in Holland)

Matchday 1 vs USA U20 - Slow
Matchday 2 vs Sri Lanka U20 - Slow
Matchday 3 vs Bermuda U20 - Green
Matchday 4 vs South Africa U20 - Green
Matchday 5 vs Scotland U20 - Even

[Eepan]

Matchday 1 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on USA U20’s, on a Sunny, Slow pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758353

01) C. Atkins
02) E. Mokonyama
03) P. Boyle
04) V. Schultz
05) F. Chiyangwa
06) M. Mufambisi (c,wk)
07) W. Leabeater
08) D. Slabbert
09) F. Masekela
10) E. Dunjwa
11) S. Langdon


USA U20 won the toss and elected to bat.

USA U20 - (118-8) – 20 overs – C. Cochran (59*) C. Walter (19), W. Leabeater 4-0-22-3 D. Slabbert 4-0-19-2

- 2 quick wickets in the first 3 overs put Zimbabwe in the drivers seat.
- At the halfway stage, another wicket and low net run rate of 4.70 meant the opening match was all coming up Zimbabwe!
- The United States Captain, Corey Cochran, captaincy skill may show “poor” on paper, but his high wage price tag and batting performance proved anything but! Keeping his head, He guided his team to a 118 total after 20 overs, setting Zimbabwe 119 for an opening day victory.

Zimbabwe U20 - (119-2) – 19.2 overs – P. Boyle (41*) V. Schultz (36*), B. Bradley 4-0-22-1 M. Hampton 4-1-22-0

- A great start to the chase, saw us 26 for 0 after the first 4 overs. We did a great job seeing off the new ball.
- The spinners came on, equalizing the game with wicket and tight bowling, leaving us requiring 7 an over but 9 wickets in hand at the 10 over halfway mark
- Fortunately for Zim, a few failed fielding checks, along with our highest waged star man Boyle with Schultz ensure the Tigers chased down their first target of the tour!

Zimbabwe U20 won by 8 wickets

Zimbabwe U20 MR 164,564 USA U20 MR 167,278

Rather than USA forgetting to set orders, it looks like it was a mix up between who was captain and who was keeper. This mistake ultimately proved the difference! We’ll take it given the Match Ratings difference, showing we’ll be fighting from below if we are going to push for Div 2!



Next up we take on Sri Lanka tomorrow on a Slow pitch, Thanks for tuning in!

[Eepan]

Matchday 2 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on Sri Lanka U20’s, on a Sunny, Slow pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758348

01) C. Atkins
02) J. Kolisi (c)
03) C. Campbell
04) V. Schultz
05) F. Chiyangwa
06) R. Gartrell (wk)
07) S. Mdhlongwa
08) D. Slabbert
09) E. Dunjwa
10) F. Masekela
11) I. Khozo

Sri Lanka U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

Zimbabwe U20 - (138-2) – 20 overs – C. Atkins (75*) C. Campbell (35), G. Halangoda 4-0-17-2 D. Senanayake 4-0-22-0

- Put into bat, we survived the opening 4 overs, with no wickets lost, 22 runs on the board
- (58-1) at the 10 over mark, with us punishing the spinners, setting up a great platform for the final 10.
- Only losing 2 wickets allowed us to post 138-2 from our 20

Sri Lanka U20 – (138-7) – 20 overs – P. Kuruppuarachchi (56) V. Ratnaweera (29), S. Mdhlongwa 4-0-37-3 E. Dunjwa 4-0-22-1

- (30-2) after the first 4 overs means the Sri Lankan innings started with neither side taking the advantage
- Heading into the 11th over, Sri Lanka took over not losing a wicket, hitting boundaries, requiring 68 off the last 10 overs, ahead of the run rate
- A flurry of wickets, boundaries and shenanigans ensured when the dust settled, very few dots were scored, the match was anything but slow and the points were shared!

Match Drawn

Zimbabwe U20 MR 159,734 Sri Lanka U20 MR 172,438

Our fantastic start to the tour continues, as 3/4 points taken from 2 sides who outrated us, puts us in a great place, heading into the last 3 matches.



Next up we take on Bermuda tomorrow on a Green pitch, Thanks for tuning in!

[Eepan]

Matchday 3 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on Bermuda U20’s, on a Sunny, Green pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758352

01) C. Campbell
02) E. Mokonyama
03) P. Boyle
04) J. Kolisi (c)
05) F. Chiyangwa
06) M. Mufambisi (wk)
07) W. Leabeater
08) S. Mdhlongwa
09) E. Dunjwa
10) S. Symonds
11) F. Masekela


Zimbabwe U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

Bermuda U20 - (156-5) – 20 overs – D. Brodie (61) R. Aguilar (27), W. Leabeater 4-0-22-2 E. Dunjwa 4-0-25-0

- Just under par score for any T20 score, Zimbabwe were excellent in the field,
- However, the last 6 overs were expensive, as wickets in hand allowed Bermuda to post 156

Zimbabwe U20 - (157-1) – 15.1 overs – E. Mokonyama (80*) C. Campbell (71), H. Bachew 2-0-11-0 J. King 4-0-28-0

- In reply, Zimbabwe dispatched Muda’s bowling attack, punishing the batsmen sent out to bowl
- Chasing the target down with 24 balls in hand only losing 1 wicket, cruising in the end

Zimbabwe U20 won by 9 wickets

Zimbabwe U20 MR 163,975 Bermuda U20 MR 144,223

Really disappointing to see the Bermudans line up in alphabetical order, forgetting to set orders, as their superior Game 1 & fielding ratings meant this could have been far more competitive.

We have to focus on ourselves though, heading into a crucial top of the table clash tomorrow, we have put ourselves in a great position!



Next up we take on South Africa tomorrow on a green pitch, Thanks for tuning in!

[Eepan]

Matchday 4 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on South Africa U20’s, on a Cloudy, Green pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758346

01) C. Atkins
02) E. Mokonyama
03) P. Boyle
04) V. Schultz
05) F. Chiyangwa
06) M. Mufambisi (c,wk)
07) W. Leabeater
08) S. Mdhlongwa
09) E. Dunjwa
10) S. Symonds
11) T. Chiesa

Zimbabwe U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

South Africa U20 - (125-6) – 20 overs – H. Du Toit (48) J. Hofmeyr (23*), T. Chiesa 4-0-22-3 E. Dunjwa 4-0-19-0

- Tight bowling allowed Zimbabwe to restrict South Africa to 17-0
- A double quick wicket over in the 11th, cemented Zimbabwe’s positive start
- 125-6 especially after yesterdays scores, was a great effort from the Zim Bowlers!

Zimbabwe U20 - (126-5) – 19.2 overs – V. Schultz (54*) F. Chiyangwa (25), J. Hofmeyr 3.2-0-19-0 J. Chisoro 4-0-25-1

- 2 wickets in the opening 4 overs, put Zimbabwe on the ropes early, nerves in this top of the table clash at an all time high!
- A dropped catch, missed runout and wicket, saw us 74-3 at the 12th, bang on the RRR, leading to a thrilling finish
- A couple of boundaries in the second half of the innings was made up for by constant strike rotation, enough to bring us home with 4 balls to spare!

Zimbabwe U20 won by 5 wickets

Zimbabwe U20 MR 157,129 South Africa U20 MR 156,086

Huge win, a huge relief given the must win nature, leaves us with promotion in our grasp tomorrow. A win or draw will definitely see us promote!



To round off the tour, we take on Scotland tomorrow on a Even pitch, Thanks for tuning in!

[epcguy]

Great work...need to be doing overtime for the midnight matches though..

[Eepan]

Great work...need to be doing overtime for the midnight matches though..

Thanks mate! Brutal time zone aha! So good to us promote!

I'm convinced the game is an absolute troll though ... can never give us an easy time!

Still a great Tour to get promoted out of, Div 2 feels good!

[Eepan]

Matchday 5 sees Zimbabwe U20’s take on Scotland U20’s, on a Cloudy, Even pitch.

https://fromthepavilion.org/commentary. ... Id=6758356

01) C. Campbell
02) C. Atkins
03) P. Boyle
04) V. Schultz
05) J. Kolisi (c)
06) R. Gartrell (wk)
07) W. Leabeater
08) I. Khozo
09) T. Chiesa
10) F. Masekela
11) S. Langdon

Zimbabwe U20 won the toss and elected to bowl.

Scotland U20 - (196-4) – 20 overs – M. Dundas (104*) N. Cunningham (43), I. Khozo 4-0-33-1 F. Masekela 4-0-36-2

- Dundas went bang early, clearing the boundary rope for a couple of 6’s, ensuring Scotland saw off the new ball with no wickets lost and 27 runs after 4 overs
- This foreshadowed the complete destruction Dundas & Cunningham would impart on the Zimbabwe attack, showing the pitch was anything but even!
- The Final 4 overs to go from 127-2 to 196-4 adding 69 runs in 24 balls left are bowlers tired and demoralized!

Zimbabwe U20 – (181-5) – 20 overs – C. Atkins (87) C. Campbell (24), B. Young 4-0-29-1 M. Collins 4-0-34-1

- In reply Zimbabwe put up a brave fight, with our team top scoring openers on the day having to be run out, rather then there bowling attack making the breakthrough
- To get close but just falling short is tough to see, but 15 runs showed it was only that nightmare final 5 overs that proved to be the difference
- Ultimately proud of the squad, to sneak second place in the group and promotion on NRR in the end!

Scotland U20 won by 15 runs

Zimbabwe U20 MR 157,469 Scotland U20 MR 154,345



Div 3 wraps up with us and South Africa moving on up. Crazy week, I hope you all enjoyed the ride!

[Eepan]

Tour stats are pretty fun to see!