Set up a competition - The Rebel League, for the various South African Rebel Tour Teams: Arosa Sri Lanka, Australia, England 1982, England 1990, South Africa XI, and West Indies. Match type is a custom format - a 5 day match of 70 overs per day, with the first 3 innings of the match having forced closure at 90 overs. New ball every 40 overs, 3 reviews with review kept on Umpires Call.
First match, Arosa Sri Lanka (AI) vs West Indies (me)
West Indies won the toss and chose to bat. Playing Arosa Sri Lanka is pretty much trial by spin (they have one medium-fast bowler, several spinners and one part time medium bowler). As such, the West Indies started slowly, with Alvin Greenidge in particular going slowly scoring just 7 off 26 balls in the first 10 overs. Richard Austin was more of an aggressor scoring 24 off 34 as they reached 32 for 0 off the first 10 overs.
The rate picked up a bit after that with the 50 partnership coming up in the fifteenth over:
Austin pushed on eventually reaching his 50 off 66 balls
but was out the very next ball, trying to pick up the tempo but mistiming a big shot over mid-off and failing to clear the fielder
With Mattis joining Greenidge, the scoreboard continued to tick along although with boundaries hard to come by and spinners at both ends it was tough going. With no risks being taken there were few chances and when an LBW shout against Mattis was turned down the Sri Lankan decision to review was seemingly out of desperation more than anything, the ball clearly striking the batsman well outside off stump
shortly after Greenidge, now well in began to increase his scoring rate, and seemed set to join Austin in scoring a 50 but got over ambitious and a rash shot to a straight ball saw him clean bowled for 49 off 64 balls
Alvin Kallicharan came to wicket, wit Mattis determined on crease occupation, Kallicharan took the lead in a 36 run partnership before falling for 20 off 30 balls.
With Mattis still going along at a sedate pace, captain Lawrence Rowe looked to inject some more urgency but like Austin before him was caught at mid-off trying a big shot for a run-a-ball 18.
This brought Collis King to the wicket, and he took a backseat as Mattis pushed on to his 50, coming up of 72 balls.
With Mattis increasing his scoring rate and King dropping anchor, the West Indies looked set for a big score, before Arosa Sri Lanka struck back, dismissing King for 8 off 21 and finally getting the prize wicket of Mattis for 66 off 96 balls.
This leaves wicket keeper David Murray (0* from 7) & dangerous lower order batsman Franklyn Stephenson (1* from 3) to kick on and try and make more of the good start. With the West Indies currently 214/6 off 51 overs, Arosa Sri Lanka will be the happier of the two sides.
