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

[AkshayS]

Great presentation dude.:hpraise

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Thats just awesome presentation. This kind of presentation is reminding me of Gamer's presentation during his days. Anyways Northern Knights have done really well to restrict the Firebirds under 180. At one stage they could have crossed 200 with ease but thats not the case. I think the last 5 overs have given Knights a great chance to win this one. Keep Up the Awesome Presentation. :hpraise

 

[just_cricket]

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

: Welcome back to the "Allied Nationwide Finance" Basin Reserve, where the Northern Knights are in pursuit of the Wellington Firebirds' total off 177. With just 20 overs to do so, this will be an action packed chase. To make the first move, it will be left arm paceman Andy McKay bowling to overseas player Tillakaratne Dilshan:

5 Over Update​

Over 1:
McKay had the first word of the innings, hitting Dilshan in the chest, as he went to leg glance a shortish delivery off the back foot. However McKay was bowling a good 10km/h faster than any of the Knights bowlers, and subsequently extracted a lot more bounce than the Sri Lankan expected. The following few balls also gave away little - Dilshan and Daniel Flynn both managed to get off the mark, but with just one ball to go in the over the Knights had scored just 2 runs. Nevertheless, Dilshan didn't let that worry him and smashed McKay back over his head for 4, straight as a die. 6/0

This great lofted drive from Dilshan gained the Knights their first bit of momentum​

Over 2:
Mark Gillespie took the second over, which would be his first in HRV Cup cricket. It was an exceptional one, bowled with good pace - he and McKay both pushed the 145km/h mark, which in New Zealand cricket is good pace, and varied his length well. Flynn and Dilshan found it difficult to score from his short balls, which hit the pitch hard, got up around shoulder height and were difficult to hit in front of the wicket. He also bowled a couple of good yorkers, which needless to say were also particularly challenging to hit boundaries from. In the end, the opening batsmen could only really guide the ball behind the wicket for ones, and scamper a quick single off a yorker, meaning just three runs came off the over. 9/0

Over 3:
Everyone in the world knows it. There are probably some Japanese soldiers still hiding out in foxholes, unsure if the second world war is over, who nonetheless know that when Dilshan is not scoring quickly, he plays the "dilscoop" to relieve the pressure. But Jeetan Patel didn't read it at all - McKay bowled a good length ball which he couldn't really be blamed for, and would you know, Dilshan played his scoop shot. It disappeared over the keeper's head, and just bounced in front of the boundary rope for 4. There was no fielder within 30 metres of where it had gone. Predictably Patel put a fielder down to a very fine fine leg, but equally predictally Dilshan didn't play the shot again. Instead, having manipulated the field to have just one man in front of the wicket, at cow corner, he smashed a six back over the bowler's head. There were four dot balls in the over, but poor captaincy rather than poor bowling meant the other two balls were costly. 19/0

Dilshan showed the skill and effect of the scoop shot, bringing him four and then forcing a change in the field​

Over 4:
Unfortunately for Wellington, Gillespie could not follow up his excellent first over with anything as good. Flynn set the wheels in motion, with a classy clip off his legs to bring him his first boundary. A couple of singles sustained the scoring rate, and then Dilshan once again went big, again over the bowler's head. He was always hitting straight - just sometimes that meant straight in the other direction! Gillespie had leaked 12 runs and allowed the Knights to up the rate to almost 8 an over. 31/0

On the charge- Dilshan used his feet to a pace bowler and was rewarded with six​

Over 5:
Andy McKay continued, and after beating the outside edge of Daniel Flynn's bat, he was hit through the covers nicely by Flynn, who after a slow start was seeming to at least try to up the rate, now. McKay was showing signs of frustration, firing a wide way down the leg side but Flynn let him off the hook, when he gave away his wicket. He played an excellent lofted cover drive, hit cleanly and would certainly have gone for six - except there was a fielder under it. Merchant took the catch, and Flynn had fallen into the trap - at least Patel had got one thing right! Kane Williamson was the new man, and he got underway immediately with a work off his legs into mid wicket. 38/1

Flynn played a brilliant shot, technically, but tactically he got it all wrong and holed out to the only deep fielder on the off side​

After 5 Overs
Northern Knights 38/1
Tillakaratne Dilshan 22*
Kane Williamson 1*
Andy McKay 3-0-20-1

 

[Gaurav_7]

Knights are off to a mixed start. Dilshan is going well and that Scoop shot showed the confidence he's got at the moment. I'm hoping to see Williamson fire here. As usual, fantastic presentation.

Everyone in the world knows it. There are probably some Japanese soldiers still hiding out in foxholes, unsure if the second world war is over, who nonetheless know that when Dilshan is not scoring quickly, he plays the "dilscoop" to relieve the pressure.

Brilliant!

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Brilliant update mate. Knights look in control and are going at a good rate. Dilshan will be the key. If he can stay till the 15 over Knights will win the game.

 

[BKB1991]

Dilshan is looking pretty dangerous now, his wicket is vital for the Firebirds. The line that User quoted was superb, caught me off-guard for a minute. KUTGW

 

[AkshayS]

Tough task ahead for nights.
Still only 38 runs from first 5 overs.
Dilshan will be the key.

Nice and clean update man.:hpraise

 

[age of the fall]

Nice start by the knights there. Just out of curiousity, how are you going to present the matches not involving the knights? Just a score card or will there be some sort of write up?

 

[riz7khan12]

had no idea you could play the scoop in cricket 04, im guessing you programmed it in, in which case great job mate

a good start but the can ill-afford to lose wickets like the firebirds did.

 

[riz7khan12]

had no idea you could play the scoop in cricket 04, im guessing you programmed it in, in which case great job mate

a good start but the can ill-afford to lose wickets like the firebirds did.

 

[just_cricket]

Knights Innings: Overs 6-10

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

:Welcome back to the Basin, where the Northern Knights are 38/1 after 5 overs, in pursuit of their opponents, the Wellington Firebirds', total of 177. Daniel Flynn is the man out for the Knights - he was caught on the boundary - but overseas player Dilshan still remains at the crease, as does first drop Kane Williamson...

5 Over Update​

Over 6:
Mark Gillespie grabbed the ball for his 3rd over, but was immediately subject to some nice batting from Kane Williamson - after Dilshan took a quick single, Williamson played two beautiful cricket shots for successive boundaries. First was a cut that pierced the gap between cover-point and point, then came a beautiful off drive which beat mid off and raced away for another boundary.

Williamson showed some early glimpses of his perfect technicality, and elegance​

However, Gillespie kept it tight for the remaining half of the over, bowling on a good length and getting a bit of shape away from right handers, and after Williamson took a single into the covers, Gillespie struck with the major wicket of Dilshan. It was a short ball but got on to the Sri Lankan much more quickly than he expected, and he hoisted it away backward of square, when he was trying to go more over mid wicket originally. Andy McKay held the catch at long leg. 48/2

The fall of Dilshan might just prove to be a pivotal moment of the match​

Over 7:
James Marshall was the new batsman, but it was Williamson who took strike to McKay for his first delivery, which he punched into the covers for one. Marshall looked solid to begin with, defending two balls into the off side off the middle of the bat, and taking a single off the second. The next too balls also yielded singles, a clip to midwicket's left by Williamson and and then a leg bye wide of the keeper. It was the sixth and final ball that would make or break the over - a dot ball would have meant just 4 runs, but as it was Williamson played one of the shots of the match so far, to take 8 runs off the over in total. 56/2

This technically perfect back foot drive was not just elegant - it was also hit very hard, racing away for 4​

Over 8:
The Firebirds decided to continue with Gillespie and bowl out both their opening bowlers as soon as possible. Presumably the likes of Hitchcock, Ryder and maybe Patel himself would bowl the death overs. But Gilliespie did a good job in his last over - keeping a tight line for the first five balls, just two runs came off them, both Williamson and Marshall getting one single each, and facing a dot. However, it was last ball blues for the Firebirds once again, as Knights captain James Marshall hit his first boundary, a premeditated charge that was in the end hit nicely inside out over cover. 62/2

Marshall went inside out over cover, and was rewarded with 4 runs, his first boundary of the match​

Over 9:
The first bowling change of the innings was made, with Jeetan Patel bringing himself on. He was immediately greeted by a savage pull shot behind square from Williamson, which brought him 4 more runs. This made it difficult for Patel to bounce back, but bounce back he did, letting the two batsmen squeeze just two more runs from the remaining five balls. Bowling flat but still trying to spin the ball as much as possible, he had so far been sucessful and looked as though he would continue to be effective - just 6 runs came from the over. 68/2

Williamson welcomed Jeetan Patel to the bowling crease with this savage pull shot​

Over 10:
James Franklin was the bowler, Kane Williamson was the batsman. Unexcitingly, the first ball was a dot ball, pushed to mid off by Williamson. However, the next ball was a touch more eventful, pulled over mid wicket for 4 by the young right hander. The remainder of the over was an interesting battle - the flair and talent of the promising young batsman vs the guile and craftiness of the veteran left arm swing bowler. Williamson was beaten a couple of times outside off, but he also took a two and then a four from the last few balls. The over had ended, but the battle would not...

: Well, an interesting passage of play there - just 10 overs on paper, but a topsy turvy session where every ball, whether exciting or uneventful at face value, was a battle between bat and ball. Let's have a look at how the statistics see the past 10 overs...

The batting card there for the Northern Knights - Dilshan provided an early cameo but that was all there was from him today, just a cameo. Now the onus is on Williamson and Marshall, the young and the old, to do the run scoring. McGlashan and Devcich should be able to provide support, but for me one of these two batsmen at the crease now needs to see them through.

Just four bowlers there for the Firebirds - Gillespie and McKay doing the business so far. McKay bowled quite quickly, and Gillespie backed him up with some tight bowling, and he wasn't sluggish either. Patel looks like he has a good rhythm going today, and there is an interesting battle between Franklin and Williamson building up. Both parties have had their successes, that'll be one of the things to watch in the next five overs!

And now for, in my opinion, the best, most telling statistic we've got. The good old worm! As you can see there, both sides started in similar manners, but as the Firebirds accelerated with Merchant and Shah at the crease, Williamson and Marshall have just kept things going at the same rate. The main thing this statistic shows is that it's the next 10 overs that counts. The Firebirds are probably slight favourites, but the Knights are right in the contest.

So this is it: The Northern Knights require exactly 100 runs at exactly 10 an over. They have the wickets in hand but do they have the power? Stay tuned to find out!

 

[treva]

This is by far the sexiest story on PC mate. Cricket 04 is the dogs bollocks when it comes to gameplay and shot selection. Makes it seem so realistic.

 

[MaD]

The Knights are gonna have to play some powerful cricket, tbh, I don't think they can do it
Awesome presentation as always, not surprised

 

[AkshayS]

It's gonna be tough for Knights now.

 

[Aditya]

This is by far the sexiest story on PC mate. Cricket 04 is the dogs bollocks when it comes to gameplay and shot selection. Makes it seem so realistic.

Completely agree with Treva. I love each update of this story,In my opinion graphics of cricket'04 are not too good but you have done some tweaking and just because of that the graphics look much much better ex editing models of the players,Jesse Ryder. When I saw that pic I was amazed to see the work you have done on the model,Keep it up mate.

If Williamson can play throughout the Northern innings there is no question that then Northern Knights will win.