8th Match, Group A - Central Districts v Victoria @ Centurion

[TumTum]

Thank god Macca didn't get to face any more of the strike. What a useless hack with the bat. /rant

 

[LongLegs?]

Similar to Mumbai yesterday. If CD took those catches, they probably would've won.

Mason is a horrid bowler at the death. I like the look of Doug Bracewell though - didn't do a bad job with that last over too. Finch was just bossing his way around at that point.

 

[Howsie]

Yeah Doug Bracewell bowled well. Could of had Finch out in his first over had he not overstepped too. Central were always going to struggle to defend that total though, just not enough quality bowlers really. In hindsight Patton was a waste of a selection but ah well, you learn from these things.

Was excellent to see Doug Bracewell getting some reverse at the end of that innings though, at his age that is very impressive.

 

[khalek]

Well played CD, they gave Bushrangers a good run for their money which was not really expected after the Chennai game. Must have been a great innings from Finch!

 

[angryangy]

I think the Vics chased well in that they kept enough wickets in hand and they seemed to know exactly how much they could do in the last few overs. They were calm under pressure, which is in contrast with the mistakes that the Stags made.

However, the Vics suffered a heavy defeat to the Warriors and it might yet be of limited use just to have the win on the board. It may have been more prudent to try a more aggressive chase. They'll probably be hoping that CD somehow get the jump on the Warriors.

It was good to see How show what he's capable of in a credible situation; in recent times, I think he has really improved his attacking game, combining a good dose of resilience with an excellent ability to play the big shots. He has surely become a very selectable player for NZ right now.

Similarly, they've got some youngsters like Doug Bracewell who could also turn out to be real stars. They might rue selection dramas right now, but they might also be better off for the adversity.

 

[aussie1st]

There chase was alright in the end but if CD held onto their catches then this result could have been very different and the reason a number of the dropped catches were presented was through the pressure of the run rate.

 

[Chewie]

Yeah Doug Bracewell bowled well. Could of had Finch out in his first over had he not overstepped too. Central were always going to struggle to defend that total though, just not enough quality bowlers really. In hindsight Patton was a waste of a selection but ah well, you learn from these things.

Was excellent to see Doug Bracewell getting some reverse at the end of that innings though, at his age that is very impressive.

I think both Milne and McClenaghan were ill which is why they weren't selected.

How played well, especially at the end, 28 off one Hastings over!

But we didn't take our chances. Had opportunities to win but we dropped it.

 

[CG123]

I knew it would be closer than everyone was picking, but I wasn't really picking How to play like that.
Lol at CD playing only three proper bowlers, 8 of their overs were made up by players predominately there for their batting. (Not really sure why NB is there, I'd say he's more there for his batting)
I think they're mainly lacking a strike bowler, it's always going to be a problem when Mason's your main man. Bond sitting on the bench makes me sick, just get him out there for seven overs, so he can bowl a spell of four at the start.

 

[angryangy]

There chase was alright in the end but if CD held onto their catches then this result could have been very different and the reason a number of the dropped catches were presented was through the pressure of the run rate.

True enough, but pressure from the run rate is a given in limited overs chases. That goes double for T20; teams have to score runs aggressively whether chasing 165 or 145. It was interesting to notice that there were actually as many chances (including the ones taken) in the first half, with the RRR between 8.25 and 9.20, as there were in the later stages of the chase, where the RRR climbed to 12.50.

It also seems that a bowling side need many more chances later to come back into the game than they do to take the initiative early on. 3-4 wickets during fielding restrictions would be a dominant start, but the batting side gets off to a flyer, the fielding team then needs to take 5 or more in the death to have a hope of salvaging it.

You can restrict players from easy runs, but when the batting side might only need a couple of players to provide a quick 10-20, the numbers are on their side. So too, the snick and the french cut become increasingly devastating in their effectiveness; the worst shots are the Achilles' heel of a defensive field.

This is especially evident at the very end of either a T20 or a one-dayer; what we routinely see is that 30 off the last 3 overs, when the batsmen have no interest in self preservation, is usually easier than it looks. The concept of scoreboard pressure becomes a misnomer, as it is that pressure that drives the batsmen forward.

 

[irottev]

Ingram is such a crap player. His technique is horrible. He shoulda put that ball away for 4 easily. Bread and butter yet he picks out the man.

CD performed really well. Western shouldn't have been keeping wicket - he was terrible. Bracewell looks a really good prospect. He can bat too but didn't get a chance

CD's side were too unbalanced and they paid the price.