Story Australian Career Mode

[Giraffe]

Hey all. For the sake of fun, I have committed myself to the massive job of creating a career mode. While I don’t actually have the game yet (~5 hours more), I will be posting some teasers. When I get the game I will almost immediately start with playing Australia against South Africa after simming through the matador and shield matches, so not much time to learn the game J. From now on it will be from a third person point of view. While I am initially only batting and not recording, that may easily change. One more thing to watch carefully will be the ai runrates when I sim bowling, so I may have to start having four day tests. In order to create a further sense of realism I will be using cricket captain 2016 (will switch to cricket coach when/if it comes out probably) as well as real life scores and teams to create a rankings system and things like that


Last thing before we begin. I have had hours of time dedicated to transport only but that has come to an end. In those hours, I put together some very detailed “posts” to get this underway however I won’t be able to do that anymore. So while there will be match reports, don’t be expecting many more form guides or things like that. Hope everyone enjoys!

Edit: I have already reconsidered the recording option so maybe after the first few games I might start

 

[Giraffe]

Lehmann shocks cricket world with retirement

Australian cricket coach Darren Lehmann has decided to call an early retirement, just months after claiming the pinnacle of the cricket world that is the icc no.1 ranking, before losing it in the disastrous Sri Lankan tour. Despite the embarrassing 3-0 defeat, followed by a 5-0 ODI humiliation at the hands of South Africa Lehmann denied it was the reason on his retirement. He claimed that "the past few months has made me realise how much more important family is to me than cricket". The shock has now jolted Australian Cricket into searching for a new coach before the start of the South Africa test series

 

[Giraffe]

Punter front runner but Giraffe remains in hunt as X-factor

Ricky Ponting has declared himself fully available for the job of the Australian Cricket Coach, but the wisdom and uncanny ability of making something out of nothing Giraffe possesses may go to great lengths at securing him the job ahead of the favourite. Despite applications by other hopefuls, it has seemingly come down to the star ex-captain and the previously unknown Giraffe. When asked about the weakness of having a coach without past test experience, Giraffe pointed to the success of John Buchanan.

It has been reported that many fans around the country are hoping for the appointment of Giraffe, as "Australian cricket needs a shakeup to regain its status as the premier cricketing nation"

 

[Giraffe]

Giraffe appointed head coach

Ahead of series against South Africa, Pakistan and India, Giraffe has been appointed coach of the Australian Cricket Team. While offering support and thanks to those around him, he also made an undeniably bold statement. "Obviously I am not the same person Lehmann was. So, I may not agree with every aspect of how the team is run, or members in the team for that matter. Changes will happen if people don't perform, but those who do will be rewarded with security about their place in this team". Rather than point to the world number one ranking Australia lost earlier this year, he has said that winning the current home tours are the focus for the moment, before picking the right side for the India tour and home ashes series next year.

I will be releasing more teasers in one hour

 

[Giraffe]

Giraffe hints at xii for the first test with central contract lock in

The revamped Australian Cricket system of locking out an xii of players for central contracts has given an early clue of what Giraffe's team will make out to be. In this new change, domestic sides are allowed 18 players each for the one day and first class season not including the 12 players handed central contracts. At the end of the season, they must put 5 players in the transfer pool and take 2 out to join their squad. The uncontracted player rejoin their former teams. From there teams are free to adjust their squads at their will with behind the scene trades and youth teams. Australian xii: Warner, Burns, Marsh, Khawaja, Smith, Voges, Marsh, Nevill, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, Bird

 

[Giraffe]

Shield squads named:

Queensland

Forrest, Renshaw, Heazlett, Labuschagne , Lynn, Reardon, Hemphrey, Floros, Hartley, Peirson, Cutting, Wildermuth, Feldman, George, Neser, Steketee, Swepson, Stanlake

NSW

Cowan, Carters, Hughes, Larkin, Maddinson, Patterson , Rohrer, Gibson, Henriques , Nair, O'Keefe , Abbot, Bollinger, Copeland, Cummins, Somerville , Dwarshius, Conway

SA

Raphael , Weatherald, Ferguson , Head, Lehmann, Ross, Page, Smith, Carey, Ludeman, Zampa, Agar, Cooper, Mennie, Richardson , Sayers, Valente, Worrall

Victoria

Dean, Harris, Handscomb , Finch, Short , White , Wade, Harper, Christian, Stoinis, Maxwell, Boland, Ahmed, Hastings, Holland, Pattinson, Tremain, Siddle

Tasmania

Hancock, Silk, Webster, Doolan, Dunk, Paine, Michael, Bailey, McDermott, Faulkner, Milenko, Perrin, Boyce, Doherty, Fekete, Kingston, Rainbird, Lees

WA

Klinger, Wells, Bancroft, Turner, Bosisto, Carder, Whiteman, Inglis, Cartwright, Agar, Behrendorff, Coulter-nile, Mackin, Richardson, Rimmington, Tye, Paris, O'Connor

 

[Giraffe]

CAXI squad announced for Matador cup

Ahead of the inaugural tournament, the Cricket Australia xi experiment continuing into the second year. Any player without a state contract is eligible for this squad although the general theme is to ease youths into the domestic scene. Teams can also loan players off for the matador cup if they feel they will not be selected. The squad is as follows: Sangha, Lenton, Pattison, Green, Sandhu, Bazley, Dalton, Opie, Doran, Perrin (loan), Coleman, Muirhead, Nicholas, Moody, Gardiner, Short (loan), Nair (loan), Page (loan)


Next update will be a big one so then I won't post until I get the game

 

[Giraffe]

Faces to watch in the domestic rounds

With performances meaning everything at the moment, we have picked out the most likely contenders for a spot in the test side this summer. At this point only Warner, Smith, Hazlewood and Starc have guaranteed places, so the Matador cup and following two rounds of fc cricket will be crucial into the makeout of the Australian Side. We will list the current players first and the hopefuls after.

Opening Batsmen

Joe Burns-A poor SL tour resulted in both his average and his place in the pecking order drop. Some solid shield performances are needed to show he is up to international level against all sides in all conditions

Shaun Marsh-After a painstakingly unsuccessful international career, Marsh seems to have finally hit his stride. However, youth and past performances are not on his side so he will need to back up the god form shown in his most recent tests. Will likely be picked over Burns for the first test if he performs in the domestic scene

Travis Dean-An unproven opener with a world of talent and grit yet has not played quite enough to prove he can succeed consistently. Another shield season averaging above 40 will heavily increase his chances

Matthew Renshaw- Same as Dean however showed class against South Africa A. Likely the selectors will favour him over the aforementioned Victorian opener Dean if they are put head to head

Cameron Bancroft-Was rated a high chance of claiming a test cap a year ago but a drop off in form has seen his chances slide. Needs to show he can consistently perform


Top and Middle Order

Usman Khawaja- Was brilliant last summer but faltered against spin. Will cause him problems coming into the India tour. Should regain his place for the first test however more failures will cost him his place

Adam Voges-Age is not on his side and neither are his past pressure performances. Has cashed in on roads and missed out when Australia needed him. Should keep his place but if he drops in form he won't be coming back into the side

Jake Lehmann-Superb last year but they often say the second year is the hardest. Unlikely for selection unless he really steps up like he did last year

Callum Ferguson-Has been great for South Australia in his entire career and remained consistent however he is not really the fresh start the selectors are looking for. Expect him to replace Voges if selectors want to keep an experienced head in the middle order

Peter Handscomb- After a poor start to his career he has really stepped up in recent years. Also as a fantastic player of spin he will likely get a sniff in before or during the Indian tour

George Bailey-Has proven he is not as successful in fc cricket but is a good player of spin. May come in handy for India

Chris Lynn-Unlucky with injuries however he has been the most consistent 20/20 player for the last couple of years. Amazing how little international cricket he has played but this may be his summer if he continues to show he can bat

Kurtis Patterson-Has really matured lately and consistently picks up runs but he needs to really push his case if he wants to be picked. Needs more runs than the rest if he wants to stand a chance

Nick Maddinson- X-factor player but hasn't shown great consistency through his career. Would be a big risk to play


Allrounders

Mitch Marsh-Was better in the SL tour but his batting still hasn't been up to test standard. May get the first test but after that if he can't perform he won't be picked

Marcus Stoinis- Great talent with the bat and useful with the ball but with a stacked Victorian team it is hard to stand out. He needs to do just that to get a game in this summer

James Faulkner- Not a number 6 batsman but really good with the ball. Would be a fantastic asset for the India tour but he needs some red ball cricket before he can be considered

Hilton Cartwright- Up and coming batting allrounder, would be a gamble but he is definitely a future star. A big domestic summer would lock him in the selectors minds for next year. It is heard that Giraffe highly rates him however so a callup may be quicker than that even

Travis Head-More of a batter who can bowl a bit, but he would likely replace M Marsh in the team. Had a brilliant last year but has been hit and miss before that. His ODI career is off to a good start and he will definitely get a test at some point in the coming years

Moises Henriques- Didn't do enough in his test vs SL and neither his batting or bowling is quite up to test standard.

Ashton Agar-Bowler who can bat 7 or 8, he has youth on his side but he hasn't proven himself capable of taking wickets consistently. Also in competition with O'Keefe and Holland with the SLA spot

Glen Maxwell- Another X-factor, his playing of spin will land him a chance for the India tour. Depends on the performance of others more than anything as to what the selectors need


Wicketkeepers

Peter Nevill- SL was the first time he has been under pressure to perform and he couldn't stand out. Needs to bat like a test batsman to keep his place

Matthew Wade- His keeping is sub-par to Nevill's but his batting is more profitable for the side. Will likely be the next choice if Nevill falters

Sam Whiteman- The young gun, hasn't proven consistently yet but is definitely the future for Australian keeping. Will be selected if they want youth over past performances



Pace Bowlers

Jackson Bird- Really good return to test cricket and should be the third seamer

Chad Sayers- Always in the mix for SA and is capable of tearing teams apart. Not fast but swings a lot and may be a good option for the Adelaide test.

Joe Mennie- A more consistent option who doesn't do much with the ball but with Hazlewood in the team he isn't as necessary. May be an alternative to Bird

James Pattinson- If he can stay fit for the first half of the summer he should come roaring into the team unless everyone is in impeccable form

Pat Cummins- Already proven at test level however he has unfortunately only played 8 fc games. More games will make him almost an automatic selection

Nathan Coulter-Nile- Was in the SL squad but didn't get a match and is still awaiting his first test match. Injuries have held him back and he now needs some good red ball form to prove his case

Peter Siddle- Always there and reliable however with Bird and Mennie already available, his place is down the pecking order. Unlikely to play

Chris Tremain- Like Mennie, he was brilliant against South Africa A but poor in the one day series. Not the first pick but bad form and injuries could let him slide into the team


Spin Bowlers

Nathan Lyon- Still unproven outside of Australia. Needs to show he fits in with more wickets in the upcoming test series. Will likely play the first 3 tests

Steve O'Keefe- Only injuries have held him back so far and should get a look in the side before India. Will be almost a certainty for the Indian squad

Jon Holland- Poor start to his test career but good form could help him get to India

Fawad Ahmed- Will be fighting with Holland for a place in the Victoria team. His sub-continent experience will be crucial for India if he gets chosen however which will play into his favour

Mitch Swepson- Young and inexperienced yet proven to be a class leggie. May be called up for India for experience but will be unlikely to play

Adam Zampa- Proven white ball cricketer yet to transform that form into red ball matches. Needs to show he can do that before being selected

 

[Giraffe]

State lineups announced for Matador Cup first round

Queensland: Burns, Khawaja, Heazlett, Lynn, Reardon, Peirson, Wildermuth, Cutting, Steketee, Stanlake, Swepson


New South Wales: Warner, Maddinson, Smith, Patterson, Carters, Henriques, Nevill, Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon


South Australia: Weatherald, Ferguson, Head, Lehmann, Ross, Page, Carey, Richardson, Zampa, Mennie, Sayers


Victoria: Finch, Harris, Stoinis, Handscomb, Short, Maxwell, White, Wade, Hastings, Pattinson, Tremain


Western Australia: Marsh, Bancroft, Klinger, Marsh, Voges, Cartwright, Whiteman, Agar, Coulter-Nile, Behrendorff, Paris


Tasmania: Dunk, Paine, Doolan, Bailey, Michael, Webster, Faulkner, Milenko, Bird, Doherty, Boyce

 

[Dutch]

Love it mate especiallly the line:

Giraffe appointed Australian coach!

 

[Giraffe]

Giraffe names official Australia A side to face South Africa

In his first official act as coach, Giraffe has named a strong xii to face the touring South Africans. Before naming the team, Giraffe did in fact confirm that he will be using the match as a basis for potential test candidates. As the match takes place before the first shield round, there were no limits to what players could be named, however the subsequent match is not allowed anyone playing in the shield as it falls on the round 2 clash. The third clash will be unlikely to feature anyone in the first test for Australia as it finishes just four days from the start of the first test. Xii to face South Africa: Renshaw, Bancroft, Head, Lehmann, Handscomb, Maddinson, Cartwright, Whiteman, Agar, Cummins, Tremain, Swepson

Update: Game has taken far longer to download than expected...still 10 minutes left

 

[Giraffe]

South Africa name squad for Australian series

Old faces have been coupled with new names in South Africa's powerhouse squad to take on Australia in the three test series. De Villiers will captain the side which is expected to regain hold of the trophy after Australia's 3-0 loss to Sri Lanka and embarrassing 5-0 lost to South Africa themselves in the ODI series last month. At the same time they have named an xi fo face Australia in the first tour match at Manuka oval.

South Africa squad to face Australia:

Cook, Elgar, De Bruyn, Amla, De Villiers, Duminy, Bavuma, Pretorius, Rossuow, De Kock, Philander, Steyn, Morkel, Rabada, Shamsi, Maharaj, Abbot, Morris

South Africa team to face Australia A:

Cook, De Bruyn, Rossuow, Bavuma, Duminy, De Kock, Pretorius, Morris, Abbot, Maharaj, Shamsi

 

[Giraffe]

Queensland upset NSW in Matador Cup final


The Matador cup completed with Queensland upsetting both Victoria in the semi-final and NSW in the final to win the competition. Overall it was a brilliant tournament, with players around the country. After the last minute withdrawal of the CAXI, the cup returned to six teams (most of their players didn’t exist so I just left them out of the competition). In the group stage, both NSW and Victoria went through with just one loss, however NSW claimed an extra bonus point (one point for 275 runs or 10 wickets). Queensland followed with three wins, then Tasmania just edging out WA for the last spot in the finals by only 0.01 NRR after they finished equal on points. South Australia remained bottom with no wins in a disappointing campaign.


Australian captain Steve Smith led the runs with 438, followed by Finch with 422. Alex Doolan finished fourth in the tally with 368 after smashing a double ton in the opening fixture. The Queensland trio of Burns (368), Lynn (314) and Khawaja (263) showcased the backbone of the state’s success. Young allrounder Hilton Cartwright topped WA’s runscoring with 303 and South Australia’s best was Jake Lehmann with only 235.


Marcus Stoinis claimed the most wickets with 12, followed by Agar and Cummins with 10 apiece. Behrendorff and Faulkner both got 9 for their respected states and surprisingly Queensland’s best was Wildermuth with 8.


Stoinis claimed the man of the tournament award for his 280 runs and 12 wickets, Agar got the bowling award for his 10 wickets at a superb economy rate while also averaging a handy 15 with the bat. Smith was awarded with the batting award for his 438 runs.

Graphics of the tournament can be located at
GiraffeDBC17's albums - Imgur

*Statistics exclude finals matches

 

[Giraffe]

I don't mean to be a massive dissapointment already but I cannot contine this thread for the moment. While I love playing the game, I just feel some bugs are ruining the experience for me. I don't mind when playing on my own but when having to write about it and tell others about it I just can't justify the time spent at the moment. The selection process is a nightmare to manage with players appearing from everywhere and teams just randomly changing. That, coupled with all the players missing from the academy at the moment, is the basis of my decision to post pone this series.

Just to be sure I am not sending the wring message, I love this game. While I only bat, it feels so improved from the previous version, especially how it has stopped my pre-meditating while not using a ball marker...amazing

I still have something I wrote up before I started so I will post it next

Sorry if I have dissapointed anyone but I will be back eventually

 

[Giraffe]

Experts break down sheffield shield teams ahead of huge first round

Queensland
Big name: Usman Khawaja, had the golden touch last summer and if he can pick up that form it will set the bulls on the front foot from the start
Mr Reliable: At just 21, it is hard to believe that Matthew Renshaw can be considered for this pick. Yet, his gritty mindset ensures that even if he does fail to score big, he has worn down the opening bowlers
X-factor: Mitch Swepson may not have Warne's figures, yet he has the capacity to change games. The young gun can pull a wicket from anywhere and will be a huge key to the bull's success
Quiet achiever: Chris Hartley. The best wicketkeeper in Australia currently and is more than handy with the bat. He is so good with the gloves that it comes as a shock to his teammates if he gives away a bye
Young gun: Jack Wildermuth can get big hauls of wickets...and swing the bat too. If he fires he will be the complete package this year so expect big from him
What they need: Their bowling attack to step up. It has been their downfall of past times and unless they can contain the opposition it will come to be again
Crystal ball: 4th

New South Wales
Big name: We tried to look past their collection of current international players for this one but couldn't beat the Aussie captain himself, Steve Smith. When Smith is batting well, he is unstoppable, and it is that which will terrify opponents
Mr Reliable: Ed Cowan. The ex-test opener moved here this season and will hope to consistently get the side off to a solid start. Expect plenty of frustrated opening bowlers at the end of a Cowan knock
X-factor: Nick Maddinson. The kid can quite literally blow a game apart in a session and if he is allowed to go free he will
Quiet achiever: He may not be known for his big hitting or fast scoring, but Kurtis Patterson is always amongst the runs. While he is often overshadowed by a blazing ton, his knocks won't go unnoticed to the opposition
Young gun: Pat Cummins may have already played a test match, but only has 8 fc games to go with it. If he manages to stay fit however, he will be more than a handful for everyone who faces him. A strong summer may even land him back in the test side
What they need: To get off to a flying start while they have their internationals. They will lose a great amount of talent after round 3 so they need to win games early
Crystal ball: 2nd

South Australia
Big name: Travis Head lit the world alight last year with his massive innings and needs to do so again this year. Tipped widely as a future Australian star, the young captain will be a key role in the runners up's campaign
Mr Reliable: Chad Sayers is always taking wickets, but also has the capacity to break teams apart with big hauls. Don't expect to see no wickets next to his name often this year
X-factor: Jake Lehmann has won games before, and will do it again this year. With an appetite for big scores, and getting them fast, his explosive batting won't be easy to handle
Quiet achiever: Joe Mennie rolls in and bowls the same ball over and over. Yet, he still manages to consistently take wickets without grabbing the spotlight.
Young gun: Jake Weatherald hasn't done too much yet at fc level, but has shown plenty of potential. A confidence building score may be all he needs to be let loose from his shackles
What they need: To work as a team. Too often last year either their batting or bowling fell apart and lost them the match. If everything clicks, they won't be easy to beat
Crystal ball: 5th

Victoria
Big name: James Pattinson is making his return to cricket and everyone will know about it with his lightning fast bowling. After losing his test place through injury, he will be desperate to bounce back into the baggy green
Mr Reliable: Peter Handscomb has improved dramatically through the last few years and now is the backbone of the batting lineup. It is not easy to beat the young Victorian so don't be expecting an easy wicket when he strides to the crease
X-factor: It can't be anyone but Glen Maxwell. Nicknamed "The Big Show", he can win games on his own with his big hitting and more than useful off breaks.
Quiet achiever: Cameron White has been around forever, yet still manages to churn out runs. No longer the star of the team, he still consistently manages to top run scoring charts and will hope to continue this season
Young gun: Matthew Short may have only played two games, but has already looked a class bat. While he may struggle to crack into the side, when he does he will be sure to make the most of his opportunity
What they need: For the selectors to choose the right team. With so many options, it will be a real struggle to fit them in the same team. It does however give the non-chosen a chance to work harder for a spot
Crystal ball: 1st

Tasmania
Big name: George Bailey has been a crucial member for Australia's ODI team for some years now and has performed consistently for Tasmania even after his test axing.
Mr Reliable: James Faulkner is consistently a threat with his slow mediums and is more than handy with the bat. As a player who has the capacity to turn the game like he can, he is surprisingly consistent.
X-factor: When Ben Dunk its them, they stay hit. While his beenormous success in limited over cricket hasn't directly translated into shield form, he has the ability to hit devastating knocks
Quiet achiever: Beau Webster may not be a household name but the young allrounder has already proved his credentials as a starter in the lineup
Young gun: Simon Milenko is an up and coming bowling allrounder. He has already to proven that he can take wickets and keep and end tight which has secured his place in the side for the immediate future, however has yet to show off his batting talents
What they need: The veterans to show up. Doolan, Bailey, Dunk, Bird, Paine, Faulkner and Doherty are the only players with international experience in the squad and only Bird has played more than five test matches of them. Even so, the young squad will look up to these players to lead from the front.
Crystal ball: 6th

Western Australia
Big name: Mitch Marsh. The big hitting allrounder may be dropped from the test side unless he can improve, but that is nothing but gain for WA. His bowling is good enough to be selected as a bowler alone but he can tear teams apart with his big hits as well.
Mr Reliable: Michael Klinger is one of the unluckiest cricketers to not play for Australia. He consistently plys his trade either opening or at first drop game after game and will continue to do so this season.
X-factor: Hilton Cartwright may be young, but has already proven himself as a classy bat. Paired with his more than useful bowling, he will be a handful to deal with every game
Quiet achiever: Nathan Rimmington has always been a top level bowler and while he may not even make the side, when he will you know he will do what he does, which is take wickets and build pressure
Young gun: Ashton Agar may not be the teenager making 98 on debut anymore, but is still younger than most players in the league. While his batting is still not top 6 worthy, it is a work in progress. It is his bowling, however, that completes him as he is a deadly slow left armer. Expect plenty from him this year
What they need: For their batsman to perform. Especially when injuries and international call up come into play, it will be crucial for the likes of Klinger and Bancroft to perform. Their squad also noticeably lacks depth in batting so it will be up to players to step up
Crystal ball: 3rd