All posts by h716a5.icu

Shane Shillinford was suspended for an illegal bowling action but he enjoyed a rousing return to domestic cricket with a match haul of 11 wickets which helped Windward Islands beat Jamaica by three wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2014
ScorecardShane Shillingford had been reported for suspect action during the tour of India in Novemeber•BCCIShane Shillingford enjoyed a rousing return to competitive cricket with a match-haul of 11 wickets to lead Windward Islands to victory over Jamaica. He had been suspended for an illegal bowling action in December, but following remedial efforts he returned to the first-class game to considerable success.Carlton Baugh was Jamaica’s light in both innings and his half-century after they were put in formed the backbone of a meagre total of 194. However, his rescue effort staggered to a halt when Shillingford blitzed through the tail to claim 4 for 61. Windward Islands established a slender, and in the end, crucial 22-run lead courtesy Tyrone Theophile (73) and Romel Currency (76). The pair added 102 runs for the fifth wicket to mask an otherwise unremarkable batting effort.Jamaica were shored up by Baugh (89) again, but this time he had a reasonable foundation to build on with Jermaine Blackwood scoring his maiden first-class half-century. But the innings would be remembered for Shillingford, who accounted for the first five wickets to fall and then treated himself to a couple of the tail-enders to record his eighth ten-wicket performance in a match.A target of 254 on the final innings posed appreciable challenge but Windward Islands held on with Sunil Ambris’ determined 81, including eight fours. The other end was a revolving door of batsmen making starts and failing to capitalise, but in the crunch Shillingford and No. 8 Derlorn Johnson (21 off 14) sealed the deal.

New Zealand Cricket has put forward a proposal to reinvent its domestic structure and allow up to 49% private investment into the six major associations

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2014New Zealand Cricket has put forward a proposal to reinvent its domestic structure and allow up to 49% private investment into the six major associations. The move is aimed at securing financial stability and helping local tournaments garner more interest and become self-sustaining.A report submitted by David Cooper, NZC general manager of domestic cricket, outlined 18 recommendations that advocated the welcoming of private funding and a transformation of the T20 competition with a mind towards generating greater profit, according to . Should these aims be met, the board is hopeful of infusing domestic cricket with the necessary resources that can help bridge the gap in professionalism with the international game and compete with other sports like rugby and netball.Presently, the Ford Trophy, the HRV Twenty20 and the Plunket Shield are driven by revenue gained from international cricket. Greg Barclay, the chief of NZC, though wishes for a more long-term solution. The increase in private influence, though, might force teams to shift from traditional venues or, alternatively, a few teams may end up sharing a major venue as a home base.”It’s quite conceivable a team could relocate to a bigger commercial centre. And would there be any harm in another sporting organisation like a rugby franchise buying in and sharing facilities?” he told .”Leaving things as they are means results will stay as they are and we’ll have a fairly mediocre domestic product getting picked off by other sports through the summer period.”We want a sustainable future. The rigours an investor would bring must be seen as a positive from a commercial governance point of view. We must generate revenue which we can re-invest. It’s also going to cost. We must recognise the commercial properties sitting around domestic cricket, not least of all broadcasting rights to the T20, raise awareness, make it more entertaining and hopefully earn some revenue off it.”While most states require funding assistance, Auckland is contractually assured of a share of the revenue from Eden Park and is, so far, the only major association to oppose the proposed changes. Mark Cameron, their chief, was mindful not to reveal too much though. “All I can say is that we have significant concerns and reservations about the recommendations. Until such time as I discuss it with the board, it’s inappropriate to be discussing specifics.”

Gloucestershire need five more wickets on the final day to wrap up a comprehensive victory against Kent in Bristol

Press Association20-May-2014
ScorecardBen Harmison’s half century prevented a Kent embarrassment•Getty ImagesGloucestershire were closing in on a first Division Twowin of the season at Bristol after setting Kent a target of 582 for victory onday three.Kent were trailing by 417 runs on 165 for 5 at stumps after Gloucestershiredeclared on 443 for 6 and then took a flurry of early wickets in the visitors’reply.But Ben Harmison (66 not out) and Sam Billings (51no) put on a 96-runpartnership for the fifth wicket to frustrate Gloucestershire and take thecontest into a final day.Resuming overnight on 213 for 4 – a lead of 351 runs – Gloucestershireswiftly set about adding to their total, moving to 279 in 12 overs of play.Gareth Roderick fell leg before wicket to Darren Stevens for 85 from 95 ballsand Stevens took his fifth wicket in his next over when he bowled HamishMarshall for 118, leaving Gloucestershire 351 for 6.The New Zealander had exceeded Kent’s first-innings total of 114 on his own andBenny Howell then blasted an unbeaten 63 off 37 balls, with Will Gidman 39 notout when Gloucestershire called a halt to their innings.Kent’s survival mission did not start well as four wickets fell in the first 20overs.Captain Rob Key fell for three, caught by Chris Dent, and Brendan Nash followedfor nine, caught by Howell, to give Gidman two early wickets while Ben Drummondwas out lbw to James Fuller for nought.That left Kent on 24 for 3 and though Sam Northeast and Harmison set aboutsteadying the crumbling innings, the opener was lbw to Tom Smith in the 20thover.At 47 for 4, Kent were struggling to take the contest into a fourth andfinal day but Harmison was joined by Stevens and the pair survived until teawith Kent at 63 for 4, trailing by 518 runs.Stevens soon became Gidman’s third victim for 10, caught behind by substituteCameron Herring – who was permitted to keep wicket in place of the injuredRoderick.Harmison continued the visitors’ resistance in the final session, reaching hishalf-century off 83 balls with Kent having recovered to 113 for 5.Sam Billings also reached his fifty as the pair closed in on their centurypartnership at stumps after 56 overs of play. Gidman had figures of 3 for39, which had at one stage read 3 for 7.

Kane Williamson was at his meticulous best and his seventh Test century guided New Zealand into a commanding position as the lead swelled to 307 before heavy rain intervened

The Report by Alagappan Muthu29-Jun-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKane Williamson brought up his seventh Test hundred and highest Test score•WICBKane Williamson was at his meticulous best. His seventh Test century took his series tally past 400 and guided New Zealand into a commanding position. The visitors stretched their lead to 307 and, with the fourth-day Kensington Oval pitch showing signs of variable bounce, West Indies’ hopes would have started to dwindle. A sharp downpour either side of tea forced play to end early and was the only menace to New Zealand’s hopes of a series win.Memories of Dunedin might tempt New Zealand to declare overnight considering weather is likely to intervene on the final day as well, with scattered showers predicted.The West Indies bowlers struggled to pose much threat with the old ball. Turn was on offer but it was slow. Their desperation was best depicted when the new ball was taken and Jerome Taylor was seen talking to it, as if cajoling it would fetch him his first wicket of the match. His plea did work, but the benefactor was Kemar Roach who claimed his 100th Test wicket by dismissing BJ Watling. However, it was the batsman at the other end who sapped them of their energy.Williamson had to defuse a tricky situation last evening and those skills were needed once again. He was the common denominator in all four of New Zealand’s half-century partnerships. Soft hands were a feature of his play as he buckled down; decisive footwork got him into positions that allowed him to tackle extra turn or low bounce. He did not go chasing for runs. They came when the bowlers fed his strengths – behind square on the off side and through midwicket – to contribute to 95 of his 161.He had begun with two fours off his first seven balls before settling into his designated role of sheet anchor. As familiar as that has become for New Zealand, it doesn’t happen often during the second innings. In his last ten second-inning knocks, Williamson had four fifties but the remainder had all been single figures. However, his ability to focus on the next ball helped both him and his side to gain a solid foothold into securing the series. He also joined Martin Crowe at the top of the list of centuries made by New Zealand batsmen by the age of 24.West Indies had bet on the pitch misbehaving as well and utilised spin for much of the morning session. However, Jimmy Neesham did not let them settle. His second half-century of the match was characterised by confident footwork and clean hits, especially down the ground. Neesham’s fluency melded with Williamson’s composure and their 91-run stand completely offset the loss of an early wicket.Brendon McCullum had not looked authoritative and was trapped leg before by an in-dipper from Roach. But aside from that West Indies lacked intensity for much of the morning session. Shane Shillingford, stripped of his doosra, traveled at 4.5 per over. Sulieman Benn managed only one maiden out of 26 overs. Their woes were compounded when Darren Bravo sustained a nasty blow to his hand at forward short leg, when Williamson went for a pull, and was not seen since.

Peter Moores has praised Ian Bell for his contribution to the improvement of Moeen Ali’s offspin

George Dobell01-Aug-20145:12

Chappell: Moeen bowled with the right pace

Peter Moores, the England coach, has praised Ian Bell for his contribution to the improvement of Moeen Ali’s offspin.Moeen claimed eight wickets in the victory over India at the Ageas Bowl, including 6 for 67 in the second innings, leading Alastair Cook to remark that he had never known a bowler improve so quickly. They were sentiments with which Moores agreed.”Moeen keeps getting better,” Moores said. “And he’s getting better quickly. To get people like Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli out – they are high-class players of spin – is a very good sign for Mo for the future.”Moeen is in the side as a batter and a very rapidly emerging spin bowler. He does two things that are essential for a top-flight spinner: he attacks both edges. He gets great drift and he turns the ball. He spins the ball hard. Without those two things, it is very difficult. If you only attack one edge of the bat, people can work you out quite fast. But because Mo creates drift, there is a challenge for all batters. He can nick people off. It is not a doosra, it is a heavily-spun off-break and it drifts away.”Moeen Ali wheels away after dismissing Virat Kohli•Getty ImagesPart of Moeen improvement is, Moores believes, thanks to some advice imparted by Bell during net sessions. Bell recommended that Moeen bowl a little quicker and a with a tighter off-stump line.”At Lord’s, you saw somebody who had improved quite a lot and had started to bowl tighter,” Moore said. “His run-rate came down and he created some pressure. Today resulted in some wickets. Ian Bell was quite important in that. You can get feedback about the pace and lines that are difficult for batsmen to play. Mo has adjusted and grown really quickly.”Bell was batting in the nets and talked to Moeen about the paces and lines that he would find challenging,” Moores said. “Belly is a fantastic player of spin so feeding back to one of his team-mates, ‘Well, actually, I find that really difficult or that pace is quite nice for me,’ is what good teams should do. It is still up to Mo what he decides to do, but you improve because you talk and work with people.”The quality of his bowling has improved. Test cricket is about how rapidly people grow in it and he’s grown very quickly as a bowler. Hopefully, that carries on. He’s a very sensible lad, he knows he’s got to keep doing a lot of work.”

England’s selectors will meet in the next couple of days with the future of Alastair Cook’s ODI captaincy certain to occupy a significant portion of their discussion

George Dobell08-Sep-2014England’s selectors will meet in the next couple of days with the future of Alastair Cook’s ODI captaincy certain to occupy a significant portion of their discussion.While Peter Moores, the England coach, was at pains to offer his support following the end of the limited-overs matches against India, it was noticeable that he was unable to guarantee the on-going backing of the rest of the England selectors.That was, perhaps, simply a courtesy. Moores might well have been reluctant to provide assurances on the views of others before he has spoken to them.Or it may be that, despite all the protestations of unity, cracks are beginning to show in the level of support shown to Cook by the selectors. With his own form modest – it is now 39 innings since he has reached 80 in an ODI – and the team’s fortunes also flagging – England have lost their last five ODI series under Cook’s captaincy – it is understandable that the selectors at least want to discuss Cook’s position before committing themselves to naming another squad.England have one more ODI series – seven matches in Sri Lanka – before they depart for Australia where they will play a tri-series event with Australia and India before their World Cup campaign begins. If they are going to make a change before the World Cup, it has to be now.While the squad for the Sri Lanka tour will not be picked until after the Royal London Cup final at Lord’s on September 20, the selectors are expected to recommend a list of players for central contracts in the next 48 hours with a view to those – and the choice of captain – being ratified by the ECB board later this week.And if Stuart Broad is one name who is certain, fitness permitting, to miss the Sri Lanka trip and be included for the World Cup, the selectors are keen to for the squads to be as similar to one another as possible. Cook, it seems, has an anxious wait ahead of him.”I am one of four selectors,” Moores said. “I will take my views strongly into that meeting and I will talk to the other selectors. But I would be wrong to start saying ‘the England captain is this and this is our side’ because I am one of four selectors.”The three selectors and myself will pick [the squad], but any captain that plays for England, always goes to the board [for ratification] I think, that’s the legitimate way of doing it. Any captain will go to the board.”Peter Moores’ highs and lows of the season

On low points of England’s summer

“You don’t have a great summer if you’ve lost a series; a great summer is if you don’t get beaten. The Lord’s Test against India was a really tough one. And the Leeds Test against Sri Lanka when we lost off the penultimate ball when Jimmy got out… crickey, you can’t get much lower than that in a dressing room. When you’ve scrapped all day and then we lose after being at the ground for eight or nine hours.”

On the high points of England’s summer

“Moeen Ali has had a great summer. Gary Ballance has had a great summer. Joe Root has had a great summer. We’ve seen things that have started to emerge for us. I think we are getting better and I think that’s probably the main thing.”

Moores, though, made his own thoughts clear. “If I get a frustration, it’s when people question Alastair’s quality as a player,” he said. “He’s a bloke who’s scored five ODI hundreds and who is a very fine cricketer and a very fine batter.”Now he’s like a lot of us in this ODI series, he’s had a period of time where he hasn’t played as well as he would want to and he’s got to try to get and better. That means we are going to have assess all positions and how we set that side up. We’ve got a very clear goal of what we want to do is to win a World Cup.”We’ve got a focus on one-day cricket and we haven’t had that – a period of time, six or seven months, when you haven’t got Test match cricket – in the time that I’ve been involved in cricket.”In one-day cricket, he would say he would have loved to gone on and got more hundreds. But he’s still scored more hundreds than any other England player since the last World Cup – he’s scored four to everybody else’s two. He’s still in the top 10 run-scorers in the world since the World Cup.”So he’s a very fine one-day player, but nobody wants to talk about that. They want to talk about ‘he’s out of form’, or whatever he’s not doing right. I think it’s harsh criticising him as a player.”We are going to sit and look at every position, which is right because we’ve got to pick an England team to win a World Cup. It would be wrong to not look very robustly at every situation in that team, to make sure we do it right.”I listen to all people’s views and I sit in a room with three other selectors and we make the decision that we think is right. For people to think we are not strategising or not looking at things with a critical eye, we are.”Moores remains committed to the strategy England have pursued in ODIs in recent times. While the selectors have been under pressure to pick more aggressive batsmen at the top of the order – the likes of Jason Roy – Moores believes that, against two new balls and in the 50-over game, it remains necessary to include batsmen with an ability to build a foundation and defend when appropriate.”We know we need quality players,” Moores said. “We need to be able to look at that and build-up a 50-over side and different sorts of players. Not everybody is going to strike, you want some who can go and get big scores. As we saw on Sunday, when you can get some of your strikers in at the back end of the innings, it makes a big difference. All sides use that tactic, especially with only four fielders out in the later stages.”

Yorkshire’s opening pair, Adam Lyth and Alex Lees, took the main awards at the annual Cricket Writers’ Club event in London on Tuesday.

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2014Yorkshire’s opening pair, Adam Lyth and Alex Lees, took the main awards at the annual Cricket Writers’ Club event in London on Tuesday.Lees, 21, claimed the Young Player of the Year title after scoring 971 runs in Yorkshire’s Championship-winning campaign and he became the third White Rose player to take the award in the last four years following Jonny Bairstow in 2011 and Joe Root in 2012. Last year’s winner was Ben Stokes.Lyth became the third winner of the County Championship Player of the Year after Nick Compton and Wayne Madsen. He was the leading run-scorer in the Championship with 1489 at 67.68 including six hundreds as he and Lees formed a formidable combination at the top of the order.Both players are part of the England performance programme squad that will shadow the main party for three weeks in Sri Lanka and they are also expected to tour South Africa in the New Year with England Lions. Lyth is also pushing very hard for a place on the tour of West Indies in April.Also honoured at the event was David Lloyd, the former player, coach and now world-renowned commentator, who was given the Peter Smith award for an outstanding contribution to the promotion of cricket.

Yorkshire will attempt to have the charges against their captain, Andrew Gale, who is accused of using racially abusive language towards Ashwell Prince, thrown out on Tuesday when a preliminary hearing takes place

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2014Yorkshire will attempt to have the charges against their captain, Andrew Gale, who is accused of using racially abusive language towards Ashwell Prince, thrown out on Tuesday when a preliminary hearing takes place.Gale is facing a Level 3 offence under the ECB’s disciplinary code for his foul-mouthed tirade at Prince during the Roses match at Old Trafford earlier this month.Gale was handed six penalty points in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which led to an automatic ban for the rest of the reason when added to a previous sanction for dissent.The case was then escalated to a full disciplinary hearing due to the perceived racial connotations of what Gale said when he told Prince to “f*** off back to your own country”, which was followed by mention of Prince’s Kolpak status although that term is not believed to be at the centre of the case.The ECB’s stance has potentially taken a hit in recent days with Prince telling a South African radio station that he did not consider the abuse racial while Usman Khawaja, who was named in reports over the weekend as being a key voice behind pushing the case, was said to be distancing himself from that suggestion having arrived back in Australia although the ECB did speak to him before he returned to Queensland.If the charges are upheld at the preliminary hearing, the full disciplinary panel is likely to meet next week once the final round of the Championship matches – which both Lancashire and Yorkshire are involved in – is completed.

Rohit Sharma amassed 45 more runs than any ODI batsman had ever managed in an innings, finishing on 264 from 173 balls

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Nov-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
0:53

Rohit Sharma obliterates ODI record

Smart Stats

404 India’s score in this game, their fifth 400-plus score in ODIs. No other team has made more than two such scores.
202 The third wicket partnership between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, which contributed exactly half of India’s team total. This is India’s eighth 200-plus third wicket partnership, five involving Kolhi, and their ninth 200-plus partnership against Sri Lanka, for any wicket.
400 Number of innings that Mahela Jayawardene has played in ODIs. The only other players to have batted in 400 ODI innings are Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar.
923 Runs scored by Angelo Mathews in ODIs in 2014, the most by any batsman. Mathews overtook Kohli (915) during his innings of 75.
50/0 India’s average score in the batting Powerplay during this series. Sri Lanka’s average in this period is 24/3.
153 India’s margin of victory in this game. They win by the same margin when Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag scored their double-centuries

Rohit Sharma’s first ODI in 10-weeks began with a touch of nerves. He was even kept scoreless in one Angelo Mathews maiden. By the end of the innings, his batting had become cartoonish. There was no shot he had not played. No part of the ground he had not exploited. No bowler who escaped his brutality. Rohit amassed 45 more runs than any ODI batsman had ever managed in an innings, finishing on 264 from 173 balls when he was finally caught off the last ball of the innings. India, almost incidentally, had moved to 404 for 5, despite having travelled at a run rate of less than six for the first 32 overs.Rohit’s innings was so ludicrous that the first 100 runs, which were hit at a run-a-ball, seems achingly humdrum in comparison to the 164 that followed. The surge had actually begun before he reached his century, when he plundered 14 runs in four balls, in Nuwan Kulasekara’s 30th over. Soon after that, the ball would be leaping off the middle of his bat with almost every stroke he offered.There were many incredible shots, from among his 33 fours and nine sixes, but the most gobsmacking was the six off Kulasekara at the end of the 48th over, when he walked across to off stump, took a half volley from about a foot and half away from him and flicked it high over the midwicket boundary. It was the kind of shot, and innings, that seemed in open defiance of physics.Sri Lanka had played a tour match against Mumbai to warm-up for the series, but little did they know Rohit was warming-up against them. He hit 145 from 111 in that match – his first competitive game since fracturing a finger in August – and he has now re-embedded himself at the top of the India batting order in the most resounding fashion imaginable.The most dispiriting aspect of the flogging for Sri Lanka was their complicity in it. Shaminda Eranga had extracted a thick outside edge from Rohit in the fifth over, and though the ball carried comfortably to Thisara Perera at third man, he shelled the chance. Having been dropped on 4, Rohit would become the third India centurion this series to have been reprieved early in his innings. It makes sense, then, that since he hit a double-century, he should be dropped twice. Seekkuge Prasanna obliged him, when he shelled another straightforward chance off Rohit in the 46th over, with the batsman on 201 this time.Kulasekara had strayed too straight to Rahane, in particular, who picked him off for a spate of leg-side fours to kick the India innings into gear, in a 14-run first over. Angelo Mathews and Eranga delivered more disciplined new-ball spells, claiming a wicket each inside the first 15 overs, but that is as good as the visitors’ bowling effort got. Sri Lanka’s lines and lengths worsened gradually from the 20th over onwards, until they had become almost farcical by the 35th over.Another beautifully orchestrated batting Powerplay from India – between the 30th and 34th overs – brought them 67 runs, and was enough to hammer the Sri Lanka bowlers off their rhythm for the rest of the innings. Short, wide deliveries, thigh-high full tosses and rank long hops were presented with alarming regularity, and the fielding was almost as woeful. Sri Lanka had not expected to begin the series strongly, given their lack of preparation, but in these two disciplines, they have actually worsened significantly through the tour.Having been joined at 59 for 2, Kohli and Rohit put on 202 brisk runs together, before miscommunication between the wickets saw Kohli run out for 66. That wasn’t even the most astounding partnership of the India innings. When Rohit and Robin Uthappa came together in the 41st over, the score was 276 for 4. They would put on 128 runs in 58 balls together. Out of that, Uthappa’s contribution was a run-a-ball 16.By the time Rohit hit Kulasekara down Mahela Jayawardene’s throat at long-off, the record for most fours struck in an innings had also tumbled, and Rohit was in possession of half the ODI scores over 200. One record he missed out on by one delivery, was Sunil Gavaskar’s record for most balls faced. Gavaskar had made 36 not out.Kusal Perera attempted to pull a short ball from way outside off stump and ended up scooping a catch to midwicket to collect his second duck of the series. Tillakaratne Dilshan was still visibly out of sorts, but he still outlived his next two partners. Dinesh Chandimal drove Stuart Binny uppishly to cover and Mahela Jayawardene was trapped in front by Umesh Yadav. When Dilshan himself fell, giving a catch to short cover off his leading edge, even the slim hopes Sri Lanka had of running down the total were effectively extinguished.Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne forged a 118-run stand for the fifth wicket, with Mathews hitting 75 off 68, and Thirimanne making 59 upon his return to the side. But even as the batsmen progressed briskly by usual standards, the run-rate kept on climbing, until it was above 11, when the pair were separated in the 29th over. Thisara came in to bludgeon 29, scoring 23 of those off a Karn Sharma over. But the Powerplay came, and both he and Thirimanne fell to Kulkarni, within four balls, to usher in the tail. Kulkarni removed two more from the lower order to finish with 4 for 34, and India completed yet another crushing victory.

Zimbabwe have had a difficult tour of Bangladesh, but the performances of Solomon Mire and Tafadzwa Kamungozi have caught the eye of the senior players including Hamilton Masakadza

Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2014Hamilton Masakadza smiled brightly at one point during the pre-match press conference but his message wasn’t pretty. With Zimbabwe going into the fifth ODI against Bangladesh with the prospect of their ninth 5-0 defeat in an ODI series, he was asked if this was the worst phase of his career.”We have had worse,” Masakadza said. “It has been really difficult for us but we have had worse.”Masakadza’s smile would have lit up any room, but it was a wry one from a man who has not done justice to his international experience in this series, scoring only 82 runs in the four ODIs so far. Still, his tone remained confident of a turnaround, at least to take some solace back home after six weeks of losing constantly.Zimbabwe were swept 3-0 in the Test series, but the first Test in Dhaka could have gone either way. The visitors have had moments where they were in control in all four ODIs so far, but they simply haven’t grabbed them and finished the job.Masakadza said Zimbabwe had what it takes to beat Bangladesh, despite the physical and mental baggage they are under, provided both the batting and the bowling click in the same game.”I think we got a few games where we have been really in the game,” he said. “We were outplayed in a couple of the games but in the other two we came up with something. We didn’t pull it through in the end. I think the boys still have it in them.”I think it’s just a question of getting both disciplines right on the day, because most of the time we had one side working and the other side not working. When we bowled well, we batted badly; when we batted badly, we bowled well. I think if we can get into a position where we can push through the end, then we can come through.”Two of the better performers, Solomon Mire and Tafadzwa Kamungozi, have caught the eye and have won the appreciation of Zimbabwe’s senior players. Masakadza said he was looking forward to seeing Mire in the World Cup since he has spent time playing grade cricket in Australia.Kamungozi has taken six wickets and has bowled with impressive control, giving away just 4.05 runs per over. He has bowled full spells in three of the four matches, and has finally nailed down a spot in the starting line-up. Mire has been even more of a revelation, having just made his international debut in this series. He has struck two fifties, and took three wickets in the fourth ODI with his medium-pace.”Definitely, [Tafadzwa] Kamungozi is someone who made his debut quite a while ago, but he has been in and out of the team,” Masakadza said. “He has come back strong now. He is definitely a big positive for us.”I am also looking forward to him [Solomon Mire]. Those conditions [in Australia and New Zealand] will favour him as well. He has been away playing in Australia, he has only come back now to play with us again so that’s another big positive for us. He has had a very good start in his international career, looking forward to him.”