England League and Cup Discussion

[Atko]

End of over 20 (2 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(130-2) RR 6.50

Drinks break - not bad, but we need to keep up the pace - as always, my bowling attack concerns me, and I feel we need to be pushing up to 270+ to give the spinners something to have a crack at.

Tommy Topster leading the way as always with 70 off 69 balls - it's a massive bonus having an outstanding summary bat at youth level

[Atko]

End of over 27 (1 run) - The Raging Speed Horns(174-5) RR 6.44

Tut - the wheels are starting to come off - we're running out of bats - Topster needs to farm the strike ...

[Atko]

...I feel we need to be pushing up to 270+ to give the spinners something to have a crack at...

End of over 39 (1 run) - The Raging Speed Horns(270-10) RR 6.92

Hmmm - if I was a pedant, that's not actually 270+

Nah - that should do us. Let's just hope the bowlers either keep it tight, get wickets, or both...

[spark]

I. MacMahon (lfm) 8-0-48-0, K. Fuls 26 (23b), L. Foot 62 (57b)
End of over 40 (5 runs) - Ruff Royals(216-3) RR 5.40

Uneven pitch and it's not a terrible score but I don't think it's going to be enough. Howe with 74 was good as was Foot with 62 not out.

R. Reynolds (rfm) 2-0-13-0, H. Russen 4 (7b), C. Melville 9 (12b)
End of over 3 (6 runs) - Fiery's XI(15-0). 202 runs required from 37 overs. RR 5.00 RRR 5.46

We need to keep it tight and pick up some early wickets. We're doing neither so far.

[Atko]

End of over 27 (12 runs) - SLBenfica(141-3). 130 runs required from 13 overs. RR 5.22 RRR 10.00

Well, we've kept the run rate down and picked up three wickets - now it's two ordinary summary bowlers ( ) plus a capable seamer to manage damage limitation - I'll put us at 6-4 on ...

[Atko]

End of over 34 (11 runs) - SLBenfica(205-3). 66 runs required from 6 overs. RR 6.03 RRR 11.00

Just noticed my seamer is on aggro - and hemmorhaging runs ...

This could be a nailbiter ...

[Atko]

Yeah ...

End of over 40 (8 runs) - SLBenfica(272-3) RR 6.80
K. Piper 121 (86b), L. Adair 110 (105b), R. Hammer (rf) 7.3-0-60-1

SLBenfica won by 7 wickets

Fair play to SLBenfica - they chased down a challenging target. But my guys can't bowl for toffee.

Read 'em and weep -

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns SLBenfica
Batting - Top Order 7,484 6,614
Batting - Middle Order 4,973 6,281
Batting - Tail 3,345 3,939
Bowling - Seam 4,905 (16) 6,748 (16)
Bowling - Spin 6,637 (24) 6,932 (24)
Fielding/Keeping 7,959 7,519
Overall 113,463 120,249

[spark]

Ruff Royals Fiery's XI
Batting - Top Order 6,232 6,430
Batting - Middle Order 5,066 4,745
Batting - Tail 3,795 4,140
Bowling - Seam 5,761 (32) 7,100 (32)
Bowling - Spin 7,653 (8) 8,817 (8)
Fielding/Keeping 8,008 7,975
Overall 111,297 118,270

Ruff Royals won by 41 runs

A very pleasing win with some good batting from Howe and Foot. Vasquez was my most expensive bowler but he did pick up the first three wickets which were crucial to us putting pressure on them. It was a good team bowling performance where we kept building the run rate pressure until it was finally too much for them.

We're 6 points clear of the relegation zone and we play one of the bottom two sides in the last game of the season. I'll cross my fingers that things go my way next week so that I don't have to worry about that last game.

[wolfberries]

wolfberries Village Flowers
Batting - Top Order 7,749 6,483
Batting - Middle Order 5,897 5,299
Batting - Tail 3,349 3,489
Bowling - Seam 7,181 (16) 6,342 (24)
Bowling - Spin 6,893 (24) 6,839 (16)
Fielding/Keeping 8,927 6,799
Overall 126,454 110,703

Result: wolfberries won by 7 wickets

Today's win ensures we promote, much needed as we can't stay in division 2 purely for the experience.

[spark]

Home Bedfordshire Jats
Away Ruff Royals
Ground Bedfordshire Jats CG
League One Day 2.1
Date 12 Jul 24 10:00
Crowd 12,468
Weather Humid
Pitch Uneven

It would be nice to pick up my first SOD win in a long time. Our bowling attack is not very varied today with three medium pacers but I've added a bit more batting to our line-up so maybe that'll help us.

We won the toss and are batting first.

[Atko]

The Raging Speed Horns vs Trevor Francis Tracksuit
League One Day 1.1

Weather Humid
Pitch Sticky

Entertaining the delightfully named Trevor Francis Tracksuit here at the Horn today. The opposition are among three teams on 16 points, all hovering around the drop zone. We're in 3rd, but 8 points behind the leaders, Egham Town. I doubt we can catch the buggers (who have been solid all season) - barring a catastrophic set of results for them - so will be targeting a top three spot to end the season.

The oppo have won the toss and plonked us in to bat. Labyrinth, our elite summary bat has (naturally ) gone early for 2 -

B. Weeks (rfm) 4-0-18-0, H. Charlton 16 (21b), J. Shalidor 13 (23b)
End of over 8 (1 run) - The Raging Speed Horns(31-1) RR 3.88

I've got these two on defensive orders, so would appreciate a bit of stonewalling from here on in ...

[spark]

L. Lyttelton (lfm) 5-0-17-1, W. Mills 30 (47b), J. House 17 (19b)
End of over 23 (5 runs) - Ruff Royals(99-2) RR 4.30

This is okay as long as we keep wickets in hand and accelerate the run rate; I'd want 250+ to defend and maybe even 280+.

[Atko]

M. Francis (rfm) 7-1-23-1, S. Ravana 4 (13b), J. Shalidor 42 (64b)
End of over 25 (7 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(89-5) RR 3.56

A less than stellar session. Perhaps I was a little too expansive with the batting orders today...?

Here's hoping we can nurdle our way close to 150 at least, but at the rate wickets are tumbling, that'll be a stiff task.

[Atko]

Okay, this is something that really hacks me off with the game - last recognised batsman batting with the tail - takes a bloomin' single off the first ball of the last two overs - and here we are as I speak - seven down due to his inability to farm the strike

Supposedly a world class batsman - well set on 60 runs and he hangs the bowlers out to dry. All I can imagine is because the two he sacrificed had accomplished and reliable summary batting, the AI says, "They can look after themselves".

Anyway, the real tailenders are in now. Let's see if he makes an effort to protect them. Rant over.

Of course, the oppo might just be bowling really well

S. Bolton (rfm) 8-1-24-3, J. Shalidor 64 (93b), M. Calver 0 (1b)
End of over 37 (4 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(134-7) RR 3.62

[Atko]

We limped to -

End of over 46 (2 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(164-10) RR 3.57

If I'm honest, I'd have accepted that score if offered it at the start. Humid/sticky is - IMHO - the most dangerous pitch/condition in the game. The oppo said to hell with bowling variety, and played three RFM's; I'm hoping my RF/RM/LM combo can do a little better, especially Speed (RF), for whom conditions are perfect.