Story Brendon vs Callum vs Jono - A Worcestershire Battle

[CG123]

Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire
Twenty Over Cup - group match
10th June 2010​

Teams:

Worcestershire

1. Sanath Jayasuriya
2. Vikram Solanki*?
3. Alex Kervezee
4. Steven Smith
5. Ben Smith
6. Moeen Ali
7. Jack Manuel
8. Imran Arif
9. Matthew Mason
10. Alan Richardson
11. Jack Shantry

We made two changes, with both the Jack's coming in for Andrew and Mitchell.

Nottinghamshire

1. Alex Hales
2. Matt Wood
3. David Hussey
4. Chris Read*?
5. Ali Brown
6. Mark Wagh
7. Graeme Swann
8. Paul Franks
9. Stuart Broad
10. Andre Adams
11. Dirk Nannes

Their batting is their major weakness, so if we were going to be competitive our bowlers simply had to stand up. BTW Sidebottom wasn't injured, he just wasn't playing showing you the strength of their bowling.

Toss:

Worcestershire won the toss, and chose to bowl first.

Match:

Nottinghamshire - 151 for 8 (20 overs)

Chris Read 66 (42)
David Hussey 25 (21)

Matthew Mason 2-23 (4)
Steven Smith 2-24 (3)
Alan Richardson 2-25 (4)

Worcestershire - 146 for 5 (20 overs)

Steven Smith 61 (49)
Alex Kervezee 54 (48)

Dirk Nannes 2-29 (4)
Graeme Swann 0-14 (4!!!)

Result:

Nottinghamshire win by 5 runs

Points:

Nottinghamshire 2
Worcestershire 0

MOTM:

Chris Read (66 runs off 42 balls)

Reaction:

A big effort from the boys against against a team rated three (out of five) stars higher than us, but in the end their bowlers were just able to restrict us. We needed six runs off the final three balls of the match with Steven Smith on strike, but a dot ball followed by Smith's dismissal was our downfall after he'd played so well up until then. Like with the 40 over matches, we're really struggling to find fourth and fifth bowling options, this time they cost us 72 runs from the eight overs between them.

Our batting was really good against a great bowling line-up, but we just lacked that 10 an over acceleration at the end which is what we need if we're going to push for some victories. Kervezee and Smith put on over 100 runs between them, but someone else had to play a quick cameo which didn't happen.

 

[Chewie]

A very close match for you there! Hussey is the key to their batting, once he's out, the rest of the batting shouldn't be too hard to cope with

The fourth and fifth bowling options are what I'm struggling to find as well. Rather annoying.

 

[CG123]

If I'd got Chris Read cheaply I would have probably beaten them, but he took the match away from us.
Graeme Swann's E/R may be a bit exaggerated, as I did actually bat one less aggressiveness bar against him, hence why he didn't take any wickets.

 

[Chewie]

10th June 2010
Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire
Twenty Over Cup - Group Match
​

Playing XI?s

Worcestershire

1. Daryl Mitchell
2. Sanath Jayasuriya
3. Moeen Ali
4. Steven Smith
5. Imran Arif
6. Vikram Solanki*
7. Alex Kervezee
8. Shaaiq Choudhry
9. Matthew Mason
10. Alan Richardson
11. Chris Russell


Nottinghamshire

1. Alex Hales
2. Matt Wood
3. David Hussey
4. Samit Patel
5. Chris Read*?
6. Ali Brown
7. Graeme Swann
8. Paul Franks
9. Stuart Broad
10. Andre Adams
11. Ryan Sidebottom
​

Russell, Choudhry and Jayasuriya come in for Jaques, Leach and Whelan respectively. Hopefully this combination can perform better. Only one international player for Nottinghamshire, but Samit Patel will pose a huge threat with his aggressive batting.

I lost the toss again and was made to bat. Jayasuriya looked totally out of sorts, continuously playing and missing, and surviving one dropped catch. He was eventually bowled by Sidebottom, who also had Mitchell caught behind in the same over. Both of the openers had been batting at a strike rate of less than 100, so it was not much of an annoyance to see them depart. Ali was his usual aggressive self before he squirted a catch in close. For the first time, the tactic of playing Arif at 5 didn't work as he was out for a first ball duck. Smith was playing Swann well along the ground before being dismissed LBW. It was lucky that my batting lineup extended so low, but even this wouldn't save us from Swann. We were soon 72/7 in only the 11th over. Choudhry got out to Franks' first ball, and then Richardson ran Mason out to leave us in tatters at 78/9. We were eventually all out for 84, thanks to Messrs Sidebottom, Swann and Franks.

85 was never going to be difficult to chase, with Hales and Hussey both batting well. The batsman played cautiously, not wanting to waste wickets, knowing that it wasn't going to be hard to chase the total even if they played defensive shots to 4 of the 6 deliveries in the over. Eventually Patel hit the winning runs as they won in the 15th over.

It was a terrible performance from us and we deservedly sit at the bottom of the table.

Nottinghamshire win by 8 wickets
​

 

[CG123]

Lol, 84 all out. :laugh

Jayasuriya has been rubbish for me as well, but I don't have any other international options due to injuries and international duty etc.

 

[hedger_14]

6th June 2010
Worcestershire vs Durham
Twenty Over Cup - Group Match​

Teams:

Worcestershire

1. Phil Jaques
2. Daryl Mitchell
3. Vikram Solanki*†
4. Alex Kervezee
5. Steven Smith
6. Jack Manuel
7. David Wheeldon
8. Imran Arif
9. Gareth Andrew
10. Matthew Mason
11. Alan Richardson


Durham

1. Michael Di Venuto
2. Kyle Coetzer
3. Ross Taylor
4. Dale Benkenstein
5. Albie Morkel
6. Ian Blackwell
7. Phil Mustard*†
8. Liam Plunkett
9. Callum Thorp
10. Steven Harmison
11. Mark Davies


Phil Jaques was brought in for Sanath Jayasuriya who is in shocking form this season in T20's with an average of 3.17 in 7 T20's this season and a HS of 10 and a duck in his only T20 so far for the club. Ali and Ben Smith were dropped for Manuel and Wheeldon. Durham were strong favourites to win so I would be expecting a thrashing.


Toss:

Worcestershire have won the toss and elected to bat first


Worcestershire - 126/6

Phil Jaques 60 (53)
David Wheeldon 16* (22)

Steven Harmison 3/29 (4)
Callum Thorp 2/19 (4)


Durham - 127/1

Kyle Coetzer 66* (48)
Ross Taylor 49* (46)

Imran Arif 1/23 (3)
Matthew Mason 0/16 (3)


Durham win by 9 wickets


Points:

Durham 2
Worcestershire 0


MOTM:

Kyle Coetzer (66* off 48)

 

[CG123]

Meh, doesn't really matter, Durham are so far ahead of Worcestershire...

 

[Chewie]

Worcestershire lost to the Unicorns recently in real life :laugh

 

[hedger_14]

10th June 2010
Worcestershire vs Nottinghamshire
Twenty Over Cup - Group Match​

Teams:

Worcestershire

1. Phil Jaques
2. Daryl Mitchell
3. Vikram Solanki*?
4. Jack Manuel
5. Steven Smith
6. Shaaiq Choudry
7. David Wheeldon
8. Imran Arif
9. Gareth Andrew
10. Matthew Mason
11. Alan Richardson


Nottinghamshire

1. Alex Hales
2. Matt Wood
3. David Hussey
4. Samit Patel
5. Chris Read*?
6. Ali Brown
7. Graeme Swann
8. Stuart Broad
9. Andre Adams
10. Ryan Sidebottom
11. Dirk Nannes


Shaaiq Choudry back from injury, comes back into the side for Kervezee, Manuel moving up to #4 while Choudry slots in at #6. Their bowling lineup is strong, nearly as strong as Durham's and it would be tough scoring runs.


Toss:

Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first


Nottinghamshire - 212/2

Alex Hales 137* (69)
Matthew Wood 36 (22)

Gareth Andrew 2/26 (4)
Everyone else went at over 9 runs an over.


Worcestershire - 139/9

Steven Smith 42 (38)
Shaaiq Choudry 38 (31)

Dirk Nannes 4/35 (4)
Ryan Sidebottom 2/25 (4)


Nottinghamshire won by 73 runs


Points:

Nottinghamshire 2
Worcestershire 0


MOTM:

Alex Hales 137* (69)


Comments:

We just got dominated by Alex Hales. What a miserable bowling effort. Andrew did well but noone else did, all going at over 9 an over, and 4 bowlers over 10 an over. The batsman were just told to go for it but they lost wickets regularly, only Smith and Choudry scoring a decent amount of runs, Jaques and Manuel the only other batsman to pass 10. Will we ever be able to win a T20 game?

 

[CG123]

Holy ████, who's Alex Hales?

Worcestershire lost to the Unicorns recently in real life :laugh

Lol, I read about that as well.
Beaten by the team of rejects. :laugh

 

[Chewie]

I think T20 is more variable, so on a good day, we could probably win one. Callum came close once, and I think there'll be a couple of matches we could win

You got absolutely hammered though :laugh

Chewie added 0 Minutes and 30 Seconds later...

Hales has been named an up and coming English batsman iirc.

 

[CG123]

Another budget T20 match today?

 

[hedger_14]

Nah. Can't be bothered playing any more T20's today.

 

[CG123]

Nah. Can't be bothered playing any more T20's today.

Ok, I may post one for tomorrow/Monday, as I may be going our for most of the day.
You guys can wait untill tomorrow/Monday before you post your next one though, if you want.

 

[hedger_14]

yeah, sure. I was going to say that you could post yours now if you want. I might find the urge to play one later today anyway but if not, I'll post it tomorrow.