England League and Cup Discussion

[Atko]

Result : The Raging Speed Horns won by 8 wickets

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns The Hybrid Dolphins
Batting - Top Order 13,868 9,729
Batting - Middle Order 8,800 9,490
Batting - Tail 5,128 6,147
Bowling - Seam 13,277 (40) 10,394 (40)
Bowling - Spin 14,648 (10) 10,197 (10)
Fielding/Keeping 16,745 12,804
Overall 224,051 185,508

The Dolphins managed to post 111 in the end, largely thanks to an innings-anchoring top score of 32 off 63 balls by their 21yo (and youngest!) player - par for the course, that.

Calver, my stock LM took MoM with a haul of 5-21 and new boy Baz Cromberg saw us home with an unbeaten 47 runs.

Bit of a damp squib in terms of challenge, but I can understand the oppo's tactics - I've done it myself when the focus has to be on the league, and the Cup is starting to shred Endo.

Onward!

[casperj]

Chicago Flying Trams Crestfallen Sidekicks
Batting - Top Order 11,375 13,344
Batting - Middle Order 8,360 9,908
Batting - Tail 5,091 6,614
Bowling - Seam 10,253 (20) 12,731 (20)
Bowling - Spin 10,501 (30) 13,808 (30)
Fielding/Keeping 13,231 14,876
Overall 185,923 224,366

Crestfallen Sidekicks won by 8 wickets

Sunny/Dry. As often happens on a dry wicket my spinners struggled with only Carson really performed. As a unit their spinners were actually tidier in terms of runs conceded, but we were able to get their quick away quite easily and that led us to a comfortable enough win.

[Atko]

.... You'd need to go Crumbling to get a noticeable benefit for spinners

After a continuous and never ending series of meh performances on Dry from my spinners, I've decided to take casperj's advice, so ...

The Raging Speed Horns vs St. Marks Hill Strollers
League Youth Twenty20 2.2

Weather Sunny
Pitch Crumbling

The Strollers won the toss and decided to bat, which suits me

They posted 130-6 from their twenty overs, and my wristies finally made a contribution, with 2-16 and 1-15, yay!

Not sure if we can chase that down - the vaguaries of T20 make predictions all but useless. I'm guessing we'll rocket along at 8 an over, then slow down at the halfway point until runs pressure triggers a bunch of wickets to fall, then we'll fall ten or twenty runs short nurdling 1's and 2's (but with wickets in hand!).

[Atko]

End of over 20 (5 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(131-5) RR 6.55

The Raging Speed Horns won by 5 wickets

Nice - and nothing like my prediction

We kept close to the asking rate and accelerated a bit towards the end - textbook stuff I suppose. That will haul us out of the relegation zone, which is always nice, and the team is starting to solidify into a reasonable unit. We're not strong enough to challenge the top teams, but I reckon we will stay up.

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns St. Marks Hill Strollers
Batting - Top Order 5,785 6,972
Batting - Middle Order 5,842 5,176
Batting - Tail 3,954 3,407
Bowling - Seam 6,079 (6) 7,084 (12)
Bowling - Spin 6,913 (14) 6,536 (8)
Fielding/Keeping 7,993 7,553
Overall 115,666 115,800

[spark]

Ruff Royals won by 7 wickets

South Hill Slammers Ruff Royals
Batting - Top Order 6,973 7,029
Batting - Middle Order 5,458 5,050
Batting - Tail 3,387 3,772
Bowling - Seam 5,513 (16) 7,658 (16)
Bowling - Spin 7,010 (4) 8,309 (4)
Fielding/Keeping 8,706 8,627
Overall 115,070 124,454

A good bowling performance. No one was massively expensive on an uneven pitch but Pithey had the best figures with 3-27.

Macrow hit another 60 which seems to be his favourite for YT20s (his third 60 in 10 innings) as we chased 104 to win with just over 3 overs to spare.

We're 4 points clear of the relegation zone so we need to keep picking up wins to make sure we don't get into trouble.

[wolfberries]

Dunbrody Academy London wolfberries
Batting - Top Order 8,059 7,446
Batting - Middle Order 6,512 5,230
Batting - Tail 3,286 3,280
Bowling - Seam 5,550 (8) 6,204 (8)
Bowling - Spin 7,481 (12) 7,378 (12)
Fielding/Keeping 7,812 8,699
Overall 125,120 121,187

Result: wolfberries won by 5 wickets

Sunny and slow conditions today, wasn't expecting to chase 172 to win either and we won off the last ball as well.

[spark]

Home Inchigeela Angels
Away Ruff Royals
Ground Tir na Spideoga
League Twenty20 1.1
Date 27 Aug 24 10:00
Crowd 20,032
Weather Humid
Pitch Even

It's rare that I decide to bat first in T20 but that's what I've done today. Let's see how it goes. We need to set a big score as I've picked two spinners so they're going to need a big total to defend.

[spark]

F. de Gersigny (rfs) 2-1-3-4, I. Dennehy 10 (5b), E. Mwai 0 (4b)
End of over 7 (maiden) - Ruff Royals(43-5) RR 6.14

It's not going well. It hasn't helped that their spinner has so far taken 4 wickets for 3 runs in humid condtions. We're not going to get a big score now and have to somehow find a way to limp to a decent score by batting out the overs. A big loss incoming, I fear.

[spark]

M. Whipp (lm) 4-0-38-0, M. Patterson 23 (21b), D. Combs 2 (2b)
End of over 20 (3 runs) - Ruff Royals(152-8) RR 7.60

We managed to get to a decent score but I suspect it's still going to be 30+ runs short of what we needed. Dennehy did great to get 71 from 41 balls and was nicely helped out by allrounder Mwai's 21 and spinner Patterson's 23 not out.

[Atko]

Murderation at The Horn this week as I send my youngsters out to face top team Goondiwindi -

The Raging Speed Horns vs Goondiwindi
League Twenty20 3.3

Weather Humid
Pitch Sticky

This one was never going to be a contest, with circa 35k between the teams, and so it turned out with the oppo skittling us for 73 then knocking off the runs in just under 14 overs. Saxon, our reserve pace man, impressed with 2-9 from his four overs, other than that it was cheerful slaughter from Goondiwindi, who are looking to storm the league this season.

el numeros -

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns Goondiwindi
Batting - Top Order 10,834 13,550
Batting - Middle Order 7,706 11,165
Batting - Tail 5,662 4,220
Bowling - Seam 10,515 (20) 12,488 (12)
Bowling - Spin 0 (0) 12,014 (8)
Fielding/Keeping 14,520 16,038
Overall 187,285 221,124

[spark]

Ruff Royals won by 17 runs

Inchigeela Angels Ruff Royals
Batting - Top Order 14,437 14,118
Batting - Middle Order 11,727 12,270
Batting - Tail 6,754 4,779
Bowling - Seam 13,728 (12) 12,996 (12)
Bowling - Spin 14,293 (8) 13,869 (8)
Fielding/Keeping 16,736 17,331
Overall 244,897 238,610

Despite the humid weather, this was a match for the spinners (or at least 2 of the spinners). Westerveld took 5 for 22, although most of those were the lower order/tailenders when Inchigeela were struggling with the run rate required, and de Gersigney took 4-19 for them.

It was Dennehy's 71 that won us the game though as we continue our surprisingly good start to the league. We're in second place but level on points at the top with Pedagogs who we play next week. Sadly, we'll be missing a few players with them going of to play for their countries.

[wolfberries]

Yorkshire Puddings wolfberries
Batting - Top Order 12,359 11,761
Batting - Middle Order 8,920 7,882
Batting - Tail 6,867 4,355
Bowling - Seam 10,801 (12) 10,330 (16)
Bowling - Spin 11,456 (8) 12,885 (4)
Fielding/Keeping 12,294 14,217
Overall 197,917 188,496

Result: Yorkshire Puddings won by 5 runs

In the battle of the second string squads we came out last, a long run of terrible youth pulls has meant we currently only have seven senior bowlers! Even had to pick one of our 19 year olds today, all good experience though.

[casperj]

The Spitfires Crestfallen Sidekicks
Batting - Top Order 12,549 12,611
Batting - Middle Order 11,721 11,568
Batting - Tail 4,666 5,688
Bowling - Seam 11,933 (16) 11,972 (12)
Bowling - Spin 12,363 (4) 13,537 (8)
Fielding/Keeping 15,386 15,357
Overall 217,332 222,844

Match tied

Needed 2 off the last two balls so not getting the win is disappointing, but it at least stops a run of league defeats against lower-rated opposition. Also got some experience for some of my backup batsmen which is handy.

[Atko]

Dunbrody Academy London vs The Raging Speed Horns
League Youth 2.1

Weather Hot
Pitch Slow

Away to Dunbrody today. With one win from three, it would be nice to get four more points on the board. Much the same as with YT20, I'm just aiming not to relegate, and a nice cozy centre table spot would suit me fine.

We won the toss and put 'em in to bat. A solid performance from their top order saw them 104-1 at drinks, and a scary total was in the offing, but my bowlers found their mojo and managed to restrict the score to 202 all out in the 39th. A mention in despatches for Mink Copious (LWS) with 6-49, who kept things from getting out of hand.

Still, that's a good total and we're a wicket down already at -

End of over 3 (1 run) - The Raging Speed Horns(11-1). 192 runs required from 37 overs. RR 3.67 RRR 5.19

- although it is our ordinary summary opener, so no great loss! He's actually been getting ridiculously good scores (23, 41, 28, 37 in the last four matches), and it looks like the ME finally noticed and said, "Oi! stop being silly!"

[Atko]

Well, well -

End of over 34 (12 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(203-2) RR 5.97

The Raging Speed Horns won by 8 wickets

Match Ratings
Dunbrody Academy London The Raging Speed Horns
Batting - Top Order 8,256 5,912
Batting - Middle Order 6,898 6,073
Batting - Tail 3,332 4,022
Bowling - Seam 5,498 (17) 6,126 (12)
Bowling - Spin 7,556 (23) 6,962 (28)
Fielding/Keeping 7,924 8,120
Overall 127,793 117,926

Scores of 38, 79no and 75no from our 2, 3 and 4 batsmen made this a very simple win against the numbers. Dunbrody are having a stinker of a start - despite posting the best match ratings in the league, they only have one win from four outings. 'Tis a puzzlement

Anyhoo - that's us nestling into the comfy zone I was talking about earlier , and ramping up in strength - with no promotions to seniors this season, who knows what lies ahead...?