Story The Rebel Tour Thread - links to all reports and videos in OP

[Brentismaximas]

Great stuff! Good to watch. Well done. Love the bowler running up to ump to appeal too. Some good shots too.

 

[Bluebagger]

It was a little disappointing in the ODI match you had them 9/203 but they made a 50 run partnership which was something that happened too frequently in DBC 14 but still the series is very enjoyable I like watching these videos.

I have to say that the different stadiums really makes things great, hopefully the rest of the game gets ironed out.

 

[blockerdave]

It was a little disappointing in the ODI match you had them 9/203 but they made a 50 run partnership which was something that happened too frequently in DBC 14 but still the series is very enjoyable I like watching these videos.

I have to say that the different stadiums really makes things great, hopefully the rest of the game gets ironed out.

To be fair I didn't have a problem with that, Jennings was a good batsman with an FC Ave of 24 & list A 20, and van der bijl was no rabbit either...

I've also had several innings mopping up the tail quickly (as the next video I will hopefully upload today shows) so I don't think the same issue exists as in 14.

Glad you're enjoying the videos.

 

[Bluebagger]

That's good to hear. Obviously from time to time in cricket you get those annoying last wicket partnerships which is good to be replicated in the game I'm just glad it doesn't appear to happen as frequently as it did in 14.

 

[blockerdave]

Match 3 - 1st 'Test' at Wanderers, 12-15 March 1982 (yes, a 4 day Test). (Thanks to karakamatthew (@maddawg1136 is that you?)
from the academy for the awesome stadium.)

Day 1 - England win a vital toss and take control after sloppy Springboks collapse.

'Test' cricket returns to South African shores for the first time in 12 years. Despite the unofficial 'Rebel' nature of the tour, the SACB have awarded full springbok caps for the series, meaning everyone bar Richards, Pollock and Procter make their Springbok debut. Gooch wins the toss and bowls on a pitch like a traditional English seamer. Richards and Cook start well, but lose Richards to a sloppy shot, not the performance the fans were looking for from their batting superstar . Cook is out too with a lose drive edging to third slip, to bring legend Pollock to the wicket. Although Pollock has a scare when his edge from Taylor drops just short of Knott, otherwise he seems to be batting on a different pitch to everyone else.

The Springboks lose Kirsten to another poor shot [deleted this wicket, sorry] and Rice too to fall to 99/4. Pollock at last finds solid support from captain Procter, so it is a disaster when he gifts his wicket just before lunch with a poorly connected cut against Underwood. 133/5 at lunch is a great morning for the tourists, the fast run rate underlining South Africa's overly aggressive approach that contributed to the dismissals.

After lunch, Procter and Kourie build a good partnership, which is broken when Underwood spins one round Procter's leg glance to trap him LBW. Underwood then blows away the tail, to finish with 6/40 and rout the Springboks for 207 with a little over half an hour to go before tea. England start cautiously, but lose Boycott just before the break, and Larkins shortly after, but Gooch is looking in good touch and is joined by Amiss with the score at 30/2 . They build a solid partnership of 79, though both ride their luck - Amiss edging a backfoot drive over the keeper's head for 4, and Gooch surviving when given not out to Kourie despite seeming to clearly edge through to Jennings behind the wicket. Gooch went on to bring up his 50, but Amiss couldn't quite reach his first 50 of the tour, falling just before stumps on 43 gloving a Van der Bijl bouncer on to his stumps. Woolmer joined Gooch and took the rebels through to the close on 131/3, 76 in arrears but in a great position to take charge of the match.

 

[Bluebagger]

I was sure you knocked the leather off that caught behind that was given not out but it also looked like the wicket was a dodgy decision so it evens out? Poor Dennis Amiss tragic way to get out. MS Dhoni would've claimed that catch 1:45.

 

[blockerdave]

I was sure you knocked the leather off that caught behind that was given not out but it also looked like the wicket was a dodgy decision so it evens out? Poor Dennis Amiss tragic way to get out. MS Dhoni would've claimed that catch 1:45.

Oh yeah it was a huge edge. i didn't capture it well but on the replay you could see it was edged, then flicked the back thigh on to the keeper... the Amiss one I was gutted. Not just about missing the 50 but also wanting to get through the session only losing 1 wicket. looking at the replay maybe too far outside off to pull - but i've got out so many times caught gully or backward point square cutting i try to avoid it if those fielders are there. should have brought out the leave!

 

[blockerdave]

Match 3 - 1st 'Test' at Wanderers, 12-15 March 1982 (yes, a 4 day Test). (Thanks to karakamatthew /maddawg1136 for the stadium which looks amazing.)

Day 2 - England build solid lead but Van der Bijl & Richards keep Springboks in the match.

England started day 2 well, Gooch and Woolmer taking their overnight partnership of 22 past the 50 mark and both looking solid until Gooch - who looked set for a century - stepped too far across one from Procter and was bowled behind his legs - Gooch went for 77, the partnership 65. Shortly after Woolmer missed out on a half-century by gloving a Van der Bijl bouncer down the leg side, where it was taken with a fine catch from Jennings.

Willey and Knott took the rebels into the lead, but when Willey was bowled off his legs sweeping Kourie, England were 6 down and only 13 in front. Knott found fine support from Underwood to take England into lunch with no further loss and a lead of 47.

Knott and Underwood's partnership went past 50 and meant England had two "in" batsmen when South Africa took the new ball. However a misjudgment from Underwood allowed Van der Bijl to get his 3rd wicket, the spinner lbw for 29 with England 7 down for 288 - 81 ahead. Knott found strong support from Old, the big hitting tailender sacrificing his attacking instincts for dead-bat defence to take Knott to his 50. Once Knott was out, Old went into attack mode, helping the last 2 wickets add 33 vital runs to take England up to 352 - a lead of 145, with 4 overs to go until tea.

Solid defence was needed from the Springbok openers, so it was criminal for Cook to gift his wicket before he'd got off the mark. Kirsten and Richards got through to tea, but Kirsten fell shortly after to another loose shot. This meant the two batting geniuses Richards and Pollock were together at the wicket, and though it wasn't quite Durban 1970, they still put on a vital 50 partnership before an Underwood Arm-ball fizzed past Pollock's defences to clean up his stumps. Richards then dominated a an unbroken 55-run partnership with Rice to finish the day on 74* with South Africa on 131/3 - 14 runs behind ahead of a crucial third day.

 

[Langeveldt]

Are you seeing any subtle differences in mentality? After another run a ball Cook effort I still am not

 

[blockerdave]

Are you seeing any subtle differences in mentality? After another run a ball Cook effort I still am not

not much no. i think abilities are more important than mentality.

 

[Langeveldt]

not much no. i think abilities are more important than mentality.

Yes the more I play it the more I realise that any time they look like playing like conservative or brutes is just a coincidence and it seems the higher skilled they are the more aggresively they play. I have no idea how I am going to make a very good defensive batsman in this game

 

[blockerdave]

Yes the more I play it the more I realise that any time they look like playing like conservative or brutes is just a coincidence and it seems the higher skilled they are the more aggresively they play. I have no idea how I am going to make a very good defensive batsman in this game

Actually I think the main difference is about the conditions and your bowling. A defensive player will defend threatening balls but punish bad ones. An aggressive player will defend threatening balls but their "attack window" is bigger - what a defensive player will block the aggressive player will block. If it's too wide or short or down leg they both hit it.

The biggest mistake I made was giving defensive players low attack scores - all this means is when they do attack they are more likely to chip up a catch.

If you're playing AI v AI the problem isn't the batsmen, but that the bowler's accuracy is poor.

 

[Langeveldt]

Actually I think the main difference is about the conditions and your bowling. A defensive player will defend threatening balls but punish bad ones. An aggressive player will defend threatening balls but their "attack window" is bigger - what a defensive player will block the aggressive player will block. If it's too wide or short or down leg they both hit it.

The biggest mistake I made was giving defensive players low attack scores - all this means is when they do attack they are more likely to chip up a catch.

If you're playing AI v AI the problem isn't the batsmen, but that the bowler's accuracy is poor.

I can't see much of a difference in AI v AI or when I bowl. I bowl good areas and keep it in the greens nearly all the time.

What do you mean by "attack window"? So attacking batsmen have a larger area of bad bowling they will attack, and defensive guys will only hit really bad bowling in the air? Have you succesfully managed to make any good blockers? Maybe I have actually been bowling poorly even though I have things in the green.

And I stand totally corrected, but I am not sure whether cricket in SA has ever been referred to as "the springboks". I think it was only a rugby thing if you are going for historical accuracy, although by the looks of things you have done your research better than I have.

 

[blockerdave]

I can't see much of a difference in AI v AI or when I bowl. I bowl good areas and keep it in the greens nearly all the time.

What do you mean by "attack window"? So attacking batsmen have a larger area of bad bowling they will attack, and defensive guys will only hit really bad bowling in the air? Have you succesfully managed to make any good blockers? Maybe I have actually been bowling poorly even though I have things in the green.

And I stand totally corrected, but I am not sure whether cricket in SA has ever been referred to as "the springboks". I think it was only a rugby thing if you are going for historical accuracy, although by the looks of things you have done your research better than I have.

Nope, before readmission and rebranding as the Proteas, they were springboks. In fact the Proteas don't consider themselves successors to the Springboks, which is why for example A B de Villiers is Test Cap 61, and not Test Cap 296. (or actually 300 & something if you included the Springbok caps awarded during the Rebel Tours...).

Mind you, if you din't already know that you'd have to google pretty hard to find out the cricketing Springboks ever existed!

Re the other point of good blockers - i'll check my scorecards. I've been happy enough with some of the scoring rates. the 1st innings of the 1st 'test' was probably the most disappointing in terms of poor over attacking shots i've had so far.

 

[Ajh1977]

Also when you set very attacking fields with all in close they batsman will go over the top. Which happens in test cricket at times. Agree with blocker that the delivery has a lot to do with it. I bowled about 20 overs of spin at the middle and lower order and it was very much a case of 1 boundary per over with 5 dot balls or maidens if I got 6 good balls. It's maybe a case that the ai should look to block or leave rather than go over the top so often, especially if they're trying to avoid defeat, but field placement and delivery ability definitely make a difference to how AI plays which was what we wanted to see. The openers generally don't go over the top early on as the field placement doesn't dictate they need to. I'm mainly playing tests so can't really comment on other formats.