Story The HRV Cup: The Knights' Quest ***WF victors in close game with OV***

[just_cricket]

Hey, if it is not so personal, can you share the Scorecard PSD's with us please.

Ah, I use Paint.NET for my graphics. But I could definitely release some PNGs if that would work too?

Apologies for lack of updates - I haven't been able to get to a computer and won't have time to do one now - but I do have one prepared so it should come tonight...

 

[just_cricket]

Firebirds 10-15 Overs

HRV Cup
Round 1, Game 1
Wellington Firebirds v Northern Knights
Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve​

: Welcome back to this match between the Wellington Firebirds and the Northern Knights. 10 overs into their innings, it is the Firebirds who hold the advantage at this stage, scoring at an average rate of 11.2 an over. However, just before the 10 overs were up, the Knights managed to get rid of both the batsmen who were doing the damage, Merchant and Shah. So at present, it's James Franklin and Grant Elliott at the crease, who are yet to get going. Kane Williamson will be the bowler.

5 Over Update​

Over 11:
Kane Williamson started with a big off spinner, which spun from outside off and was almost played on by Elliott, who tried to cover drive it. As it was, it squirted out past third man and Elliott gained 2 runs. He pushed the next one into the cover for a single, and the batsmen continued to gather runs in dribs and drabs, Franklin struggling to force the pace, and Elliott just content to push the ball for ones. Williamson was rewarded for bowling with a lot of air and not giving the batsmen any pace to work with, his over going for just 5 runs. 117/4

Over 12:
Graeme Aldridge bowled his fourth and final over - Marshall's tactics appeared to be to get his overs out of the way before the death, and while the batsmen were rebuilding, and quite passive in their approach. But he did his job for the first 5 balls, bowling a tight line outside off stump with a stacked offside field, and Elliott could only find the fielders in the ring. However, off the final ball of the over, Elliott decided he needed to be more pro-active and came down the pitch and smashed Aldridge for six over cover. After the first 11 balls since the 10 over mark had yielded just 5 runs, this was a shot that seemed to break the shackles. 123/4

Elliott broke the pressure on himself to score more runs with this excellent shot over cover​

Over 13:
Franklin seemed to like his batting partner's idea of relieving some pressure by going over cover - that's exactly what he did to Williamson's first ball! And the result was just as good as it sailed over the fence and into the crowd for a big six.

In a difficult area to hit, off a slow bowler bowling particularly slowly, this was quite some shot!​

However, Franklin followed up this powerful stroke with a shot that gave away all the momentum he'd just gained. He came down the wicket again, only to play a nothing shot that balooned straight back down the pitch. Williamson dived forward to take a good catch, but it was a soft dismissal for the Firebirds. Chris Nevin came in and replied with a good shot over Williamson's head for 4, brining his side to 133/5 at the end of the over.

Franklin danced down the track only to provide Williamson with a caught and bowled​

Over 14:
Anton Devcich came into the attack to bowl his first over of the game, and was immediately effective, forcing three dot balls against Elliott, who once again was passive in his play, perhaps wary that wickets were falling around him. However a no ball let off the pressure, as Elliott managed to cover drive the free hit that followed through the covers for four with beautiful timing. He then pulled the next ball for 2, and although the last ball was also a dot, Elliott at least looked to try and score, sweeping it powerfully but straight to mid wicket. 139/5

After dormant batting against Devcich's first three balls, Elliott sprang to life with a beautifully timed cover drive​

Over 15:
Kane Williamson took the ball for his fourth and final over, bowling to Nevin. His first ball was a bit of a loosener, dragged down outside off and was deservingly cut for four through the point region. Williamson continued to have a horrible start to the over, following that up by with a ball so wide off leg that McGlashan couldn't reach it, and gave away two wides. He was then swept by Elliott, pulled by Nevin... the runs leaked, until the last ball of the over. The young, blonde off spinner ensured he had the last word, bowling a quicker ball which Nevin could only spoon to Devcich at mid off.

Score after 15 Overs
Wellington Firebirds 151/6
Grant Elliott 21*
Paul Hitchcock 0*
Kane Williamson 4-0-39-3

 

[Varun]

Brilliant presentation mate!
The Firebirds are going highly aggresive! They must get 200+!

 

[CG123]

Where's Vettori?
He got taken to early on, but great player's like him will come back.
Northern probably slightly in the box seat now, little wickets in hand for the final five over's of a T20 game is a real no no.
I'm picking Wellington will get up to about 180.

 

[riz7khan12]

even if the firebirds only go at 6 an over they'll still get 181 there's no need to take any risks at all.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Wow!! great presentation JC :hpraise:hpraise. Wellington look to be in the drives seat at the moment and I guess they could reach the 200 mark if their lower order fires. Knights need to restrict them for less than 210 max and will have to bat brilliantly to reach that score.

 

[TheGreemSim]

Williamson may have been expensive but at least he got the wickets.

 

[surendar]

Wickets column is worrying, if another couple of wicket goes, we might have something like - Last 5 overs, 14 runs 3 wickets. Who knows, anything can happen. Outstanding presentation as usual :banana2

 

[just_cricket]

HRV Cup
Round 1, Game 1
Wellington Firebirds v Northern Knights
Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve​

: G'day and welcome back to the Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve, where after winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Wellington Firebirds are in a reasonably strong position at 151/6. They are scoring at just over 10 an over, which is of course very good, but with only four wickets in hand, I doubt they'll be able to sustain this run rate. Anyhow, we shall have to wait and see. Here's Anton Devcich to bowl to Paul Hitchcock...

5 Over Update​

Over 16:
Anton Devcich proved that he should have bowled earlier with a brilliant over that really halted the Firebirds innings. He began with three dot balls that Hitchock couldn't put away, and then was rewarded for his tight bowling with a wicket, via an absolutely brilliant catch from BJ Watling at cover. It just gripped slowed up off the pitch, Hitchcock was a touch too early on his shot, and Watling dived forward to take an absolute screamer. Jeetan Patel came in and swept a single to fine leg, and then Devcich finished off with a very good quicker ball yorker that Elliott could only just jam down on. 152/7

BJ Watling proved his worth in the field with a screamer off Anton Devcich to dimiss Paul Hitchcock for a duck.​

Over 17:
James Marshall was brave enough to toss the ball back in Vettori's direction. Thankfully for the Knights' captain his premier spinner responded. This time he bowled in the fashion expected of him, varying his pace and flight in such a way that Patel, who was not totally committed to either defending or attacking, simply could not put him away. He tried to sweep and was nearly trapped lbw. He tried to use his feet and was hit on his pad again! He tried to nurdle one and was beaten outside off! Finally he managed to squirt a single down to short fine leg off the last ball of the over, but Vettori would have been more than pleased with his efforts, conceding just one run. 153/7

Over 18:
Marshall surprised everyone when he threw the ball to Tillakaratne Dilshan rather than Devcich, who had just bowled a really good over, conceding just one run. Devcich would have been shaking his head even more when Dilshan opened up with a wide, then a no ball, and the free hit delivery a dirty full toss that Patel couldn't put away. But Dilshan had the next word, clean bowling Patel with a fast-arm-ball-yoker. 4 runs came from the rest of the over between Gillespie and Elliott, but Dilshan had done enough to prove that he wasn't a bad choice. 157/8

Patel was totally beaten by a quick yorker from Dilshan - way too late on his shot- and was cleaned up.​

Over 19:
Brent Arnel bowled the penultimate over and was immediately lofted over mid wicket for 4 by Grant Elliott. He followed that up with a wide, and was then hit for another boundary wide of long on. Things just went from bad to worse from there, though - after salvaging a couple of dot balls, Elliott really got on to a bouncer and hooked it way over the rope for six. 14 runs had come off the over and the Firebirds had made it to over 170. 171/8

Grant Elliott finally got into his innings with two good boundaries and then this hook for six​

Over 20:
The job of bowling the final over fell to Bradley Scott who had previously bowled 2 overs for 22 runs without any success. Nevertheless, he ended up doing a reasonable job, coming around the wicket and bowling yorkers. His first five balls gave away just two runs, both yorkers that the batsman managed to dig out and run quicksingles off. His last ball was a low full toss that Gillespie managed to hit for 4, but he had still done a very reasonable job at the death, his figures not telling the true story.

Mark Gillespie hit the last ball of the innings for a four past mid off, to take the Firebirds to 177/8 at the close.​

: Well the Firebirds would have to be pretty happy with that effort first up. Some things didn't go quite right, but it would be pleasing for the middle order to show that they can still put up big scores even if the openers fail. The Knights just bowled a few too many bad balls in amongst some tight bowling, they seemed to always let the pressure off at the right times. That's how I saw it anyway! Let's take a look at how the statistics show it:

Merchant and Shah gave the Firebirds a super run rate! But it was Elliott who saw them through to the end and made sure it wasn't wasted. There were no real contributions from anyone else at all!

The spinners Williamson and Devcich were the pick of the bowlers for the Knights - I was surprised Devcich didn't bowl more! Scott bowled well at the death, and Dilshan did a reasonable job in his one over.

This Manhattan graph excellently illustrates the topsy-turvy nature of the game - neither side could sustain any momentum for more than about 2 or 3 overs!

And now Cameron Merchant's Spider. As you can see he was particularly strong through and over the leg side, and square of the wicket on the off side. He played really well, and deserved his score - if the Firebirds win this match he'd be a definite contender for Man of the Match.

So that was the Wellington Firebirds' innings - join us again soon for the start of the Northern Knights' reply!​

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[hedger_14]

Wow. Really enjoyed reading this story so far. Really like the writing and love the little video of the yorker bowling out Patel and also the spider of Cameron Merchant. It looks awesome.

KUTGW.

 

[riz7khan12]

great stuff with the animation, hope you keep up the awesome presentation skills through out the hrv cup.

Wellington must be dissapointed by that effort they should've really got 185-190, northern are in a pretty good position to win here.

 

[TheGreemSim]

great work on Cameron Merchant's spider and also on the animation where Patel gets out.

 

[BKB1991]

Well they were always gonna slow down in the end, the Firebirds lost too many wickets early on

 

[Varun]

Owais Shah 32 off 11 balls? That's amazing!
Even more amazing is your presentation, that little great video and that spider and everything!
KIUGW mate!

 

[CG123]

Most of the five over splits have seen the game be in the balance, and that has continued.
177 for eight is a pretty good effort, but Northern only really need the likes of Dilshan to fire and they'll be competitive.
Like others have said great work with the spider, and why is Patel white?