Story The Big Boycott [C2005]

[Skater]

On commentary recently two greats of the game (now self employed moaners), Geoff Boycott and Ian Botham, had a blazing row. Boycott said the ICC were crap and couldn't organise a telephone call in a phone box. Botham said the ICC are getting better every day. To settle this argument, the two men decided to play three Ten10 matches between a Geoff Boycott XI and a Beefy Botham XI (this was after Beefy had demonstrated his right hook on Boyccs)

Bruised Boycott will be taking charge of a World Test XI (well he is that sort of player isn't he) and Bully Beefy will manage a World ODI XI. Here's the squads:

GEOFF BOYCOTT XI: Daniel Vettori, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shaun Pollock, Rahul Dravid ?, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist, Chaminda Vaas, Shane Bond, Irfan Pathan, Steve Harmison, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Mohammad Yousuf, Virender Sehwag, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Stephen Fleming, Sachin Tendulkar

BEEFY BOTHAM XI: Kevin Pietersen, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chris Gayle, Shoaib Akhtar, Ricky Ponting ?, Ian Bradshaw, Ashwell Prince, Heath Streak, Andy Flower, Ronnie Irani, Shoaib Malik, Harbhajan Singh, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Kumar Sangakkara, Abdul Razzaq, Scott Styris, Makhaya Ntini, Jamie Dalrymple.

Only doing Ten10 matches because playing more than this on Cricket 2005 these days is like a slow death.

The fixtures have been released, they are across the globe.

Game 1 (controlling GB team) MCG, Australia
Game 2 (controlling IB team) Johannesburg, South Africa
Game 3 (tba) The Oval, England

Game 1 will be starting as soon as possible

 

[evertonfan]

I love the inovvative idea Lee, I hope this thread goes well for you. I'll be watching that's for sure.

 

[Skater]

GAME 1: MCG, Australia
MATCH CONDITIONS
Day/Night: Day
Pitch: Normal
Weather: Sunny
Heat: Cool (it's your fault for playing in the Aussie winter)

Geoff Boycott XI
1. Adam Gilchrist
2. Graeme Smith
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Brian Lara
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Mohammad Yousuf
7. Jacques Kallis
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Shane Warne
10. Muttiah Muraliatharan
11. Shane Bond

Beefy Botham XI
1. Sanath Jayasuriya
2. Herschelle Gibbs
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Andy Flower
5. Kevin Pietersen
6. Abdul Razzaq
7. Kumar Sangakkara
8. Heath Streak
9. Harbhajan Singh
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Makhaya Ntini

Mind Your Heads
Shaun Pollock was carted in his first over, bowling to first Sanath Jaysuriya and then Herschelle Gibbs. There was a few in the crowd who were as bruised as Geoff Boycott after this display of six after six after six after... well, you get the point.

Murali's Sore Hands
Shane Bond was impressive though, he got Gibbs caught by Muttiah Muralitharan on the boundary for 23. Pollock came back to bowl his final over and managed to get out both Jayasuriya and Andy Flower for 7 each- both caught on the boundary by the same Muralitharan.

Spin Kings
When Pollock and Bond had run out of overs, it was a chance to see the spin kings, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne, bowling in tandum. Murali might have had sore hands after taking three sizzling catches on the boundary, but he managed to get rid of Ricky Ponting, who had biffed 46 from not very many balls, for a rather humiliating LBW.

'My Mum game them to me'
Warne then went on to bowl Kevin Pietersen for a duck, that being the end of England's batting contribution for the first match. To say Warne hadn't played one day cricket since being banned for a year after his mum gave him drugs (naughty mum) in 2003, he did bowl quite beautifully.

Lara the Leggie
Jacques Kallis was thrown the ball to send down over number nine, a very economical one with six runs off it. Rahul Dravid then realised his dilemma, he'd used all his specialist bowlers and his all-rounder, and had to turn to a batsman for the final over. Keen to break bowling records as well as batting ones, Brian Lara put his hand up and even managed to break the partnership of Abdul Razzaq and Kumar Sangakkara- he had the Sri Lankan caught on the boundary (sensing a pattern here) for 27. Heath Streak only had time to whack a six.

Screenshots:
1) As a wicket falls, two fielders admit they have feelings for each other
2) Pollock is excited to see he is on the telly
3) The captain is not pleased to see one of his fielders taking a nap on the outfield

 

[Skater]

END OF INNINGS 1: BEEFY XI 153/6

The innings had high scores (but not that high), fabulous wickets (but not that many) and great bowling (but not that much). The Boyccs XI will have to come out of their normal 'playing themselves in' style and adopt a new tactic, smashing the hell out of the ball. Stick around, this match could be a cracker.

 

[gamerkid22]

great inovvative idea...but Pieterson gone on duck in the second innings watch out for Harbhajan Singh

 

[Wildwil]

Great stuff Lee. Very funny.

 

[embi]

Nice take on Tassietigers Super Duper series (its in the same style, and its test xi vs odi xi). Good stuff. Strange but amusing introduction

 

[Skater]

Note: tassietiger's Super Duper Series was indeed the inspiration behind this story.

Gilly's Gone
Adam Gilchrist struggled to hit anything in the first Shoaib Akhtar over, and eventually fell LBW, trying to play a back foot cover drive to a ball that kept low (and straight).

The Wall Falls
When your required run rate is around 17, you don't really feel uplifted when a guy known as The Wall comes into bat. The captain was caught off the bowling of Makhaya Ntini in the second over too. The Wall had been knocked down was a sledge hammer the size of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Singh on Song
Harbhajan Singh was brought on next, and he bowled a fearsome spell, taking an amazing 4/10. He bowled Graeme Smith, and Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Shaun Pollock were all caught by Sanath Jaysuriya off his bowling.

Warne the all-rounder
Heath Streak then had Mohammad Yousuf caught by Ricky Ponting and it was only a short partnership between Jacques Kallis, who was caught and bowled by Jaysuriya in the final over, and Shane Warne, who finished unbeaten on 18, that provided anything good for the Geoff Boycott XI.

NatWest: the American Singer
As it became clear that the Beefy Botham XI were going to win, attention turned to other things around the ground. The stumps had the logo of English bank NatWest on them. One of the Aussies in the crowd was heard to say 'Nat West? That's that American singer isn't it mate?'

Screenshots:
1) There's been a bit of this going on today...
2) The dozey Murali survives a stumping appeal

 

[Skater]

END OF INNINGS 2: BOYCCS XI 71/8

The innings was disaster for the Boyccs XI, if you want to win a Ten10 match really you have to rely on Adam Gilchrist to score highly, and as he scored two in this innings, the signs weren't good. They obviously didn't listen to my opinion, that they should dump their 'playing themselves in' approach and adopt the whack the hell out of the ball one. Then again, I guess the Beefy XI did bowl fairly well (and this is as modest as I could be).

 

[James_W]

I'm liking this. Rather humourous IMO.

 

[Skater]

GAME 2: Johannesburg, South Africa
MATCH CONDITIONS
Day/Night: Day
Pitch: Normal
Weather: Sunny
Heat: Mild

Beefy Botham XI
1. Sanath Jaysuriya
2. Chris Gayle
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Andy Flower
5. Kevin Pietersen
6. Shahid Afridi
7. Kumar Sangakkara
8. Heath Streak
9. Harbhajan Singh
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Makhaya Ntini

Geoff Boycott XI
I skipped past the team screen! Sorry!

South African Shines

Sanath Jayasuriya pelted the opening bowlers all over the ground, he was on 48 in only the third over, only to be LBW to Shaun Pollock. Chris Gayle was caught by Brian Lara off Shaun Pollock too, the captain was bowled for just one by Shane Bond, making this a successful opening bowling partnership.

Spinners burn as turn doesn't churn

Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan only took two wickets between them in this innings. Andy Flower, caught Rahul Dravid, bowled Warne, for 13, and Kevin Pietersen, bowled Muralitharan, for 26.

Sachin Tendulkar- taking more wickets than Warner

Kumar Sangakkara fell to Jacques Kallis for just four but Sachin Tendulkar provided entertainment in the final over, taking two wickets! He had a dopey Shahid Afridi stumped by the alert Adam Gilchrist for 15 and he bowled Harbhajan Singh for 1. Heath Streak finished 13 not out and Shoaib Akhtar did not face a ball.

END OF INNINGS 1: BEEFY XI 125-8

This is a new part to this story. I want YOU to finish this series. Download the file below and load it up. You are the Beefy Botham XI trying to stop the Geoff Boycott counterparts scoring the 126 needed to win. NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULT, post a screenshot of the scorecard and bowling figures here, and if you are the first one to post them the winner of your match will be crowned The Big Boycott champions. GET GOING!!

 

[embi]

Great innovation there! Great! Shame I don't have CK2005