Story Natwest Series (Shailesh and Crick4life)

[crick4life]

Here we go S, the ODI patch. Have a go with this and let me know what do you reckon. I won't start yet but will have a game myself against the PC and then sometime today will play our 2nd ODI. Meanwhile if you play any against the CPU either mention the scores here or post a screenshot.

 

[crick4life]

England has won the toss and have decided to bowl. The pitch type is normal, the conditions overcast and the weather cold. A typical English weather and pitch.

Australia has made couple of changes to their team for this game. The following is the line up :

A.Gilchrist
M.Hayden
R.Ponting
D.Martyn
M.Clarke
A.Symonds
S.Watson
B.Hogg
M.Kasprowicz
J.Gillespie
G.McGrath

England are fielding the same team for this ODI.

 

[The Champ]

Here we go S, the ODI patch. Have a go with this and let me know what do you reckon. I won't start yet but will have a game myself against the PC and then sometime today will play our 2nd ODI. Meanwhile if you play any against the CPU either mention the scores here or post a screenshot.

thanks mate downloading it

 

[crick4life]

Good on ya for downloading it The Champ.

I was starting to play an online game and just then the idea to stream the audio while we are playing the game struck. It would be excellent innovation I thought if we allow our online game players to stream the audio from the game live and this way it will only improve the online gaming ability on this forum. This will ensure you only don't have to trust your opponent's honesty but you could trust your ears I think it will be lots of fun if we introduce this to the online cricket community on this forums.

Just to test I may need someone to try this link once I start the game. Please use Windows Media or Real Player or Winamp player to play the link. I will start the game in another 10-15 minutes or so, please let me know if the audio sounds fine. Every now and then to change the bowling I may quit the game then come back. At such times the audio will not be heard so please bear with it. The link to play the audio is http://www.overthewicket.com:6080/;file.mp3

 

[crick4life]

Australia shrug off an early collapse scare

Australia started the second game in an aggressive manner with both the openers looking very positive and scoring runs at will. Darren Gough came for special treatment from both the Australian openers conceeding 29 runs of the first 4 overs. While Gilchrist took the aerial route (at times almost mi****ting to a fielder) Hayden took to conventional shot making to bring up 50 runs in only 8 overs. Harmison then struck with a double blow. First he removed Hayden with a ball pitched a bit full and seaming in and crashing on to the middle stump. After a couple of ball later Harmison produced the perfect yorker to remove the Australian captain for only 2. Andrew Flintoff replacing the expensive Gough then bowled that perfect delivery that pitched on the off stump and moved away slightly while kissing the in form batsman Damien Martyn's bat. Geriant Jones had to dive forward to come up with an excellent catch to get Flintoff the priced wicket.

From then on it has been a concious effort by both Gilchrist and M.Clarke to not throw away their wicket. They have played good cricket so far only climbing on the bad balls while letting go the good ones. Giles has to be a tad disappointed after Jones dropped a sharp chance off Gilchrist. The ball flew under Jones' arm off the cutting blade of Gilchrist. The run rate was in check between 9th and 17th over but then bringing back Gough did no good to England when he conceeded 12 runs of the 18th over.

Australia now has to concentrate on building partnerships and making sure they bat their full 50 overs. Gilchrist is the key for Australia and if he can bat the full 50 overs Australia will most definitely set a good enough target on this pitch. England of course has to keep it tight and get Gilchrist to play a false stroke or two. The fielding and catching should definitely lift if it has to bowl Australia in under 50 overs.

 

[T20]

A good start there..important to remove Gilli early.

not getting the audio btw Ravi.

 

[crick4life]

Australia's batting blues continue yet again

Valiant effort by Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist did not help Australia bat out their full 50 overs on a decent enough pitch here in Bristol. By the half way stage Australia were clearly ahead only having lost 3 wickets with Gilchrist and the young gladiator M.Clarke looking at ease. Only England's brillaint captaincy could come to England's rescue when they clearly looked a geniune bowler short in the armoury. M.Vaughan swapped and changed bowlers in a bid to break the strong partnership and as in the previous match A.Giles responded positively to it. The dreadful sweep shot that Australia seems to have accepted as the best way to play spinners proved wrong big time accounting for 3 batters in the side and that including Gilchrist. The ball turned sharply and hit the off stump while Gilchrist missed the line of the ball completely trying to sweep the ball. The pair of Gilchrist and M.Clarke put 91 runs for the 4th wicket at a very brisk rate.

Not all was lost when a busy Symonds joined M.Clarke and started to build yet another noticable partnership but then Symonds for some reason wanted to hit Vaughan out of the attack but only ended up hitting straight to Vaughan ending up taking a brilliant diving catch. This one wicket by 34th over when Australia were cruising and were on 199/4 opened the flood gates. None of the other batters showed any courage to stay at the crease and support M.Clarke. Most of them were finding it hard to time the ball and suddenly the pitch was feeling different. M.Clarke continued to score well but in the end could not hold strike for all the balls in a given over and had to rotate strike. Eventually trying to save his partner from having to face 5 balls of an over Clarke went for a non existant 2nd run and committed suicide. The game saw an excellent captaincy (Why thank me mate for the bowling changes) by the England captain for the second time in making the best use of the available bowling resources and getting the champion team Australia out under 50 overs for second time in as many one dayers.

Saving grace was the fighting attitude shown by the Australians this time around with gritty efforts from Hayden, Clarke, Gilchrist and Symonds. Never discount the champions Australians though, they may be able to make amends with bowling later on in the game but they clearly are short by atleast 30-40 runs on what looks like a decent enough track for batting. Clearly the spinners seems to be a bother for the Australians. Australia would do very well as long as they do not try to dominate the spinners too much and give up sweeping option although it is a high scoring shot.


Potential All Rounder

Adam Gilchrist - Should have carried on, one bad sweep shot

Michael Clarke - Valiant mature inning

 

[jazz]

wow great presenataion

Australia need to get used to english pitches

 

[crick4life]

A good start there..important to remove Gilli early.

not getting the audio btw Ravi.

I had it hooked for a while S but then after seeing you were not on the forums took it off. It definitely would have been a good listen :cool:

It was a good game of cricket to be honest, pretty much sums up the cricket season I had just recently. To go for it or not is the major issue here, probably age showing in the approach I guess It was decent enough pitch to bat but that said it is definitely not advisable to be in the top gear all the time. With this patch, we have to graft I think or maybe it's early days. Disappointed with the outcome after having been 199/4 after 33 overs Even if I batted the rest of the overs Australia would have scored close to 300 runs. Oh well, there are always better days ahead.

 

[m_vaughan]

Great comeback by England. Australia will be kicking themselves for not using up the entire 50 overs.

 

[ravigoteti]

good innings from clarke and Gilchrist

good work Ravi and Shailesh, hope Eng ease past the target.

 

[The Champ]

excellent presentation friends keep it up

 

[crick4life]

The save file S, had forgotten to post before. It's also on the website.

 

[T20]

England off to a solid start chasing 237 to win.

10 overs: England openers yet again provided an ideal start to the innings. Trescothick continued from where he left in his last inning, and with Solanki playing some glorious shots the target is looking within reach already. Both openers scored at a healthy run rate without taking any risks and the crowd was treated to some excellent strokeplay.Gillespie provided some relief when he yorked Solanki for 20 (24). But with Hogg introduced as early as the 10th over, Ponting must be hoping for some wickets before it's too late. England 74 for 1.

20 overs: It wasn't going to be all smooth sailing for too long with the Australians around. Even though England have maintained a good run rate, Aussies have captured 3 quick wickets thanks to introduction of spin at both ends by Ponting. With Vaughan (36), Strauss (1) and Pietersen (1) falling quickly, Aussies may well sense an opening here. England must be hoping that heroes of last match Tresco and Flintoff do the job again. A thriller is prospect? England 141 for 4.

30 overs: Trescothick continued his dream form and with Flintoff looking more andmore comfortable, England are closing in on a victory here at Bristol. Trescothick is close to his 2nd hundred in as many games and with just 43 more to win next 3-4 overs may well be the last chance to get back in the match for Ponting and his team. England 194 for 4.

 

[m_vaughan]

Come on England!