A test match that had everything

want to watch over five days.
From the skilful bowling of Daniel Vettori to the counter-attacking of Brendan Taylor, to the disappointment of getting so close but then watching with dismay as Zimbabwe lost seven wickets in the final session when they had the match in their hands.

Although many people, be it supporters or players, might still be feeling the pain of the loss, there really are quite a number of positives that came out of this Test.
Chris Mpofu showed great character in bouncing back after a very average first day when he was simply delivering the ball without any real intent and came back beautifully on Day Two and bagged a career best 4/92 in 34 overs.
Not many people would have taken note that Mpofu’s figures on the second day read – 14 overs, seven maidens, four wickets for just 24 runs with his slower ball causing a lot of problems for the New Zealand batters.

Another man who definitely deserves special mention is Kyle Jarvis.
If you have been following Zimbabwe cricket closely, you will know that this young man has been under the spotlight for some time now due to the fact that it was felt that he was rushed into the national team with hardly any game time behind him and with a reputation of breaking down on a regular bases.

These fears became a reality when he broke down and was out of action for a considerable period of time thanks to stress fractures which made some critics say, ‘I told you so didn’t I?’
So, when it was announced that Jarvis was to be included in the squad to play Bangladesh, not to many people would have been jumping for joy because there were genuine fears of him breaking down halfway through the series.

It would be interesting to hear what the opinions of these very same people would be today if asked to comment about his performances over the three Test matches Zimbabwe have played.
Each and every one of his performance have been nothing short of whole-hearted and so his first five-wicket haul comes as no great surprise as his consistentcy has paid off with a wonderful spell of 5/64.

And his ability to reverse swing the older ball will definitely be good for him and the team in future matches.
When spectators and media arrived at the ground on the final day, very few would have anticipated Brendan Taylor’s counter attack and even though it ended in a loss for the country, it was wonderful to see the positive approach by the batsmen.

Taylor, in particular, took a liking to off-spinner Jeetan Patel smashing four of his five sixes off him and quite possibly ending his Test career as Patel has been given a fair amount of opportunities to prove himself without too much luck.

Malcom Waller continues to show that he should have been part of the international set-up some time ago not only because of his current form but also because of his work ethic which will hopefully rub off on the rest of the team.

A few points that will be looked at and debated with interest will be the fate of Vusi Sibanda, who will be off to play grade cricket in Australia, and how much longer Raymond Price will still be part of the Test team or even the national team.
It’s confusing as to why Vusi Sibanda would want to play grade cricket when he is trying to re establish himself as a Test cricketer.

More puzzling is the real danger of him not being selected to tour New Zealand as many cricket boards are of the opinion that if a player does not play domestic first class cricket, they will not be considered for future tours.

So has he to think about all of these things before packing his bag and departing for seemingly greener grass?
It was also very disappointing to see the somewhat negative approach from Raymond Price as he bowled over the wicket which allowed the New Zealand batsmen ample time to practice their football skills by simply kicking the ball away.

Yes, it is true that Tatenda Taibu fell to Daniel Vettori when he attempted to sweep the left arm spinner, who was bowling over the wicket, and got out doing so.
But Price looked such a better bowler when he came around the wicket as he caused a bit of discomfort for the batsmen getting one or two balls to turn and grip.

It was certainly disappointing to note that none of the tail enders showed any inclination to try and hold out for a draw, when the settled batsmen had departed on the final day, and one can only hope that with experience, Zimbabwe’s habits of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory will be eliminated.