Taylor vs Kaitano: between two extremes

Taylor's aggression was exactly the innings needed due to Kaitano's moribund innings. A limited player like Kaitano will only work if the guy down the other end doesn't feel pressure. You put two Kaitano's out there and the pressure would be unmanageable.

Honestly I think Taylor is a class above his team mates and the Bangladeshi bowlers, too bad he couldn't hang around longer.

Individually, the two knocks look atrocious, but probably together, in a partnership, they were perfect foil for each other. It is possible that we ended without more damage because they both played that way together.

If Kaitano had rotated the strike and given it back to Taylor more often, there was no guarantee that Taylor would have still continued to succeed. The more you get to face in such a mood, the more high risk it becomes. So, the cooling down that was happening as he waited at the other end when Kaitano closed out an over was probably making sure Taylor's adrenaline rush was in check.

Also, from Kaitano's point of view, as he prepared himself for a blockathon knowing how Taylor would approach it, the fact that Taylor went about in such a manner meant that the BD bowlers had a hard time adjusting and could not afford to be more aggressive with fields even for Kaitano given what was going on at the other end. This worked well for him to continue his dogged defense.

If you look at it, it looks like an outstanding game plan, if ever there was one :)

While all this was happening, we were going along at nearly 4 an over on the 4th evening. We can look at 140/3 and feel that it could have been 200/2 or whatever else. It could also have become 90/5 had both of them perished trying anything different in their own games than what they did.

So, it is together, as a partnership, that we need to look at it, and it was one of the most enjoyable ones for me and also worked perfectly in the context. Ideally, if they had both made it to day 5, things would have been great, but this kind of a partnership was the best alternative to both the guys going at an SR of 60.

In that sense the most positive partnership under pressure I have watched post readmission was the one between Hamilton and Moor vs WI (in 2018?) where after we were 14/3 or something Moor came in and infused positivity and both of them played some delightful cover drives that are still etched in memory on the way to something like a 140 run partnership. Moor making 70 odd and Hamilton later going onto 140 odd.

Yes, no, maybe.

Taylor could have been more circumspect. But he fell to a boo boo not a hoick.

Most of his boundries were just class drives through attacking fields.

Kaitano ought to have been 20 off 100 for sure.

Still think KT is getting unwarranted grief.

He showed mental toughness, something we've been lacking for a very very long time at the top.

CrimsonAvenger wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 3:24 am

Individually, the two knocks look atrocious, but probably together, in a partnership, they were perfect foil for each other. It is possible that we ended without more damage because they both played that way together.

If Kaitano had rotated the strike and given it back to Taylor more often, there was no guarantee that Taylor would have still continued to succeed. The more you get to face in such a mood, the more high risk it becomes. So, the cooling down that was happening as he waited at the other end when Kaitano closed out an over was probably making sure Taylor's adrenaline rush was in check.

Also, from Kaitano's point of view, as he prepared himself for a blockathon knowing how Taylor would approach it, the fact that Taylor went about in such a manner meant that the BD bowlers had a hard time adjusting and could not afford to be more aggressive with fields even for Kaitano given what was going on at the other end. This worked well for him to continue his dogged defense.

If you look at it, it looks like an outstanding game plan, if ever there was one :)

While all this was happening, we were going along at nearly 4 an over on the 4th evening. We can look at 140/3 and feel that it could have been 200/2 or whatever else. It could also have become 90/5 had both of them perished trying anything different in their own games than what they did.

So, it is together, as a partnership, that we need to look at it, and it was one of the most enjoyable ones for me and also worked perfectly in the context. Ideally, if they had both made it to day 5, things would have been great, but this kind of a partnership was the best alternative to both the guys going at an SR of 60.

In that sense the most positive partnership under pressure I have watched post readmission was the one between Hamilton and Moor vs WI (in 2018?) where after we were 14/3 or something Moor came in and infused positivity and both of them played some delightful cover drives that are still etched in memory on the way to something like a 140 run partnership. Moor making 70 odd and Hamilton later going onto 140 odd.

Good post habibi

sloandog wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:06 am

Still think KT is getting unwarranted grief.

He showed mental toughness, something we've been lacking for a very very long time at the top.

When viewed through the scope of a mediocre, limited first class player who averages 20, he did everything that could have realistically been asked of him.

He’s a club player who wouldn’t be able to be a BT. So he did the only thing he could to stay in the fight.

ZIMDOGGY wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 10:44 am

sloandog wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:06 am

Still think KT is getting unwarranted grief.

He showed mental toughness, something we've been lacking for a very very long time at the top.

When viewed through the scope of a mediocre, limited first class player who averages 20, he did everything that could have realistically been asked of him.

He’s a club player who wouldn’t be able to be a BT. So he did the only thing he could to stay in the fight.

Yeah, agreed. His career record is poor and he is obviously isn't going to be a long-term solution who'll command a place at the top of the order for years to come.

But he'll take a lot of confidence from his debut and he'll probably do a job filling the spot for a handful of Tests until we find someone better. We really don't have any other opening options tbh. Good for him. I hope he does well.

TapsC2 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 5:03 pm

Also I mentioned earlier I dont think anybody who isnt part of the old guard of the big 4 plus Regis, Don and Cremer has scored anything higher than 87 besides Mire's hundred. I could be wrong but I dont remember. I think PJ is next with a score of 83 in a test. I didnt include his 92 in the T20 against Singapore because its Singapore

Hey, SIngapore have beaten Zimbabwe.

TapsC2 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 5:03 pm

Also I mentioned earlier I dont think anybody who isnt part of the old guard of the big 4 plus Regis, Don and Cremer has scored anything higher than 87 besides Mire's hundred. I could be wrong but I dont remember. I think PJ is next with a score of 83 in a test. I didnt include his 92 in the T20 against Singapore because its Singapore

Waller's match winning 99* comes to mind years ago vs NZ in an ODI, but I get your point in general. Even Mire's 100 was in an ODI. Can't remember any other 80+ test score at all outside of this lot!

EDIT: Just checked. In the last decade, Outside of big scores by BT, Hammy, Raza, Williams, Ervine, Regis, Don and Cremer, we just have a 93 from Vusi, 88 and 86 by Chigs, 83 by Moor, 80 by Chari, plus that massive 163* by Mawoyo.