England League and Cup Discussion

[casperj]

Looks like our campaign for the div 2 title has come to an end.

H. Stringfellow (rfm) 4-0-23-2, K. Asher 46 (31b), Ü. Zörker 1 (3b)
End of over 20 (3 runs) - Crestfallen Sidekicks(120-7) RR 6.00

Batting line up back to it's old tricks, reduced to 57/5 against a pretty mediocre bowling attack. Fortunately played two A/Rs so were able to recover to 120, but hard to believe it;s going to be enough.

[spark]

Ruff Royals Inchigeela Angels
Batting - Top Order 14,600 14,470
Batting - Middle Order 10,892 11,593
Batting - Tail 5,029 5,472
Bowling - Seam 13,387 (12) 13,742 (16)
Bowling - Spin 14,638 (8) 15,376 (4)
Fielding/Keeping 16,948 17,278
Overall 237,338 242,850

Ruff Royals won by 21 runs

A fantastic captain's innings of 77 from 44 balls for Bullock set us up for a decent total of 175 on an even pitch. The bowling wasn't great apart from Combs who was extremely economical with his 1-18.

We're safe now but 8 points off top spot so there's no chance of the title.

[casperj]

Crestfallen Sidekicks The Spitfires
Batting - Top Order 14,277 10,860
Batting - Middle Order 12,376 10,726
Batting - Tail 4,957 4,865
Bowling - Seam 13,063 (20) 11,846 (20)
Bowling - Spin 0 (0) 0 (0)
Fielding/Keeping 16,297 13,166
Overall 235,690 199,672

The Spitfires won by 5 wickets

At home, and 36k rating advantage, but lose pretty comfortably with 5 wickets and 6 balls to space

[Atko]

Goondiwindi vs The Raging Speed Horns
League Twenty20 3.3

Weather Humid
Pitch Uneven

Result: Goondiwindi won by 93 runs

Match Ratings
Goondiwindi The Raging Speed Horns
Batting - Top Order 13,958 9,823
Batting - Middle Order 8,857 9,927
Batting - Tail 4,371 6,190
Bowling - Seam 11,819 (16) 11,441 (16)
Bowling - Spin 14,918 (4) 11,520 (4)
Fielding/Keeping 16,491 15,498
Overall 216,047 201,351

Pretty much as expected, top team Goondiwindi see us off without breaking a sweat. Mediocre all round from us with no one worthy of a mention in dispatches. They scored an effortless 182-6, while we got blown away for 89. Our fellow strugglers also lost, so the bottom of the table looks like this -

6  The Raging Speed Horns      12  -0.8382
7  Vivi                8  -1.4080
8  The Middle Stump Lubricators    8  -1.9083

4 points plus a superior NRR give us a reasonable chance of avoiding the drop. Ho hum...

[wolfberries]

wolfberries Yorkshire Puddings
Batting - Top Order 13,291 13,386
Batting - Middle Order 10,528 7,910
Batting - Tail 5,381 4,223
Bowling - Seam 12,068 (20) 13,102 (20)
Bowling - Spin 0 (0) 0 (0)
Fielding/Keeping 15,651 14,468
Overall 218,718 206,774

Result: Yorkshire Puddings won by 15 runs

Unfortunately their top order scored too many runs before we got through them!

[spark]

Ruff Royals Egham Town CC
Batting - Top Order 7,644 6,551
Batting - Middle Order 5,900 6,422
Batting - Tail 3,773 4,604
Bowling - Seam 6,779 (32) 5,824 (16)
Bowling - Spin 9,473 (8) 7,443 (24)
Fielding/Keeping 8,960 7,940
Overall 128,968 123,505

Ruff Royals won by 137 runs

A very big win. 80 for Fuls and a brilliant 131 not out for Howe led us to 277 on an uneven pitch.

Reynolds was the best bowler with 4-38 although Milton had the best figures with 4-18.

[Atko]

The Raging Speed Horns vs Dunbrody Academy London
League Youth 2.1

Weather Hot
Pitch Crumbling

Result: The Raging Speed Horns won by 76 runs

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns Dunbrody Academy London
Batting - Top Order 6,321 7,454
Batting - Middle Order 6,622 4,497
Batting - Tail 4,177 3,514
Bowling - Seam 6,747 (12) 5,260 (16)
Bowling - Spin 7,605 (28) 6,290 (24)
Fielding/Keeping 9,110 7,181
Overall 128,378 109,284

Solid win for a team that is still a little way off its peak. After a shaky start to the season, we've piled on the ratings and the results - a little too late to win it, but with the second placed team losing today, it's tightening up in the race for silver -

1  Sledgingshire        36   +0.3914
2  Leyland Lions        28  -0.1018
3  The Raging Speed Horns   26  +0.1618

Good stuff all round today with our bats posting a challenging 254-3 off their 40, and the bowlers, although not taking as many wickets as I would have liked, still restricting the oppo to 178-5. I guess the one issue for us is the imbalance in our attack, with four spinners and just the one seamer (one of the batsmen has to handle a few overs, which isn't ideal). We've got some seamers coming through, but they're a long way off ready yet.

[Atko]

The Raging Speed Horns vs Relegation reprobates
League One Day 1.1

Weather Humid
Pitch Sticky

Three of my guys away on national duty this week means we face a full strength Relegation reprobates, minus our captain, strike bowler and opening bowler. This one will be a bloomin' tall order. The humid conditions (yet again ) would ordinarily have meant a four prong seam attack, but I ain't got none left! Well, not strictly true, but I'm not throwing an outstanding summary RFM to the wolves today. So it's RF, LM, RM, 2xRFS, in an attack which tends more to constraint and pressure building, than bludgeoning wickets.

We did win the toss, and so got a chance to dictate the pace. Replacement opener and captain, Bozelli, lasted one over, and old hand Labyrinth fell in the sixth. The seventh over saw Fadington out for a duck. At the end of the 8th, we are 17-3.

As Mike Tyson once said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

[Atko]

Although I was originally hoping to post a 200+ target, after that horror start we got a heck of a lot more than I expected -

G. Jeffries (lfm) 10-0-45-3, C. Gatehouse 83 (103b), M. Calver 4 (7b)
End of over 50 (5 runs) - The Raging Speed Horns(185-8) RR 3.70

At full strength, I'd expect my bowlers to skittle the oppo before they got too close to that. Today, I'm not so sure, but at least Gatehouse (83no) and Charlton (45) have given us a fighting chance.

[spark]

R. Junor (rws) 10-1-50-5, M. Patterson 4 (4b), T. Zondeki 0 (1b)
End of over 50 (3 runs) - Ruff Royals(258-9) RR 5.16

We started really well with 84 for Bullock and 79 for Laurence. After those 2 got out we really struggled on a slow pitch. I'd say it was still a defendable total but I also feel like they'll probably successfully chase it.

[Atko]

R. Baldwin (rfs) 3-1-9-1, D. Turich 8 (9b), M. McCoombe 2 (7b)
End of over 25 (7 runs) - Relegation reprobates(72-5). 114 runs required from 25 overs. RR 2.88 RRR 4.56

I can't complain about that effort at the drinks break. The spinners in particular have kept it very tight with 2-17 from their combined 8 overs. If we can maintain the run rate pressure, the wickets will come naturally, I feel...

[Atko]

Disappointingly, we just couldn't winkle out the last three bats-

End of over 48 (2 runs) - Relegation reprobates(186-7) RR 3.88

Result : Relegation reprobates won by 3 wickets

Kudos to the reprobates, they were stronger on the day.

Match Ratings
The Raging Speed Horns Relegation reprobates
Batting - Top Order 14,868 14,474
Batting - Middle Order 10,962 13,413
Batting - Tail 5,332 6,581
Bowling - Seam 13,707 (30) 12,986 (20)
Bowling - Spin 14,951 (20) 14,060 (30)
Fielding/Keeping 18,476 17,351
Overall 245,770 251,500

That loss knocks us off top spot and gifts Relegation reprobates pole position. Egham Town take second spot and we drop to 3rd on equal points. It's very tight at the top with 2 points between 1st and 3rd!

[spark]

Ruff Royals won by 38 runs

Bathaloner Ruff Royals
Batting - Top Order 13,836 14,632
Batting - Middle Order 12,341 11,078
Batting - Tail 7,390 5,027
Bowling - Seam 13,524 (30) 13,579 (30)
Bowling - Spin 14,094 (20) 14,806 (20)
Fielding/Keeping 17,310 17,031
Overall 247,574 239,367

With a couple of batters away on international duty, I'm very happy with that win and performance. Zondeki was probably the pick of the bowlers with 3-45.

I think we're 2 points off the top now after a tie between 1st and 3rd place.

[wolfberries]

Eccleshall Wolfberries Too
Batting - Top Order 13,558 12,362
Batting - Middle Order 11,229 10,481
Batting - Tail 5,727 5,967
Bowling - Seam 9,596 (20) 10,492 (30)
Bowling - Spin 10,775 (30) 11,841 (20)
Fielding/Keeping 16,753 14,576
Overall 218,113 208,163

Wolfberries Too won by 6 wickets

Windy and crumbling conditions today.

G. Porplyzia (rws) 7.3-0-28-0, C. Dixon 126 (121b), B. Whitfield 59 (56b)
End of over 46 (4 runs) - Wolfberries Too(269-4) RR 5.85

Surprised we chased this total today.

[casperj]

Goondiwindi Crestfallen Sidekicks
Batting - Top Order 12,824 14,831
Batting - Middle Order 12,305 12,450
Batting - Tail 5,729 7,145
Bowling - Seam 14,809 (20) 13,212 (20)
Bowling - Spin 13,680 (30) 14,263 (30)
Fielding/Keeping 16,767 16,930
Overall 238,670 250,569

Agonising end to the title challenge. Needed 2 off the last over, but they got three 'great fieldings' and a run out in those 6 balls to end the match level. Seem to be on another run now of not winning matches despite having a significant ratings advantage. Only aim now is to try and hold on for a prize money place.