Story FTP: I've never been one for titles

[hedger_14]

Okay so obviously I couldn't stay away from here for too long but I'm just in a writing mood, so I'll just write here. Sorry this is a little disorganised but it's late and I just want to do a summary of the season, all the games that I write about will be much better than this.

The Season So Far
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Hedger's Team have enjoyed a solid start to their first season in the top One Day division, finding themselves mid table coming up to the halfway point in the season, although the league is very contested and only 4 points separates 4th and 7th. A good start to the season was made as Hedger's Team upset a shaky starting Multiple Scorgasms in the Div 2 T20 league with the two teams fighting it out for promotion. It took a strong bowling performance to do it though, as Multiple Scorgasms could only manage 87/8 on a bowlers paradise and starts from the Hedger's Team batsmen saw them able to chase that down within 14 overs. They then had World Champions Labrooys Leb Lions in their first One Day fixture and nearly pulled off a huge upset as Schultz helped in delivering some late fireworks, scoring 59* off 60 balls to get the total up to 199/9 on a seamer's paradise. Bollinger then ripped through the defending champions top order, and then took 2 wickets in his later spell to have the opposition at 184/8 but Porter kept his calm to farm the strike and guide them home, finishing unbeaten on 92, undoing the good work of Bollinger who finished with figures of 5/28 from 9.1 overs.

While some of the other top division managers may have felt Hedger would break under the pressure and return to Division 2 in a short time, this was going to be far from the case as Hedger's Team upset one of the better sides in the division, Hammertown Tigers thanks to a Victor Omara century, with fifties from Mol and Yousif to get the total up to 300 and the total proved to much even for the stronger Tigers, as Dharson, Bollinger and Morris all chipped in with vital wickets to prevent the batsmen from getting settled. A comfortable victory against bottom placed team The Nailers the next week along with easy wins in T20 and Cup games and it seemed to be smooth sailing for Hedger's Team, until they encountered a minor hiccup in their push for T20 promotion, when the decision to play 2 youth bowlers cost the home side dearly, conceding 61 runs in 6 overs between the two, as The Bengals raced to an 8 wicket win, chasing down 145.

Dhakaiya Gangsta proved too strong as well for Hedger's Team as Talha Jubair took a match winning 8/49 to help bowl the home side out for 162, Young the only player who seemed unconcerned by the opposition bowlers, as he made a solid 71, and had some support with the skipper making 34, but nobody else was able to get going, and in the end Dhakaiya Gangster cruised to a 6 wicket win with 13 overs to spare. Multiple Scorgasms were not having the best of times against Hedger's Team as it seemed like they were heading for a comfortable victory but a batting collapse saw them fall short of their target. After being sent into bat, Omara battled through the early period of the match, and went on to make 50, but the Scorgasms seem bowlers seemed too strong for the batsmen, as nobody else was able to get going, all making starts but nobody able to go on to make a big score and it proved consequential as Hedger's Team only made 176, a less than par score even on the bowler friendly pitch. Multiple Scorgasms seemed to be cruising, racing away to 47/0 after 9 overs, before Bollinger took the crucial wicket of MacNamara before Goedhart was brought on and removed the other opener in his first over, and had the opposition's best batsman out 2 overs later, and they had already fallen to 72/3. A triple strike from Yousif within his first 7 balls really turned the game on its head though and Multiple Scorgasms found themselves in real danger at drinks, 6 down and still 63 runs to win. Logan and Ahmad consolidated to fight the game back in the home side's favour, but it was another Yousif wicket that was needed, as the medium pacer finished with figures of 4/19 from his 10 overs. Goedhart then removed Shankar with his final ball of his spell, ending with more great figures of 3/25 before McIntyre mopped up the tail, seeing Multiple Scorgasms fall 16 runs short of their target, with their manager wondering how it all went wrong.

Hedger's Team turned their focus to the Pavilion Cup however, with the extra gate receipts a necessity to remain competitive in the top division over the next few seasons. Round 5 saw Hedger's Team first true test, up against English power house Hammertown Warriors, setting a crumbling pitch for the visitors to deal with. Despite the bowler friendly conditions, the Warriors decided to bat first, and it was a decision that didn't pay off as off spinning all-rounder Stewart Cooke took 4/26 with support from his other bowlers all chipping in with wickets to restrict the visitors to 155, a defendable target but not enough you would have felt. It was the experience of Jansen and the talent of Delaney that got the home side over the line, both chipping in with fifties, after the early wicket of Omara seeing them go from 1/26 to 2/122 and from then on, there was going to be no problem chasing down the last few, and despite taking a couple more wickets, Hedger's Team completed a comfortable 6 wicket win to book their spot in Round 6.

Round 7 saw Hedger face off with fellow Bangladeshi team Hammertown Tigers who they had already defeated once this season and would have loved to make it 2/2 for the season, with still one more meeting to come later on in the year. With players missing the One Day match on Friday through international duty, they were all fit and ready to go for the Pavilion Cup clash. Hedger's Team were sent into bat on a slow pitch. When Grace was dismissed in the second over, it seemed like it would be a long day ahead, and Omara shortly followed him albeit making a quickfire 17, and the visitors were found in a bit of trouble at 26/2, but with Delaney and Moonface at the crease, both having good international tours, Delaney averaging 50 in the 4 matches he played, and Moonface top scoring in the NAT Division 3, after scoring a huge century along with another fifty and top scoring for his side in the last game and Hedger would have been looking for all of that in this game.

A decision to play 3 spinners in seam friendly weather conditions was in hindsight not the best call to make, as Delaney and Moonface battled hard to get through to drinks, at 115/2, where it seemed like 220 would be a par score. This continued after drinks, until Moonface was dismissed by the dangerous medium pacer, Dent who added his third wicket, Moonface nicking behind for Grewal, the same fashion as the first two dismissals. New signing Magee, looked up for the challenge though as he continued where Moonface left off, keeping the runs ticking over and Hedger's Team found themselves at 210/3 after 40 overs.

That was when it all came crashing down. Whoever's idea it was to be taking stupid runs at this stage of the innings should find somewhere to hide, as Delaney was run out for 98, before Magee was dismissed for 33, and then came the lower order collapse, and what seemed like at one stage would be 270+, now would only be 240 as the last 5 wickets came for only 13 runs, meaning the Tigers were still in with a shot.

Bollinger took the early wicket of Leary, but that was about it to celebrate, and Hammertown Tigers found themselves at 110/2 at drinks. Muir was seeming set for a big century but it was Bollinger who made the crucial breakthrough first ball after drinks, Muir edging through to Grace. Chabrol then dismissed the new batsman Parkhill after he hit the first two balls for 10 runs and Grewal added 2 more boundaries to make it an 18 run over. Two more expensive overs and the RRR had dropped back down to 4.4, and Hedger's Team really needed some more wickets to stay in the game. Yousif nearly had Sweeney back in the dressing room, but it was the keeper who put down a tough chance. Grace dropped another one in the next over and it wasn't seeming like his best day, but he redeemed himself a little an over later, as Yousif took a big wicket, exposing the opposition all-rounders.

Goedhart had Dent pushing at a good ball, and he found the edge straight to Moonface at first slip giving the visitors the upper edge in this ever changing battle, 179/6 now, but still Sweeney at the crease. A strong partnership saw the Tigers look to have the game in the bag with only 29 runs needed from 8 overs, but it was a triple strike from Yousif in his final over, that seemed to have the game all but won, and Bollinger did the honours of taking the final wicket, Hammertown Tigers bowled out for 219, and Hedger's Team taking a crucial win to book themselves a spot in Round 7, the top 32 in the world and with a good shot of making the next round as well, although they have their work cut out for them if they want to win that game.

Senior One Day Div 1 Table:​

Twenty20 Div 2.2 Table:

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[hedger_14]

Hedger set to move forward in record deal
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News has been leaked that Brendon Hedger is set to make a move for Bermudan all-rounder, Smith Logan, and is willing to let Stewart Cooke go in order to make way for the 26 year old. When asked about it, Hedger told the press that Smith [Logan} would fill the gap his team is sorely missing right now, the lack of a quality spinner, as well as add to an already strong batting lineup. However they would need to make a bid of close to $3 million if fellow Bangladeshi side, Multiple Scorgasms are to let him go. A good relationship between the two managers, both part of the Bangladesh national setup, which was recently involved in a 5-0 cleansweep of the Division 3, could see a deal done in the coming day or two, in time for Hedger's Team's crucial Pavilion Cup clash away to Staples015. When asked if there were any other areas of the team he would like to improve in the short future, Hedger stated that he would love to add a quick spearhead to his attack, although given the team's current finances should this Smith deal go through, then Hedger may have to make do with what they have. He did admit that he was keeping his eye on a few players, and would monitor the situation over the next day or two, but no outright decisions have been made to make a move for any of these so called prospects as of yet.

Hedger has already confirmed that young Australian star all-rounder, Stewart Cooke would be leaving the club within the next day, although to where and for what price would be finalised over the next 24 hours. Hedger did state he was looking for at least $750,000 for the former Australian U19 all-rounder, although would settle for $600,000 should interest be lower than first thought. The 22 year old has had a difficult start to his Hedger's Team career after joining 2 seasons ago for over $1,000,000. In that time, he has only managed 33 SOD appearances for the club, taking 29 wickets @ 34.31, and 354 run @ 29.50 with just the one fifty, and similar averages in his 11 T20 matches.

 

[hedger_14]

Chewie CC Struggle with Chabrol and Omara Class
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In an unofficial friendly match between old rivals, it was Hedger's Team who came out on top comfortably despite a few scares. While the weather did give the bowlers something to be hopeful about, there was still a road to be batted on, and you would think both sides would be looking to put at least 280 on the board. With the strength of the batting lineup, Hedger opted to leave out a specialist all-rounder, meaning their top order really had to fire. Chewie CC were the weaker team on paper but there was enough talent there to cause an upset.

After winning the toss, Delaney sent Chewie CC into bat, preferring the idea of chasing down whatever total was set for them. Former Netherlands batsman Sven Kip was the first to fall, when Frank Bollinger showed his skill with a beautiful ball swinging back into the right hand batsman and Sven Kip was caught on the pads and a huge shout was enough to convince the umpire to have Kip on his way, for only 2. Lindeman joined McIntyre at the crease but the difference in quality was showing as Hedger's Team kept the pressure on and Bollinger had McIntyre poking at a good length ball and Grace completed the simplest of catches, despite dropping a couple chances the previous weekend, and Chewie CC were 2 down within 10 overs. Lindeman tried to fight back as he watched Tsolekile fall for only 11. It was Morris who took the crucial wicket of the Netherlands international however just before drinks as Lindeman failed to clear the infield, holing out to a deepish mid on. At drinks there was a lot of work to do for the visitors who found themselves at 121/4.

Chabrol made it 5 shortly after drinks before Morris exposed the tail with still 15 overs to bat out, and nowhere near enough runs on the board. A small fightback helped however as Stamssnijder and Shariki brought up a hard but it was Junior Chabrol who seemed to be unphased by the flat pitch, who again made the vital breakthrough, finding the edge of Shariki for 33 and Hedger's Team would be very happy with that one. Chabrol made it 4 in his last over to finish with astounding figures of 4/37 from his 10 overs, before McIntyre took a wicket in his final over, but a few more runs saw Chewie CC finish with a total of 219/9, well below par and their bowlers would have to pull off something special to get over the line in this one.

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Chewie CC needed to take early wickets to keep themselves in the game, and Sampath gave the visitors exactly what they needed with the huge wicket of Cillian Magee in his first over, edging to Kip at first slip who was never going to put that one down. The Canadian duo of Omara and Delaney looked to take the game away from the bowlers however, as they brought up the fifty run partnership in 59 balls. Stamsnijder gave the supporters some hope when he dismissed Delaney for 32, but it was again another strong partnership between Omara and Moonface that had the home side looking well on track for victory. Two wickets in as many overs, having Moonface and Grace back in the pavilion had Hedger worrying a little with the long tail about to become exposed, and at drinks, the home side had managed 132/4, the game still slightly in their favour but needing to make sure they didn't lose any more wickets.

Omara was in a hurry after the drinks break however, and smashed his way to 98 within the 33rd over, but like Delaney the previous wicket, a stupid decision cost him his wicket on that dreaded number, as he managed to pick out the fielder on the mid wicket fence and Sampath had another big wicket. With only 45 runs needed however, things weren't looking too promising, and Chabrol may have been a bowler but he had no problem dispatching the bowlers while Mol kept his cool and guided his team home to a 5 wicket win with 11.1 overs remaining, a comfortable victory that probably should have been a little easier.

 

[hedger_14]

Transfer Activity High as Hedger's Team Prepare for Important Cup Clash
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With the excitement building for the Round 7 Pavilion Cup clash, Hedger looked to the market in order to improve his team. A press conference was called to announce all the transfers that had been made, and Hedger opened proceedings by confirming the record signing of all-rounder Smith Logan for $2.8 million. "Yes we overpayed, but it was necessary and we promise the fans that the hefty transfer fee will be paid off in the long term". Meanwhile Stewart Cooke made the move to the Caribbean for $1.26 million, much above what Hedger was expecting for the young Australian prospect. Veteran Brad Wingard was also added to the squad in hope to take advantage of the seam friendly conditions expected for Sunday's match, joining from Tempest for a shade under $40,000. Arthur Martin was the last of the confirmed signings, and although Hedger admits Martin will only be used as cover, he was a handy backup option.

Tomorrow's Senior One Day clash against Hoarders CC may not seem important at the moment but with both teams in the Pavilion Cup still and willing to go further, both teams will likely field a weakened lineup, which could result in an unpredictable game, however Hoarders CC seem content to prepare a spinner friendly pitch, which will disadvantage the visitors, although the humid conditions forecasted may negate some of this advantage. For the moment, the team that Hedger's Team will field is looking like this.

1. Michael Young (c)
2. David O'Keeffe
3. Arthur Martin
4. Lars van der Hoeven (wk)
5. Arnold Schultz
6. Alan Grace
7. Aladdin Yousif
8. Junior Chabrol
9. Evert Goedhart
10. Marcel Lansing
11. Mark McIntyre​

 

[hedger_14]

Also updated first post completely, and I've added full player profiles a couple posts below. Also if anybody wants anything let me know

 

[Dutch]

good to see you back! And nice writing....on another note: i see you are also a supporter of the `netherlands cricket team, what's the connection if you dont mind me asking!?

 

[hedger_14]

Oh, not really anymore. Decided I'd just follow a minnow team for the sake of it and pretty sure I was a fan of RTD at the time, and was like okay gonna support South Africa and the Netherlands now. Either way, would love to go there and all that, heh.

 

[Chewie]

Does your team make money every week? Mine's losing a whole bunch and I can't be bothered spending time trying to find younger players to replace my 30 year olds who are starting to plop. I might end up stopping playing in a season or two once my current players get too old

 

[hedger_14]

Only with Pavilion Cup money do I make a profit, so I'm basically banking on going another 2 rounds, for this to pay off. Div 1 sponsorship money is pretty good, I kinda need to promote in T20 if I'm going to be able to last a few more seasons though but my most important clash is next week and I need to go full strength in the Cup meanwhile the team I'm up again will have a fully rested team since he was knocked out of PC already and had the weakest SOD team today so he got away with that, so things not looking too good on that front.

I think in 2 seasons I'll start over going pure youth academy, and farm for a few seasons, and then mount a run in Canada. The chances of winning the top Bangladeshi league is slim as it is, since Labrooy destroys everyone every season.

 

[hedger_14]

Lions Survive Close Scare, Table Tightens Up
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It was a very interesting matchday with a few interesting results and halfway through the season things were starting to get a little more intense. Multiple Scorgasms had an easy day, quickly dispatching bottom placed team, The Nailers chasing down a meagre 64, as Larwood, Shankar and Ketaki chipped in with 3 wickets a piece, as they went on to win by 10 wickets. Dhakaiya Gangsta may have had a cup clash to worry about on Sunday but they fielded a strong lineup for their clash with 7th place side Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. The Ducks proved that the division was one of the most difficult in the world after being sent into bat on a crumbling deck. Chinmay seemed to have no problem with the bowler friendly conditions and batted through the whole innings to finish 140* with the Duckies making 267/2. Even with a strong batting lineup, Dhakaiya were going to have a lot of difficulty chasing down such an emphatic target, and their struggles showed, as they were rolled for 93, undone by the wrist spin of Azad who took 5/26.

Hoarders CC went into their match with Hedger's Team as clear favourites, despite both having a cup clash coming up. Hedger's Team was sent into bat on a spinner friendly wicket, and things were looking good as Moonface, who was included as a late selection instead of Alan Grace, and new signing Martin battled through to drinks without losing a wicket. The run rate was a slight problem and when the openers were finally dismissed by some good bowling from Hafiz and Ayub, Hedger's worst nightmare came to life as the middle order collapsed like the house of cards that the openers just built, and Hedger's Team had gone from 0/114 to 7/165, Ayub the instigator as he went on to finish with figures of 5/31. Schultz helped steady the ship as he looked to farm the strike and made a solid 28, but when he was dismissed by Gaff, that was about it and the last 2 wickets fell to see Hedger's Team bowled out for 193 in 48.1 overs. It was a strong opening partnership that took the game away from the visitors, as Rios and Selwood put on a 144 run opening partnership, and even a couple of wickets from Chabrol wasn't enough to stop Hoarders CC from completing a comfortable 8 wicket win within 37 overs.

In the top of the table clash between Labrooys Leb Lions and Hammertown Tigers, it was the defending champions who took a needed win after surviving a close scare that looked like the Tigers would just get over the line. The Lions won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry pitch but suffered an immediate setback when Matiba edged behind in the second over. A mini fightback seemed to have the batting side back on top but it was the spin of Cooper who broke the partnership before Ramaswamy made it 3 down within 18 overs, and it was on the captain to rebuild the innings. Another wicket after drinks had the Tigers right on top, having the home side at 108/4. Darke's 49 was a useful contribution but his wicket brought a bit of worry from the nervy supporters. Mathews and Porter did well though before some late fire picked the Lions up to a respectable 237/6, maybe a little below par but still defendable.

Muir and Leary looked positive as they set about their chase and things were looking great for the visitors but a wicket from Mathews right on drinks saw the Tigers go into the halfway mark at 120/2, things still in their favour but a lot of work to do. Mathews and Dildar took wickets in back to back overs shortly after drinks however and it was the class of the Lions which had the home side looking like they would pull through. Grewal was out shortly after and at 166/5, the match was right in the balance, with the run rate still well in control. The game came down to the last 6 overs, with the Tigers only needing 18 runs with 4 wickets in hand. Maxwell stunned the visitors with 2 wickets in 3 balls and we had a match on our hands. A wicket in the following over saw the Tigers needing 10 runs with just the 1 wicket in hand. The batsmen survived one more over from Maxwell but it was Mathews again who saw the job done, trapping Docherty in front to extend the Lions lead at the top of the ladder, but it was way too close for comfort.

With 6 teams separated by only 8 points, the exceptions of the Lions who now held a 6 point lead at the top, and The Nailers who were still yet to record a win in their 7 games, we have a very interesting second half of the season on our hands, with the frantic hunt for survival about to become more real by the day.


Labrooys Leb Lions 237/6 (Darke 49, Mathews 48*, Cooper 2/36, Ramaswamy 2/52) def. Hammertown Tigers 231 a.o. (Leary 58, Woods 38, Mathews 4/31, Maxwell 3/34) by 6 runs


Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies 267/2 (Chinmay 140*, Patankar 74, Gazi 1/48) def. Dhakaiya Gangsta 93 (Khan 22, Azad 5/26, Ten Dam 3/26) by 174 runs


Multiple Scorgasms 64/0 (Menegon 30*, Single 29*) def. The Nailers 64 a.o (Hendricks 16, Ketaki 3/0, Shankar 3/23) by 10 wickets with 245 balls remaining


Hoarders CC 194/2 (Selwood 82*, Rios 65, Chabrol 2/58) def. Hedger's Team 193 a.o. (Moonface 62, Martin 47, Ayub 5/31, Gaff 2/30) by 8 wickets with 82 balls remaining

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[hedger_14]

Pavilion Cup Round 7 Preview - Staples015 v Hedger's Team
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Match Details:

Home Staples015
Away Hedger's Team
Ground Staples015 Cricket Ground
Date 02/11/2014 00:00 GMT
Weather (Forecast) Sunny
Pitch (Current) Sticky

With league games now done for the week, the focus has now well and truly switched to the Pavilion Cup, with the final 32 teams battling it out tomorrow. Hedger seemed confident his team would be able to pull through against a similarly talented side, but with the original forecast of cloudy weather now seeming unlikely, a sunny day may benefit the home side more, who will be able to benefit from their stronger spin attack. Staples015 always play their cup matches on a sticky pitch and there's no thought in anyone's mind that this will be anything but the case, meaning the batsmen will have their work cut out for them.

Both sides will be naming a full strength lineup, with Staples015 seeming a little fresher, but anything can happen. Staples015 came off a comfortable victory against Bangladeshi outfit Yabba's Rabbies in Round 6, Lalor leading the way with 5/7 after McRae and Guillen both scored fifties with the bat. Meanwhile Hedger's Team found their way here after a nervy victory over Hammertown Tigers, much thanks to Delaney's 98, who will be hoping for another strong win.

In the Spotlight

Smith Logan is well and truly the man to look out for in this match, after making the record transfer move over to Hedger's Team. The conditions may not suit his bowling overly, but his batting will definitely be a handy asset, if he can get going. While he may have been hoping for cloudy conditions to complement his very strong batting ability against seam bowling, he will still not mind batting at the top of the order.

Hedger's Team skipper, Brayden Delaney may have been quite reserved in the lead-up to this match, but the Canadian knows a lot rests on his shoulders, to pull off another innings as he did last week. He will hope to have the run out out of his head by now, but nightmares of the way he got out on 98 may come back to haunt him. Still he's a joy to watch, and he wants to live up to the expectations.

Brett Lalor is the name on supporters and players' minds as we approach tomorrow. The spinning all-rounder was lethal last Sunday, and has already managed 21 wickets @ 12.29 in 8 matches this season. No mug with the bat either, with a fifty already this season, and his full average of 18 would be a useful contribution down the order especially in tricky conditions.

A player who will also be a player to keep an eye on is Cathal Hogan. The Staples seamer has yet to really fire this season, only 8 wickets in 7 games and has leaked a lot of runs. The pressure is definitely on him to pull out a strong performance, but with his confidence down, Hedger's Team may look to get after him. It should be a good battle in any case.

Team News

Staples015 have a difficult decision on what bowlers to take for the match. 2 spinners seems like the better option, especially given that wrist spinner Favell played on Friday. Although the fitness of Christian Boss seems like a worry, meaning they will likely have to play 3 right arm medium fast bowlers if they don't play the 3 finger spinners, meaning a 3 man spin attack seems like the way things will be heading.

Staples015 (probable) 1. Arthur Guillen 2. Archie McRae (capt) 3. Sidney Crosby 4. Alpin Campbell 5. Jason Johnston (wk) 6. Andrew Smith 7. Brett Lalor (lfs) 8. Cathal Hogan (rfm) 9. John Mason (lfs) 10. Matthew Death (rfs) 11. Talha Ibn-Ubaidullah (rfm)

The batting order of Hedger's Team is the only question to be had but it seems like Logan will fit into the opening slot alongside Omara. Yousif's fitness may need to be monitored closely, but apart from that Hedger's Team are set to name a full strength lineup. Smith will most likely play as the lone spinner after McIntyre played on Friday meaning him being selected is a low chance. Wingard is set to make his debut.

Hedger's Team (probable) 1. Victor Omara 2. Smith Logan (lfs) 3. Brayden Delaney (capt) 4. Cillian Magee 5. Monty Moonface 6. Alan Grace (wk) 7. Ruben Mol 8. Aladdin Yousif (rm) 9. Frank Bollinger (lfm) 10. Bryan Morris (rfm) 11. Brad Wingard (rf)

 

[hedger_14]

Hedger's Team Coast to Victory, Omara and Bollinger Lead the Way
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It was supposed to be a close contest, with two evenly matched sides fighting it out. And it may have been that way, if Staples015 hadn't decided to field an unorthodox lineup. Jason Johnston didn't turn up to the match, meaning Staples were left without a keeper. It was a panic and in the end, it was Gangadeep Das, primarily a bowler who took the gloves. Staples only played 4 specialist batsmen and you would have thought this had to be no contest.

Archie McRae won the toss, and sent Hedger's Team into bat, and if they hadn't proved to be odd enough with their tactics, they raised the eyebrows of just about everyone when Alpin Campbell was given the new ball, rarely having picked up a ball in his life. Regardless of how stupid the decision was, it seemed to work as the player under the spotlight, Smith Logan who decided that he wanted to take Campbell out of the park with his first ball and picked out the man on the mid wicket fence. That wasn't it though, as Delaney found himself shaking his head when he tried to work one to the leg side, but a bit of extra bounce and turn saw the ball flick the glove, and Das took a quite brilliant catch down the legside. Omara punished Campbell after that, and the medium pace of Bos was nothing penetrable enough to trouble the two batsmen at the crease. Then came the magic of Campbell again, the change of pace which came probably just as surprising to the bowler than it did to the batsman, but it was enough to have Magee playing on it way too early and losing his off peg, and Hedger's Team were somehow 3 down within 7 overs, however the bad news for Staples though were that they were leaking runs left, right and centre.

A consolidation period ensued though, as they worked around the better spin bowlers of Mason and Death to find themselves at 133/3 halfway through the innings, a very solid recovery. Das wasn't having the greatest day behind the stumps, conceding a fair amount of byes, and things got worse when he put down a regulation catch, Omara given a life. Moonface then took the returning Campbell out of the park, smashing 28 runs in the last 2 of his overs, Campbell finishing with figures of 3/86 and Hedger's Team were 175/3 after 30. A mini collapse gave Staples some hope, as Bos had Moonface trapped in front for 77, before Lalor struck twice in two balls, having Omara on his way for 89 and Mol's poor form continued out for a golden duck. Grace and Yousif kept their cool though, rebuilding well before Grace decided it was time to tee off, hammering Death for 3 sixes in 4 balls to bring up his fifty, before playing one shot too many, and completely missed one which clipped the top of the stumps. Yousif went on to finish unbeaten on 34 and Hedger's Team had an easily defendable 304/8, surely out of reach for Staples015.

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Staples015 also decided to open with their medium pace bowler, Bos and whatever decision this was didn't end up paying off, as he tried to slog first ball, and all he managed was a top edge off Morris which Smith took a comfortable catch at mid on. The swing of Bollinger was enough to have McRae's wicket, Grace moving well to take a comfortable catch, and Staples were in trouble. When you only play 4 specialist batsmen, you're always going to have trouble scoring runs and when new signing Wingard bowled a quick bouncer which Smith couldn't get over and picked out the deep square fielder, there seemed to be no way back for the home side, now at 44/3. Crosby was trying hard to keep his wicket but it was Morris who was brought back on and had one that stuck in the pitch, Crosby unable to get bat on ball and was trapped in front, exposing the extremely long tail. Das couldn't cope with the skill of Bollinger when he was brought back on after drinks, edging the Aussie paceman straight into the hands of Magee at slip. The rest of the tail didn't put up much of a fight, as Bollinger and Wingard ripped through the tail, taking 2 more wickets a piece, while Yousif got in on the action with a wicket for himself, to have Staples bowled out for exactly 100, completing a huge win.

How much further Hedger's Team are willing to go in the cup will be the question on everyone's mind, with the extra gate receipts and prize money a great incentive, but with the league to worry about as well, and now the danger of being relegated if they don't show enough focus, it will be a difficult decision to make. With a match against Labrooy's Leb Lions this round, it may seem like Hedger will rest his key players for one more round and hope to reach the quarter finals of the cup. The draw for the next round is yet to be completed with matches still to be played later today, but Hedger's Team will have to go up against the winner of Cregagh and Springfield Isotopes, which at this stage will most likely be the Irish power house, Cregagh.

Note: Opposing manager was at work and didn't get back in time to set orders, which was quite a shame as it would have been a close match.
​

 

[hedger_14]

Edgar Wins Toss, Bats First in Important Cup Clash
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Match Details:

Home Cregagh
Away Hedger's Team
Ground Gehenna Cricket Ground
Date 09/11/2014 15:00 GMT
Weather Cloudy
Pitch Dry
Crowd 22,000

The much anticipated Round 8 clash between Cregagh and Hedger's Team is about to get underway, with the winner to play Australian giants, Relegation Material in the quarter final, who overcame The Soggybottom XI who were very disappointing earlier today. Hedger's Team fielded a second team against Labrooy's Leb Lions in the league on Friday, in which they were swiftly defeated, although did put up a good fight, having the opposition at 6/151 but a 100 run 7th wicket partnership got the league leaders up to 267 which proved too much for a depleted batting lineup, Mol starring with 70.

Cregagh on the other hand, went full strength in their league clash taking a needed 17 run victory over West Indian title contenders. However two home matches for Cregagh meant they could prepare a dry wicket for this match, meaning they should be able to field a strong spinning lineup while Smith is the only fully fit spinner in the visiting squad, after having to also play on a spinning deck on Friday.

Both sides look strong, and Cregagh's slight spin advantage will be offset by Hedger's full strength batting lineup, and the cloudy weather conditions seeming to have something there for the seamers. With the weather conditions, Hedger has opted to play the 3 seamers, with new wrist spinner Mansey joining Logan Smith in the slow bowling department. However fitness may be an issue for the 30 year old, who also played on Friday, taking 0/46 from his 10 overs. The only change in the batting lineup for the visitors from last week's cup clash is Mol making way for Martin, who impressed last Friday, with a hard fought 47 starring in that opening partnership with Moonface in an otherwise abysmal batting display. However with such a strong batting lineup, the Scottish bat will be batting at 8, but that just shows the depth of the batting lineup. It also looked like fast bowler, Wingard would play as well, but was left out in favour of Yousif and Morris. There may have been a temptation to play 4 seamers but the pitch just seemed too dry to only play one spinner.

Cregagh meanwhile have enjoyed the luxury of being able to play 5 seamers in their One Day match on Friday, allowing them to play their lethal spin trio who are fully fit and ready to go. The seam friendly conditions may give some assistance to Marx and Frost but it will definitely be the spinners that will be the most dangerous.

After winning the toss, Edgar contemplated his decision for a moment but opted to bat first, knowing well and truly that the spin trio would be able to restrict runs later in the game. A crucial toss to win, and one that Hedger's Team will be thoroughly disappointed to lose.

The way we see it

With the teams looking evenly balanced, the game could go either way. Batting first will give the home side the edge, in what looks like a game that setting a total is the way to go. If Cregagh can put on 240+, they have a good shot at winning this game, but given the visitors strong and deep batting lineup, anything is chaseable.

It's impossible to pick a winner. If Hedger's Team were batting first, I'd have fancied them to get over the line in a close encounter but I think Cregagh will have what it takes to make this a really close game. Definitely looking like a match that could well be decided by the winner of the toss.

Teams

Cregagh

1. Padman Arnold
2. Jayden Pettengell
3. Denis Edwards
4. Simba Signh
5. Jack Kelly (wk)
6. Johnny Cash
7. Henry Frost
8. Frankie Edgar (c)
9. Joshua Outram
10. Karl Marx
11. William Hastings

Hedger's Team

1. Victor Omara
2. Smith Logan
3. Brayden Delaney (c)
4. Cillian Magee
5. Monty Moonface
6. Alan Grace (wk)
7. Aladdin Yousif
8. Arthur Martin
9. Frank Bollinger
10. Bryan Morris
11. Angusa Manthey


Toss: Cregagh won the toss and elected to bat​

 

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Cregagh On Top after Strong Batting Display
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Halfway through the game, it's the home side well on top, after some late fire from Frost in particular, taking the home side to a very respectable 265. An inability to take wickets in quick succession proved to be the difference, as a number of solid partnerships helped the home side to get to the platform necessary to set themselves up to come out with all guns blazing in the last 10 overs. Bollinger was the star with the ball, the only one able to stop the flow of runs and take wickets regularly.

Hedger's Team started off better, keeping it tight, and taking the big wicket of Pettengell, Bollinger striking early. Arnold and Edwards slowly rebuilt but it was the wicket for Mansey in his first over that set the home side back again. However, the pressure was let off as the all-rounder Yousif struggled to keep things tight, and let the home side get away a little, bringing the run rate up to where it was needed. Again as it seemed to be slipping away from the visitors, a wicket maiden from Yousif, dismissing the dangerous Martin who had just passed his half century gave Hedger something to smile about, and at drinks, Cregagh were 114/3, slightly on top still.

Bollinger was given the ball after drinks and that decision paid off, as he got through the defences of the set Signh. Kelly and Cash combined in a strong partnership to keep the home side in with a chance of setting over 240, but the wrist spin of Mansey was too much for Kelly to deal with, bowled for 26 and Mansey finished with figures of 2/38. Morris was brought back on and suffered massive punishment as Cash looked to score quickly. Logan took his first wicket for the club, when he had Cash caught out on the boundary, before Morris dismissed Edgar in the next over. The run rate was hard to contain though, as Frost quickly raced away, and took on Bollinger after Outram was trapped in front. 23 runs from the 48th and 49th over combined helped the home side to where it needed to be, before a strong over from Bollinger to finish, ending with the wicket of Hastings kept Cregagh to 265, Frost finishing with 46 off 29 balls.

Surely this will prove too much for Hedger's batsmen but it's not over until the final ball is bowled.

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Delaney and Moonface Star in Impressive Chase
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Dropped catches cost Cregagh, in a match where they struggled to restrict the pure class of Hedger's batsmen, as they chased that down with 2 overs to spare, the bowlers unable to get on top of the match. With the victory, Hedger's Team book themselves a spot in the quarter final against Australian giants, Relegation Material where it may be the end of the road.

Going out to bat, 266 seemed like it would prove too steep a chase, and the visitors suffered an immediate setback when the inform Omara drove the ball hard back towards the bowler, where Frost took a superb return catch to dismiss the Canadian star for a duck. The decision to play 2 slightly fatigued seamers seemed to cost Cregagh who struggled to contain Smith and Delaney who raced away to 71/1 after 11 overs, bringing out spin from both ends. Hastings nearly had Logan out, when Frost put down a difficult chance on the boundary. Fortunately that wouldn't prove too costly, as Outram trapped the Bermudan all-rounder in front next over for a respectable 32, coming off 44 deliveries. Delaney brought up his fifty the following ball, before the introduction of Edgar proved to be a good bowling change, as Magee was beaten by the quicker one, and the umpire had no hesitation raising the finger.

Still the visitors were fighting hard, and found themselves in a strong position, at 126/3 at drinks, Moonface put down just before the drinks break on 12. The skipper and Moonface looked to up the tempo after drinks, before Moonface was given yet another life, when he was put down by Frost on 31, who was not having a great day in the field after his strong batting performance. This proved costly, as the next few overs brought the required run rate down to 5, although Delaney's attack proved to be his downfall, as he tried to play Marx across the line, and saw the stumps go flying, the skipper out for 78 at nearly a run a ball, but he had really changed the game. Outram finally dismissed the hard hitting Moonface, albeit 10 overs too late, when he deceived the American batsman with his flipper, and Moonface was back in the pavilion, out LBW for 64, but it was looking like he had done enough to get Hedger's Team over the line, at 209/5 with still over 10 overs to play.

Yousif joined Grace at the crease, and albeit Hastings and Outram's efforts to take another wicket, the home side did not have enough runs to play with, and the batsmen cruised home, to complete a 5 wicket win with still 2 overs to play, finishing a very impressive chase. Now Cregagh can now shift their focus solely on the league, meanwhile Hedger will have to make a decision of whether to look to progress further in the cup or ensure that they keep their heads above water sooner rather than later.

Captain Comments:

Delaney - "I thought the toss was going to decide the game, so losing that was a major setback, but I thought we did a great job chasing down such a huge total. We need to do better with the ball if we're going to win next week though"

Edgar - "It's slightly frustrating to go out like that, after batting well. Delaney is a freak and his performance was a game changer. At this stage, our league games are more important and we expected to go out today so it isn't the end of the world."

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