Story International Cricket Championship

[m_vaughan]

Team England arrive in Kolkata

England touch down
Michael Vaughan's side have arrived at Kolkata ahead of the round 1 clash with India. The first one dayer will take place at the Eden Gardens, with the second one being held in Mumbai. The Test match will take place in Chennai.

The England players looked confident ahead of the inaugural Johnnie Walker Premier Division Championship. England have been named second favourites for the title behind Australia by the bookies.

Team member Paul Collingwood had this to say:

Its a tough start to the season, playing away to India. They are a strong team, and especially at home are a strong force. But we are a good side ourselves and believe that we can beat them in both the ODIs and the test match.

The team headed for the hotel straight from the airport, and after the night's rest were up and ready in the training ground next morning.

England coach Duncan Fletcher stresses on a good start to the season.

Its important that you start well. A good start raises the morale of the team, while a bad start can really put you down. And without confidence it is very difficult to perform out in the middle.

At the official press conference, the England captain Michael Vaughan looked extremely confident and said that his team were fully capable of winning the title.

I think its a fantastic championship, and a real test for all the competiting teams. Every match is crucial, and consistency is the key. We have been very consistent over the past few years, and I believe with the strength and depth in our squad, we have every chance of winning the title in this very first season. I am really excited about leading England in this championship, and I am sure we will do well.

 

[m_vaughan]

England's Round 1 Fixtures:

Jan 2nd - ODI v India (away) - Kolkata
Jan 4th - ODI v India (away) - Mumbai
Jan 6-10 - Test v India (away) - Chennai

 

[usy]

looking good so far.

 

[James219]

Looks great, well done . By the way, how will you manage all the other games that England don't participate in?

 

[sohail]

this is going to be another cracking series from u vaughnie!!

 

[nightprowler10]

Okay I'll take some time to get the matches started. As you know I was going well with my previous story, and was involved in a fantastic test match with Pakistan. But then a system crash meant I lost that game, and hence ended my story there.

I have reinstalled the game after reformatting, and am currently updating stuff like AI, kits, stadium graphics, bats, faces, etc. But I would guess I might take a little more time before the matches actually begin. In the meantime I'll continue posting all the build-up to this new and exciting International Cricket Championship.

Ouch. Good luck with this one.

 

[Brett_Lee]

Good luck with this one mate!

 

[MWaugh]

great idea sid. if anyone can pull this off its you. i love the way you build up your games. best of luck

 

[m_vaughan]

Thanks guys. I was really gutted with what happened to my England International Season, so I am gonna take extra care to ensure that nothing similar happens to my current story.

I also suggest other story writers keep back-up copies of the saved game file in a flash disk or portable drive. I know its a pain to do it every time, but as you can see - disaster comes with no warning at all!

 

[m_vaughan]

1st ODI Preview

Match Preview:
India vs England
Round 1
1st ODI

India and England kickoff the new season tomorrow in the first one day international at the Eden Gardens ground, Kolkata.

Both teams are pretty much on level terms heading into this game, though India might have the slight edge as they are playing at home, where they are always tough to beat. Add to that the fact that the England players tend to struggle in the subcontinent. But this new table format, requires them to win matches in all parts of the world, if they want to clinch the title.

Home side India have a strong batting lineup, with the likes of Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid and Dhoni capable of winning games single-handedly. Also their bowling has shown a lot of improvement over the past few years and youngsters like Irfan Pathan and RP Singh have impressed with the ball. Add to that the experience and skill of one of the best spinners in the world in Harbhajan Singh.

England's strength clearly lies in their bowling. Their pace attack is currently rated as the best in the world, after destroying the mightly Australians in the last Ashes series. However the wickets in the subcontinent do not offer much help to the fast bowlers, and England's weakness in their spin bowling department could cost them.

The venue, Eden Gardens, is one of the finest grounds in the world. Having hosted a lot of big matches in the past, the ground is really popular with a lot of the cricketers.

Key players:

India
Virender Sehwag

This explosive batsman has the ability to blow away the opposition within a few overs. His aggressive style can shake up even the best bowling attacks, however this as the same time could be seen as his weakness. The lad always goes for his shots, and hence there is always a chance to get him out. However it is important that you dismiss him early, otherwise he will make you pay.

Sachin Tendulkar

Rated as one of the best batsmen of all eras, Sachin Tendulkar has talent, experience and skill. Like Sehwag, he too can really aggressive, but is a lot more cautious with his shots. Once set, it is almost impossible to get his wicket. However, over the past few years this cricketing legend has dropped down in terms of consistency.

Rahul Dravid

Was named the best player in the world by the ICC in 2004. The Indian captain has taken his teams to new highs, thrashing Sri Lanka 6-1 in a home ODI series and 2-0 in the test series. However his real skill is his batting. With a near 100% perfect technique and a great eye, he is surely one of the hardest players to dismiss today. A wide range of shots, minimum risk involved, and playing straight, are some of the reasons why he is so consistent and so crucial to his team. Out of all the names mentioned, I would rate him the most important player in the team.

England
Andrew Flintoff

The current holder of the best player award, was instrumental in England's win over Australia in the Ashes of 2005. What makes him such a great player is his ability to destroy the opposition with both bat and ball. His hard-hitting batting style have and will continue to cause problems for the opposition bowlers. Within a few overs, this Lancashire lad can change the entire nature of the game.

Simon Jones

Another of England's Ashes heroes, Simon Jones, has been very unlucky with injuries. With pace and swing, this guy can really rip apart batting lineups. His reverse swing makes him one of the most dangerous bowlers to face, and is expected to play a crucial role this season.

Kevin Pietersen

No one has had bigger impact in the international season like this man. South African born, Kevin Pietersen had to wait to become eligible for playing for England. Like Sehwag, Pietersen likes to dominate the bowlers, and regardless of what the situation is, he will go for his shots. You definately would not want him in the middle for too long.

Other Key Players: Steve Harmison, Michael Vaughan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh.

 

[Cricket_60]

unfortunate end to your old story but nice to see a new and better thread appear.

Nice work

 

[m_vaughan]

Match 1

The Johnnie Walker Premier Division Championship 2006
Round 1
India vs England
1st ODI
Kolkata

Eden Garden hosts the first game of the new season, with hosts India taking on England in the first one day international. We have a packed stadium here today and the home fans are cheering loud and clear for Team India.

Both teams will want to get off to a winning start, and India especially will want to do well in front of the home fans. Both teams are in full strength, so no problems for the captains and coaches of both sides.

Pitch Report:
A good batting track throughout the game, and also some turn on it is expected. So the likes of Harbhajan and Murali Kartik could cause the England batsmen some problems. Outfield is smooth and fast, hence aiding the batsmen even more. Expect a lot of runs today.

Toss:
England captain Michael Vaughan won the toss and elected to bat.

Its a good batting wicket, and we will want to make first use of it and try and post a huge total, and then put the Indians under pressure.

It is going to be good for batting all throughout the game, so I dont think losing the toss will affect us. Our spinners can get some turn off this wicket, and we will try and restrict them to as low a score as possible. We also have a good batting lineup capable of chasing large targets as well.

The Teams:
India have gone in with three seamers and two spinners. R.P. Singh gets a start alongside Pathan and Agarkar.
England have decided to play two spinners in Ashley Giles and Ian Blackwell. This however means there is no place for Paul Collingwood.

 

[sohail]

Common England!!

 

[James_W]

Wow, Geraint Jones is high up the order!

 

[Bala]

India would certainly be a batsman short in such a flat track. England are toying with their opening combination much too often for comfort. This will be an exciting match.