Story Kev's Ashes Cricket Thread Thingy

[Kev]

Welcome to Kev's Ashes Cricket Thread Thingy.

This is the place to be if you are for some reason interested in how I am doing in Ashes Cricket. Of late I have been somewhat monopolising the "How are you doing in AC09 thread" so following on from my somewhat predictable Ashes victory I thought I'd start a sort of Diary thingy thread. Not really a story, just updates of how I am going.

Will I win every single bloody match? Will I get bored? Will anyone read this?

Next tour will be England in South Africa (Although I'm not quite sure how many stadia in SA I have access to). I'll be playing using the Beta patch on Hard and using Sly's roster.


Games Played:
England Ashes tour (See "How are you doing...."thread) : Result England win 5-0
SA v England T20i : Result, England win 2-0
SA v England ODi :Result, England win 3-2

 

[Dutch]

Nice! I'll try and follow this one and see how it develops. I love Ashes 09, particularly for the ODI's as the AI field-settings are better and it is harder to score. I am involved with Cricket Revolution at the mo but will return to AC09 once I have had enough of that! good luck with the story and know that you have at least one reader!

 

[barmyarmy]

Two readers!
Try reducing some abilities before you start too.

 

[MaD]

Make it 3

 

[Kiko_97]

And me, Kev you are the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Kev]

Schedule of Events. Not sure what to do with the limited availability of Stadia, anyone got any suggestions for venues?

1st T20i - Johannesburg - Night
2nd T20i - Cape Town - Afternoon
1st ODi - Johannesburg - Day/Night
2nd ODi - Cape Town - Day
3rd ODi - Cape Town - Day/Night
4th ODi - Johannesburg - Day
5th ODi - MCG - Day/Night
1st Test - Cape Town
2nd Test - Johannesburg
3rd Test - Cape Town
4th test - Johannesburg

Bold=Original venue. Italic=Replacement.

T20's will be new to me, I haven't played one with the beta yet. Generally I'm not so good at limited overs versions of cricket games so maybe we'll get some upsets.

 

[Gilly Fan]

I reckon make the 5th ODI at the MCG. I'll be sure to read it.

 

[Kev]

1st T20i Jo'Berg Floodlight Match

Squads

South Africa
G Smith (C), H Gibbs, JP Duminy, A De Villiers, M Boucher (W), A Morkel, N McKenzie, R van der Merwe, D Steyn, W Parnell, M Morkel

England
J Denly, R Bopara, K Pietersen, E Morgan, P Collingwood (C), L Wright, M Prior (W), T Bresnan, R Sidebottom, J Anderson, G Onions

Toss:
England won the toss and invited South Africa to bat.

Started out well. First over was a Maiden. All catches all taken with batsman trying to hit for 6 over the bowlers head. Smith's came the next ball after being dropped exactly the same way.
The runout was about the worst I have seen yet in the game. Batsmen ran 1 and waited and waited, then with the ball mid air on its way back they decided to run. Runout by about 17 meters!
Lost my way a bit in the middle, but recovered towards the end bowling fuller. No Balls cost me a packet or runs too.

Not sure if I can manage to match that score.

 

[Kev]

England Reply (1st Half)

Again got off to a good start when Denly pulled the first delivery for four.
Lost Bopara in the 3rd over (top edge to keeper) and was concious of losing too many decent batsmen early on so decided to send in Luke Wright as a pinch hitter and play sensibly with Joe Denly. Had the desired effect as Wright lasted until the end of the powerplay playing aggressively before being bowled. Denly and KP built a sensible partnership as the innings reached halfway. It's looking good although I now have to face a spinner and still stuggle to time shots off them.

 

[Dutch]

Good knock from England. With the wickets in hand you would expect them to knock those runs off. A real confidence booster at the start of the tour. just what they would need. They will be disappointed if they throw it away from here though!

 

[MaD]

England are definitely the favourite,
What difficulty are you playing?

 

[Kev]

Playing conditions are in the first post.

Spinner did his stuff removing both KP and Denly just after the tactical break (). Started to get a bit jittery and ran Morgan out thinking I'd hit the ball sweeter than I had and making the fatal mistake of not waiting for the ball to pass the fielder. Things were looking a bit ropey with Collingwood and Bresnan both fresh at the crease. I didn't want to play too aggressively knowing I only really had Prior left in reserve and after 18 overs with the score at 142, I really didn't think i was going to make it. But then managed to thump 2 sixes square of the wicket off the last 2 balls of the over leaving only 2 needed for the final over. Once again the situation shows where the AI of every cricket game falls. They kept a fielder at Deep Extra Cover instead of bringing him up and allowed me to play the first two balls of the over off the back foot to extra cover and pick up 2 simple singles.

 

[Kev]

2nd T20i - Cape Town - Afternoon Match

Squads:

South Africa
G Smith (C), H Gibbs, H Amla, A de Villiers, M Boucher (W), A Morkel, R van der Merwe, J Botha, D Steyn, W Parnell, M Morkel

England
J Denly, R Bopara, M Carberry, K Pietersen, P Collingwood (C), L Wright, P Mustard (W), T Bresnan, D Mascarenhas, J Anderson, S Mahmood

Toss:
South Africa won the toss and invited England to bat.

Joe Denly avoids an early LBW shout in the second over and by the end of the 3rd over, South Africa have dropped 3 catches and had 2 shys at the stumps. In fact by the end of the innings I lost count as to how many drops and mis-fields South Africa made, I certainly shouldn't have lasted the 20 overs!
In the 6th over Albie Morkel starts bowling short balls, Bopara dispatches him for 2 sixes followed by a four but Morkel gets the first wicket with the next ball.
The spin of Botha is introduced in the 8th over (van der Merwe is not selected to bowl surprise surprise!) and Botha gets Denly with his first ball then Carberry later in the over.
12th Over and Ablie morkel is still banging in the short stuff and still getting hit all around the park. Collingwood hits 3 sixes and is dropped off the 4th ball before being removed by Botha.

Denly hitting out for six, inlay shows early LBW shout

Pietersen's innings is ended by a Parnell slower ball that I completely failed to spot. Mustard and Bresnan combine at the end of the innings to take my score past 200. The innings included 9 sixes and 19 fours.

 

[zimrahil]

I am confidently expecting you to win every match of this series, unless you get bored that is

 

[pcfan123]

KP too far down the order for a 2020, still worked though