GCF Season 4 Everything Thread

by **Apox** » Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:41 pm

Season 4 -- Everything Thread

This is the place to post rosters and RP's during the upcoming GCF Test season, as well your place to find the scores as they come out.

Scheduling Thread
General Cricket Discussion Thread

Schedule
MD1:
Liventia in Eura (Match 1 of 5)
Darmen in Welsh Cowboy (Match 1 of 2)
Apox in The Licentian Isles (Match 1 of 3)
Ingla Terra in Chelta (Match 1 of 3)
Wray in Cyborg Holland (Match 1 of 2)
MD2:
Liventia in Eura (Match 2 of 5)
Darmen in Welsh Cowboy (Match 2 of 2)
Apox in The Licentian Isles (Match 2 of 3)
Ingla Terra in Chelta (Match 2 of 3)
Wray in Cyborg Holland (Match 2 of 2)
MD3:
Liventia in Eura (Match 3 of 5)
Apox in The Licentian Isles (Match 3 of 3)
Ingla Terra in Chelta (Match 3 of 3)
Barunia in Darmen (Match 1 of 2)
MD4:
Liventia in Eura (Match 4 of 5)
Welsh Cowboy in The Licentian Isles (Match 1 of 2)
Apox in Chelta (Match 1 of 2)
Barunia in Darmen (Match 2 of 2)
MD5:
Liventia in Eura (Match 5 of 5)
Inlga Terra in Barunia (Match 1 of 3)
Welsh Cowboy in The Licentian Isles (Match 2 of 2)
Apox in Chelta (Match 2 of 2)
Django Unchained in Tasrailia (Match 1 of 3)
MD6:
Liventia in Wray (Match 1 of 3)
Eura in The Licentian Isles (Match 1 of 5)
Ingla Terra in Barunia (Match 2 of 3)
Chelta in Welsh Cowboy (Match 1 of 2)
Django Unchained in Tasrailia (Match 2 of 3)
MD7:
Liventia in Wray (Match 2 of 3)
Eura in The Licentian Isles (Match 2 of 5)
Ingla Terra in Barunia (Match 3 of 3)
Chelta in Welsh Cowboy (Match 2 of 2)
Django Unchained in Tasrailia (Match 3 of 3)
Apox in Cyborg Holland (Match 1 of 2)
MD8:
Liventia in Wray (Match 3 of 3)
Eura in The Licentian Isles (Match 3 of 5)
Darmen in Chelta (Match 1 of 5)
Apox in Cyborg Holland (Match 2 of 2)
Barunia in Django Unchained (Match 1 of 1)
MD9:
Eura in The Licentian Isles (Match 4 of 5)
The Kytler Peninsulae in Liventia (Match 1 of 1)
Darmen in Chelta (Match 2 of 5)
Wray in Barunia (Match 1 of 2)
MD10:
Eura in The Licentian Isles (Match 5 of 5)
Liventia in Apox (Match 1 of 3)
Darmen in Chelta (Match 3 of 5)
Tasrailia in Ingla Terra (Match 1 of 3)
Wray in Barunia (Match 2 of 2)
MD11:
Eura in The Kytler Peninsulae (Match 1 of 2)
Liventia in Apox (Match 2 of 3)
Darmen in Chelta (Match 4 of 5)
Tasrailia in Ingla Terra (Match 2 of 3)
Barunia in Cyborg Holland (Match 1 of 2)
The Licentian Isles in Shadowbourne (Match 1 of 2)
MD12:
Eura in The Kytler Peninsulae (Match 2 of 2)
Liventia in Apox (Match 3 of 3)
Darmen in Chelta (Match 5 of 5)
Tasrailia in Ingla Terra (Match 3 of 3)
The Licentian Isles in Shadowbourne (Match 2 of 2)
Barunia in Cyborg Holland (Match 2 of 2)

by **Apox** » Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:42 pm

All-Time Roll of GCF Tests

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4
291 Liventia in Eura: Drawn
292 Darmen in Welsh Cowboy: Welsh Cowboy win by 123 runs
293 Apox in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles win by 34 runs
294 Ingla Terra in Chelta: Ingla Terra win by 8 wickets
295 Wray in Cyborg Holland: Wray win by 2 wicket
296 Liventia in Eura: Drawn
297 Darmen in Welsh Cowboy: Welsh Cowboy win by 10 wickets
298 Apox in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles lose by 110 runs
299 Ingla Terra in Chelta: Ingla Terra lose by 249 runs
300 Wray in Cyborg Holland: Drawn
301 Liventia in Eura: Liventia win by 6 wickets
302 Apox in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles lose by 94 runs
303 Ingla Terra in Chelta: Chelta lose by 62 runs
304 Barunia in Darmen: Drawn
305 Liventia in Eura: Liventia win by an innings and 143 runs
306 Welsh Cowboy in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles lose by 181 runs
307 Apox in Chelta: Apox lose by 87 runs
308 Barunia in Darmen: Darmen win by an innings and 239 runs
309 Liventia in Eura: Liventia lose by 185 runs
310 Ingla Terra in Barunia: Barunia win by 8 wickets
311 Welsh Cowboy in the Licentian Isles: Welsh Cowboy win by 5 wickets
312 Apox in Chelta: Drawn
313 Django Unchained in Tasrailia: Tasrailia win by 6 wickets
314 Liventia in Wray: Wray win by an innings and 178 runs
315 Eura in The Licentian Isles: Eura win by 7 wickets
316 Ingla Terra in Barunia: Ingla Terra lose by 21 runs
317 Chelta in Welsh Cowboy: Drawn
318 Django Unchained in Tasrailia: Tasrailia lose by 130 runs
319 Liventia in Wray: Wray lose by 175 runs
320 Eura in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles lose by 13 runs
321 Ingla Terra in Barunia: Ingla Terra lose by 174 runs
322 Chelta in Welsh Cowboy: Chelta win by 5 wickets
323 Django Unchained in Tasrailia: Tasrailia lose by 114 runs
324 Apox in Cyborg Holland: Apox win by 7 wickets
325 Liventia in Wray: Drawn
326 Eura in The Licentian Isles: Drawn
327 Darmen in Chelta: Chelta win by 9 wickets
328 Apox in Cyborg Holland: Drawn
329 Barunia in Django Unchained: Django Unchained lose by 57 runs
330 Eura in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles win by 3 wickets
331 The Kytler Peninsulae in Liventia: Liventia win by 9 wickets
332 Darmen in Chelta: Chelta win by 7 wickets
333 Wray in Barunia: Barunia win by 10 wickets
334 Eura in The Licentian Isles: The Licentian Isles win by 4 wickets
335 Liventia in Apox: Apox lose by 72 runs
336 Darmen in Chelta: Chelta win by 2 wickets
337 Tasrailia in Ingla Terra: Drawn
338 Wray in Barunia: Barunia lose by 187 runs
339 Eura in The Kytler Peninsulae: Drawn
340 Liventia in Apox: Apox win by an innings and 93 runs
341 Darmen in Chelta: Drawn
342 Tasrailia in Ingla Terra: Ingla Terra win by an innings and 2 runs
343 The Licentian Isles in Shadowbourne: The Licentian Isles win an innings and 1 run
344 Barunia in Cyborg Holland: Cyborg Holland win an innings and 6 runs
345 Eura in The Kytler Peninsulae: The Kytler Peninsulae win by 9 wickets
346 Liventia in Apox: Apox win by 4 wickets
347 Darmen in Chelta: Drawn
348 Tasrailia in Ingla Terra: Ingla Terra win by 10 wickets
349 The Licentian Isles in Shadowbourne: The Licentian Isles win by 4 wickets
350 Barunia in Cyborg Holland: Barunia win by an innings and 16 runs

by **Wray** » Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:58 am

State of Play
A man. Sports. Booze.

Domestic cricket can suck my GoTV Sports Subscription. Every test match involving Wray and Cyborg Holland (as well as some important other ones) is broadcast live on my TV, so when I'm not away watching the actual games, I can chill in my apartment and watch them. F***ing brilliant.

With just under a week to go till the first ball is bowled at the ACG, the Wray Cricket Board has announced it's touring schedule, and has determined an ideal first XI. There are a few blue decisions out there (Wray speak for odd), but it's generally a squad full of talented red-ball players who deserve (probably) a chance to have the first go at cracking the test nut.

(Bold indicates 1st XI)

Batsman

EM McCaughey
Arguably the finest red-ball batsmen around in the domestic circuit, perhaps competing with a player like Simon Sterne or Jackson Colt. Although Ed doesn't necessarily always bat with the greatest sense of urgency, his quality is obvious and his class is permanent. He will open the batting for the side, and I reckon that is probably a good decision, considering domestic form and position. (OOC: think Jonathan Trott)

MTK Hudson
Another good pick from the WCB, Mark Hudson (brother of Shane, who is omitted from the starting XI), is left-handed and the polar opposite of his opening partner McCaughey. Aggressive and fluid, he'll tend to got 30s and 40s, but perhaps lacks the mettle to bring out test centuries. (OOC: Think Michael Carberry/Shane Watson (except without the bowling)

SLM Sterne (Captain)
Happened to be born at the perfect time, Simon is probably the greatest Wray cricketer ever to have lived and possible to come in a fair few years to come. Near-perfect technique matches brilliant timing, patience and a captain's mind make him invincible when in top nick and pretty hard to get out when he's not fully firing. A master of cricket, he fits perfectly in at first drop (number three), able to dig in as an opener or build or counter-attack as a number 3. (OOC: Think Ricky Ponting/Sachin Tendulkar)

GPRJ Mitchell
Captain of the South-East Sharks, Glenn is perhaps more suited to the short-form of the game, and I'll think we'll see that come through in the Test series against Cyborg Holland with plenty of attacking strokes. Mitch will like the hard bumpy pitches in Cyborg Holland and will look to hit den Lettar and co. over the Pavillion. Tends to suffer from rushes-of-blood and will play rash strokes when set. (OOC: Think David Warner)

JWO Colt
A surprise omission from the Test team I reckon, he's put in the hard graft in domestic season and finished the Sierra Division 1 Season with 843 runs at 52. Perhaps the Chairman of Selectors Bradley Rocha thinks that Glenn Mitchell will have a positive attacking influence on the side as opposed to Colt's rather gritty play. However Colt can also provide useful off-spin when required to fill in some overs. (OOC: Think Kevin Pietersen)

SPR Hudson
Brother of opener Mark Hudson, Shane is a right hander and bats a position beneath his brother in the Nelson's Bay Dragons team. His supreme fitness tends and fielding ability appears to be the reason for his selection in the squad. His batting leaves something to be desired, with several technical flaws which quality bowlers will be able to exploit once they get his measure. Never really found the form which he could achieve. (Think Ravi Bopara, without bowling)

All-rounders

AMA Macallister
Ashton's pace has often been questioned: trundling along in the mid-70s, but his skills as a bowler are rivalled by none. He can hit the same perfect length the whole day whilst players like Storm and Corrie are taking wickets down the other end. His off-cutter rips like a proper spinner and his yorkers are perfect. His batting is perhaps questionable, but he can hit runs when required but also knuckle down if things have gone badly up top. (OOC: Think Paul Collingwood, but better

)

JMA Keillher
Big, massive, powerful and went to school with a certain Harrison McKenzie. Whereas I was bowling slow turners, Jason would steam in from a mile-away and detonate the stumps. Then when he got to bat ahead of me (Number 4 to my Number 11 to be precise), he hit it a mile in the other direction. Capable of savage pulls and hooks, Jason is a very leg-side dominant player, and sides will often spot this and put heavy leg-side fields. (if any foreign coaches are reading this, disregard it.) (OOC: Think Freddie Flintoff)

NR Hunter
A run-of-the-mill slow left armer, Nathan is not known for his revs, but merely for being persistent in that nagging do-I-play-it-or-not length just on middle stump, turning away from the right-hander. He and Ashton Macallister bowl well together in tandem, so expect to see them bowling in tandem in the middle overs. Bats averagely, number seven, domestic average of 37. (OOC: Think Adam Voges)

MLJ James
A smaller version of Keillher, Mitch James' path into the side has been blocked by this enormous man. He bowls at about the pace of Keillher, but with less bounce and more subtlety. He doesn't make it as an all-rounder because of Keillher, as a bowler because he bowls the same swing as Storm and Corrie, and not as a batsman because he's too erratic. An unlucky cricketer if there ever was one. (OOC: Think Mitchell Marsh)

Wicket-keepers

JFA Stacey
The only choice for this position, not only is Julian a world-class gloveman, but his batting skills are impressive as well. A fluid, attacking batsman who lives and breathes batting. He scores bags of runs, but with not a single ugly shot. His drives through extra-cover and chips over midwicket are textbook cricket. Deadly at number 6, and vicious when batting with nothing to lose, Stacey will produce some memorable innings, that's for sure. (OOC: Think Adam Gilchrist)

HB Ramsay
Another unlucky cricketer, it's not likely that Ramsay will get a game the entire season, Stacey is just that good. Ramsay is much more of a keeper than a batsman, and bats at number 8 for his domestic side Western Provinces. He's a nice enough guy, I met him at a WCB dinner, but he just won't get a look in behind Stacey. Lots of plane trips but not many trips out to the middle other than to carry drinks (OOC: think Graham Manou (if you can...)

Bowlers

JS Storm
The King of Swing, the Count of Bounce (nope?) and the Prince of Pace, Jackson more than lives up to his surname. A frame 6ft 2" delivers regular 90mph + balls, including a deadly arsenal of bouncers and outswingers. Jackson leads the attack and will be key to the success of the side. If he can bowl well and Simon Sterne bat well, then Wray will have a good season. It will be interesting to see Storm go head-to-head with Kruger den Lettar. Both fast-bowlers with badass names. (OOC: Think Dale Steyn)

ACL Corrie
Slightly less quick than Storm, Adam tends to use his change-up and swing to beat batsmen. He is a favourite of slip fielders, as his outswing often draws nicks from batsmen and offers catches to those in the slips. A hard-working, honest bowler, Adam will come in and bowl a 12-over spell with no complaints, always challenging the batsmen. (OOC: Think Ryan Harris)

SG Aguando
I'd like to think the Shane Aguando is a more successful version of me. We both bowl the same, the obscure left-arm Chinaman. He probably put thousands of hours into net practice, whereas I didn't because the nearest nets to me were a half-hour bike ride for me. He is young, largely untested on the First-Class circuit (just 8 games, albeit it with 17 wickets at 29), but there's something about his persona, the way he does things, that tells me he's gonna be one of the greats. (OOC: Think Shane Warne)

CRM Bennett
A more subtle bowler than the figures of Keillher and Storm, Craig is the master of seam bowling in the side, and will open the bowling with Jackson Storm. Capable of seaming it both ways at speeds of 85mph, Craig completes the deadly arsenal that is the Wray bowling attack. (OOC: Think Graham Onions)

RJ Lockington
Another young fast bowling prospect coming up through the domestic ranks, Ryan tore apart the GrandSlam t20 with 16 wickets, and took 25 wickets in the Sierra Division 1, he can swing it both ways, and is a master of reversing it late in the innings. Standing at 6ft 5", he will be a potential fourth seamer on drier, harder wickets.

Perhaps the side lacks an off-spinner and grit at number four which could be important in the early exchanges with Cyborg Holland, but otherwise this is a talented side who can challenge any others. Safe to say, it'll be a cracker!

Wray XI for those too lazy to read

1. EM McCaughey
2. MTK Hudson
3. SLM Sterne*
4. GPRJ Mitchell
5. AMA Macallister
6. JFA Stacey (wk)
7. JMA Keillher
8. JS Storm
9. ACL Corrie
10. CRM Bennett
11. SG Aguando

by **Apox** » Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:35 am

Apox Cricket Roster

The coach: David Barnes, Aged 62

Cricket Squad
Name             Age  M  I No  Runs Average  HS 50/100| Overs  M   Runs Wkts Average Best 5 Wkts
Sam Gugh          30 24 34  1  1329  40.27  206  4/3  |   0    0     0   0
Jake Walters      25  9 12  1   407  37.00  137* 2/1  |   0    0     0   0
Giles Greaves     25  3  3  1    71  35.50   39* 0/0  |   0    0     0   0
Jazz Caulderon    32 26 39  1  1347  35.45  170  7/2  |  18    2    74   0            0-5    0
Dan Watt          28 25 36  5  1049  33.84  127  4/2  |   0    0     0   0
Chris Benthron    33 23 33  2   923  30.23  102  6/1  |   4    0    33   0            0-33   0
Kelly Crookshaw   24 12 13  3   249  24.90   52  1/0  |  12    0    87   3    29.00   3-33   0
Scott Gilbert     30 22 29  9   406  20.30   56* 2/0  | 440.5 62  1473  47    31.34   6-52   2
Kate Finika       30 16 22  3   376  19.79   74* 1/0  | 100.1  7   522  13    40.15   2-24   0
Jess Parker       33 22 23  6   182  10.71   24* 0/0  | 448.1 80  1434  48    29.88   6-75   2
Miles Scott       28 17 20  4   152   9.50   29  0/0  | 366   54  1188  37    32.11   5-77   1
Aram Dhawa        25 13 15  4    64   5.82   10  0/0  | 328.5 67  1144  37    30.92   5-36   2
Sam Vernon        22  2  1  0     5   5.00    5  0/0  |  22    1   134  11    12.18   5-40   1
Craig Graham      30  0  0  0     0   0.00    0  0/0  |   0    0     0   0
Claire Slater     24  0  0  0     0   0.00    0  0/0  |   0    0     0   0
Pat Brigham       23  0  0  0     0   0.00    0  0/0  |   0    0     0   0

Batting Order
1: Sam Gugh
2: Jazz Caulderon
3: Giles Greaves
4: Jake Walters
5: Dan Watt
6: Chris Benthron
7: Kelly Crookshaw
8: Scott Gilbert - CAPTAIN
9: Miles Scott
10: Aram Dhawa
11: Sam Vernon

Bowling Order
1: Sam Vernon
2: Miles Scott
3: Scott Gilbert
4: Aram Dhawa
5: Kelly Crookshaw
6: Chris Benthron (part-time)

by **Darmen** » Tue Sep 24, 2013 2:44 pm

Darmeni National Test Cricket Team

Manager: Harold Westman (Scott City)

No Player              Club          Bats Bowls
 1 Gordon Spence       Brady City    L    LFM Captain
 2 Akiba Stumpf        Chad City     R    OB
 3 Herbie Atteberry    Brady City    R    RM 
 4 Evron Groß          Forden        R    RFM
 5 Jimmie Voclain      Sterling City L    LBG
 6 Ludovic Christopher Sterling City R    RFM
 7 Nate Dedrick        Sterling City L    LM
 8 Ron Blackbourne     Chad City     R    SLA
 9 Greer Walsh         Brady City    R    RFM
10 Gearóid Rosenfeld   Scott City    R    RFM
11 Wilfrid Breisacher  Vogler City   L    LB

12 Derry Woods         Bryxen City   L    OB
13 Murray Saunders     Forden        R    OB
14 Maddox Victors      Darmen City   R    RB

by **Barunia** » Wed Sep 25, 2013 1:58 am

Barunian National Cricket Team - Test XI

Batting Order

No. Name            Position      Bat       Bowling Style
1 Jon Doveson       All-rounder   Left    Left-arm orthodox
2 Ryan Pragnell     Batsman       Right   Right-arm medium fast
3 Oscar Nash        Batsman       Left    Left-arm leg-spinner
4 Frederick Deakin  Batsman       Right   Right-arm orthodox
5 Harvy Mitchell    Wicket-keeper Right   Left-arm orthodox
6 Gus Smithson      All-rounder   Right   Right-arm off-spinner
7 Christian Long    Batsmen       Right   Right-arm orthodox
8 Casey Williams    Bowler        Right   Right-arm off-spinner
9 James Rickards    Bowler        Left    Left-arm fast
10 William Sorensen Bowler        Right   Right-arm fast
11 Patrick Deen     Bowler        Right   Right-arm leg-spinner

12 Michael Barrie   Batsman       Right   Right-arm off-spinner

Top 5 Bowlers

Know the team...
Big Hitter: Oscar Nash
Century Maker: Jon Doveson
Old Reliable: Harvy Mitchell
Speed Demon: James Rickards
Tail Wagger: Casey Williams

# Name             Style
1 Jon Doveson      Left-arm orthodox
2 James Rickards   Left-arm fast
3 Patrick Deen     Right-arm leg-spinner
4 William Sorensen Right-arm fast
5 Casey Williams   Right-arm off-spinner

by **Ingla Terra** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 5:52 am

Ingla Terra National Cricket Team (Test XI)

Batting Order

No. Name               Position       Bat       Bowling Style
1   Joe-mar Monaghan   Batsman        Left      L/Orthodox
2   Jee Hodson         Batsman        Right     R/fast
3   Mico Bowler        All-rounder    Right     R/off-spinner
4   Marti Carty        Wicket-keeper  Right     R/leg-spinner
5   Kervin Greenwood   Batsman        Left      L/fast
6   Marc Stevenson (c) All-rounder    Either    L/leg-spinner
7   Brigham Needham    Batsman        Right     R/orthodox
8   Arwin Sheppard     Bowler         Left      L/fast
9   Hiel Barron        Bowler         Right     R/off-spinner
10  Morgan Rodrigues   Bowler         Left      L/fast
11  Jherome Summers    Bowler         Left      L/leg-spinner

12  Janross Dale       Batter         Right     R/off-spinner
13  Benigno Steele     Batter         Left      L/orthodox
14  Josef Welch        Batter         Right     R/orthodox

Bowling Order
1. Arwin Sheppard
2. Jherome Summers
3. Hiel Barron
4. Marc Stevenson
5. Morgan Rodrigues
(p/t) Mico Bowler (sometimes, for Stevenson)

by **Django Unchained** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 5:50 am

As a new nation playing it's first Test matches unfortunately not much information exists on each player. Below is the 25 man squad for year. Hopefully up date as the year goes along.

Opening batsmen
R Clint Herrera
R Ron Larson
R Cameron Romero WK
R Javier Gill

Batsmen
L Andrew Jordan
L Doyle Burke
R Milton Hunt
R Salvador Watts
R Everett Duncan WK
R Vernon Bryant WK
R Billy Jennings
R Russell Page

Batting all-rounders
R Eddie Miles OB
R Randolph Ferguson RM WK
R Frankie Bennett RFM

Bowling all rounders
R Leroy Moody RFM Swing bowler
R Todd Gregory RMF
L Tommy Lawrence SLA
R Tony Dean RM

Bowlers
R Ryan Pratt RF
L Cornelius Garza LF
L Edmund Barber LFM Swing bowler
R Joe Lyons OB
L Phillip Steele SLC
R Dustin Luna LB

by **Chelta** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 7:02 am

Chelta's Test teams will be drawn from the following pool of Test players during this GCF season. More detailed info about these players (i.e. averages and Test experience) can be found in my factbook page about cricket in Chelta.

Cheltish Test Players

Batsmen

Gordon Walters        - 31 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Medium
Adam Blainey          - 28 - Left-hand Bat  - Leg Spin
Percy Waight(c)       - 32 - Right-hand Bat - Left-arm Orthodox
Phil Moody            - 35 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Medium
Hugh Kinnock          - 24 - Left-hand Bat  - Left-arm Medium
Jamie Macnair         - 25 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Medium
Liam Molloy           - 24 - Left-hand Bat  - Off Spin


All-Rounders

Ernie Sullivan        - 24 - Right-hand Bat - Left-arm Orthodox
Steve Heseltine       - 26 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Fast Medium
Rupert Madison        - 22 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Fast Medium

Wicket-keepers

Donald Goss(vc)       - 35 - Right-hand Bat - N/A
Fred McKew            - 28 - Right-hand Bat - N/A

Bowlers

Harry Donoghue        - 30 - Left-hand Bat  - Left-arm Fast
James Trott           - 23 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Fast
Stuart Werren         - 28 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Fast Medium
Ian Birt              - 26 - Right-hand Bat - Right-arm Fast Medium
Alistair May          - 28 - Right-hand Bat - Leg Spin
Hugo Murray           - 25 - Right-hand Bat - Off Spin

The opening XI for the first Test against Ingla Terra:

1. Gordon Walters
2. Adam Blainey
3. Jamie Macnair
4. Percy Waight (c)
5. Phil Moody
6. Ernie Sullivan
7. Donald Goss (vc)
8. James Trott
9. Ian Birt
10. Alistair May
11. Stuart Werren

by **Chelta** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:33 am

Wray wrote:
I like it very much when people produce scorecards for games involving our teams. Don't feel obliged to, but I like having a structure/scorecard to RP to as opposed to having to make everything up. And doing a scorecard normally drains my desire to RP.

State of Play
A man. Sports. Booze.

Domestic cricket can suck my GoTV Sports Subscription. Every test match involving Wray and Cyborg Holland (as well as some important other ones) is broadcast live on my TV, so when I'm not away watching the actual games, I can chill in my apartment and watch them. F***ing brilliant.

With just under a week to go till the first ball is bowled at the ACG, the Wray Cricket Board has announced it's touring schedule, and has determined an ideal first XI. There are a few blue decisions out there (Wray speak for odd), but it's generally a squad full of talented red-ball players who deserve (probably) a chance to have the first go at cracking the test nut.

(Bold indicates 1st XI)

Batsman

EM McCaughey
Arguably the finest red-ball batsmen around in the domestic circuit, perhaps competing with a player like Simon Sterne or Jackson Colt. Although Ed doesn't necessarily always bat with the greatest sense of urgency, his quality is obvious and his class is permanent. He will open the batting for the side, and I reckon that is probably a good decision, considering domestic form and position. (OOC: think Jonathan Trott)

MTK Hudson
Another good pick from the WCB, Mark Hudson (brother of Shane, who is omitted from the starting XI), is left-handed and the polar opposite of his opening partner McCaughey. Aggressive and fluid, he'll tend to got 30s and 40s, but perhaps lacks the mettle to bring out test centuries. (OOC: Think Michael Carberry/Shane Watson (except without the bowling)

SLM Sterne (Captain)
Happened to be born at the perfect time, Simon is probably the greatest Wray cricketer ever to have lived and possible to come in a fair few years to come. Near-perfect technique matches brilliant timing, patience and a captain's mind make him invincible when in top nick and pretty hard to get out when he's not fully firing. A master of cricket, he fits perfectly in at first drop (number three), able to dig in as an opener or build or counter-attack as a number 3. (OOC: Think Ricky Ponting/Sachin Tendulkar)

GPRJ Mitchell
Captain of the South-East Sharks, Glenn is perhaps more suited to the short-form of the game, and I'll think we'll see that come through in the Test series against Cyborg Holland with plenty of attacking strokes. Mitch will like the hard bumpy pitches in Cyborg Holland and will look to hit den Lettar and co. over the Pavillion. Tends to suffer from rushes-of-blood and will play rash strokes when set. (OOC: Think David Warner)

JWO Colt
A surprise omission from the Test team I reckon, he's put in the hard graft in domestic season and finished the Sierra Division 1 Season with 843 runs at 52. Perhaps the Chairman of Selectors Bradley Rocha thinks that Glenn Mitchell will have a positive attacking influence on the side as opposed to Colt's rather gritty play. However Colt can also provide useful off-spin when required to fill in some overs. (OOC: Think Kevin Pietersen)

SPR Hudson
Brother of opener Mark Hudson, Shane is a right hander and bats a position beneath his brother in the Nelson's Bay Dragons team. His supreme fitness tends and fielding ability appears to be the reason for his selection in the squad. His batting leaves something to be desired, with several technical flaws which quality bowlers will be able to exploit once they get his measure. Never really found the form which he could achieve. (Think Ravi Bopara, without bowling)

All-rounders

AMA Macallister
Ashton's pace has often been questioned: trundling along in the mid-70s, but his skills as a bowler are rivalled by none. He can hit the same perfect length the whole day whilst players like Storm and Corrie are taking wickets down the other end. His off-cutter rips like a proper spinner and his yorkers are perfect. His batting is perhaps questionable, but he can hit runs when required but also knuckle down if things have gone badly up top. (OOC: Think Paul Collingwood, but better )

JMA Keillher
Big, massive, powerful and went to school with a certain Harrison McKenzie. Whereas I was bowling slow turners, Jason would steam in from a mile-away and detonate the stumps. Then when he got to bat ahead of me (Number 4 to my Number 11 to be precise), he hit it a mile in the other direction. Capable of savage pulls and hooks, Jason is a very leg-side dominant player, and sides will often spot this and put heavy leg-side fields. (if any foreign coaches are reading this, disregard it.) (OOC: Think Freddie Flintoff)

NR Hunter
A run-of-the-mill slow left armer, Nathan is not known for his revs, but merely for being persistent in that nagging do-I-play-it-or-not length just on middle stump, turning away from the right-hander. He and Ashton Macallister bowl well together in tandem, so expect to see them bowling in tandem in the middle overs. Bats averagely, number seven, domestic average of 37. (OOC: Think Adam Voges)

MLJ James
A smaller version of Keillher, Mitch James' path into the side has been blocked by this enormous man. He bowls at about the pace of Keillher, but with less bounce and more subtlety. He doesn't make it as an all-rounder because of Keillher, as a bowler because he bowls the same swing as Storm and Corrie, and not as a batsman because he's too erratic. An unlucky cricketer if there ever was one. (OOC: Think Mitchell Marsh)

Wicket-keepers

JFA Stacey
The only choice for this position, not only is Julian a world-class gloveman, but his batting skills are impressive as well. A fluid, attacking batsman who lives and breathes batting. He scores bags of runs, but with not a single ugly shot. His drives through extra-cover and chips over midwicket are textbook cricket. Deadly at number 6, and vicious when batting with nothing to lose, Stacey will produce some memorable innings, that's for sure. (OOC: Think Adam Gilchrist)

HB Ramsay
Another unlucky cricketer, it's not likely that Ramsay will get a game the entire season, Stacey is just that good. Ramsay is much more of a keeper than a batsman, and bats at number 8 for his domestic side Western Provinces. He's a nice enough guy, I met him at a WCB dinner, but he just won't get a look in behind Stacey. Lots of plane trips but not many trips out to the middle other than to carry drinks (OOC: think Graham Manou (if you can...)

Bowlers

JS Storm
The King of Swing, the Count of Bounce (nope?) and the Prince of Pace, Jackson more than lives up to his surname. A frame 6ft 2" delivers regular 90mph + balls, including a deadly arsenal of bouncers and outswingers. Jackson leads the attack and will be key to the success of the side. If he can bowl well and Simon Sterne bat well, then Wray will have a good season. It will be interesting to see Storm go head-to-head with Kruger den Lettar. Both fast-bowlers with badass names. (OOC: Think Dale Steyn)

ACL Corrie
Slightly less quick than Storm, Adam tends to use his change-up and swing to beat batsmen. He is a favourite of slip fielders, as his outswing often draws nicks from batsmen and offers catches to those in the slips. A hard-working, honest bowler, Adam will come in and bowl a 12-over spell with no complaints, always challenging the batsmen. (OOC: Think Ryan Harris)

SG Aguando
I'd like to think the Shane Aguando is a more successful version of me. We both bowl the same, the obscure left-arm Chinaman. He probably put thousands of hours into net practice, whereas I didn't because the nearest nets to me were a half-hour bike ride for me. He is young, largely untested on the First-Class circuit (just 8 games, albeit it with 17 wickets at 29), but there's something about his persona, the way he does things, that tells me he's gonna be one of the greats. (OOC: Think Shane Warne)

CRM Bennett
A more subtle bowler than the figures of Keillher and Storm, Craig is the master of seam bowling in the side, and will open the bowling with Jackson Storm. Capable of seaming it both ways at speeds of 85mph, Craig completes the deadly arsenal that is the Wray bowling attack. (OOC: Think Graham Onions)

RJ Lockington
Another young fast bowling prospect coming up through the domestic ranks, Ryan tore apart the GrandSlam t20 with 16 wickets, and took 25 wickets in the Sierra Division 1, he can swing it both ways, and is a master of reversing it late in the innings. Standing at 6ft 5", he will be a potential fourth seamer on drier, harder wickets.

Perhaps the side lacks an off-spinner and grit at number four which could be important in the early exchanges with Cyborg Holland, but otherwise this is a talented side who can challenge any others. Safe to say, it'll be a cracker!

Wray XI for those too lazy to read

1. EM McCaughey
2. MTK Hudson
3. SLM Sterne*
4. GPRJ Mitchell
5. AMA Macallister
6. JFA Stacey (wk)
7. JMA Keillher
8. JS Storm
9. ACL Corrie
10. CRM Bennett
11. SG Aguando

Nice idea, helpfully comparing your players to RL cricketers like that. I might just steal it, since I do the same thing to help myself remember what my RP cricketers are supposed to play like...

With one day to go until the first Test of the Ingla Terra series begins at Claremont Oval in Perth, the Channel Eleven commentary team have put their heads together to pass their verdict on the players likely to appear in the baggy maroon this season.

The Channel Eleven commentary team:

Pat McGowan - prolific Test run-scorer between 1961-71. Captained Chelta for one series, which was lost 4-0.
William Jolly - Cheltish Test wicket-keeper from 1988-1998
Blake Jameson - prominent first-class batsman and occasional Test batsman between 1984-2004
Norman Tufnell - Cheltish batsman and Test captain between 1955-1967

by **Wray** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:03 pm

State of Play
A man. Sports. Booze.

It's days like this that make you want to be a cricket fan. Amzterdam is positively rocking with supporters from both sides. I'm used to crowds like these before big International Rugby matches, but for a Test match? Unheard of. This morning I met Amy at Amzterdam Airport, and she managed to look as beautiful as ever even after an over-night flight from Liventia. She'd never been to Esportiva before, but I assured her it was a carbon-copy (almost) of her home region.

Having attended Journalism school (for just a year) in Amzterdam, I knew the city pretty well. I booked me Amy a room in a hotel just a few hundred yards from the imperious avenue that leads to the ACG main gate. Being accredited by the WCB, I just flashed my pass (and my guess pass) to the burly security guard and we were in.

I'd grown up with cricket in the ACG. Sure, the Cartersburg Oval existed, but it was bland. Nothing noteworthy. Sure, it had a homely feel to it, but I much preferred cricket in the ACG. I watched the Cyborg Dutch domestic cricket religiously in front of my family's small grainy TV. It was on because CYBSports owned the sports contract on WNTV.

I enjoyed games at the Cabbage (known affectionally by Wrayians because of it's all green seats.) because the crowds were by far the best. I reckon there's something in the shape of the stadium that reflects the sound back into the stands, so it's twice as loud as any other ground I've ever attended. My pass granted me access to the boundary rope, so me and Amy took a leisurely stroll round the pitch, me pointing out various interesting articles within the ground and regaling tales about how I played a University 30-over final on this very pitch. We passed no-more than four international camera crews, which demonstrated just how important this game was to everyone in our nation.

It was time for revenge, after 350 years of control, Cyborg Holland would finally be defeated. Not on the battlefield, or the Parliament, or the streets, but instead of a neat green strip, right in their heart. Instead of artillery, we have Mark Hudson and Simon Sterne. Instead of petitions and demonstrations we have Jackson Storm and Shane Agunado. They won't see it until the last batsman is dismissed.

(OOC: To everyone who's not versed in Cyborg Dutch-Wrayian politics, Cyborg Holland colonised Wray and it only recently gained Independence. This is the first real chance that the country has had to "get one back" at their rulers. There was no real bad blood between the two country)

by **The Licentian Isles** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:58 pm

The Licentian Islands Test Squad:

20 Man Squad:

Batsmen:
Rab Hughes - 37 - RHB - RM – St Bart’s PCC
Ramsay Anderson - 32 - LHB - LM – Montfort PCC
Joseph Docherty - 29 - LHB - OS – Montfort PCC
Finn Macdonald - 33 - RHB - RM – Colesham PCC
Cormac Smith - 21 - RHB - RM – Montfort PCC
Ally Moore - 32 - RHB - RM – Montfort PCC
Aiden Wood - 19 - LHB - LM - Abingdon PCC

All-Rounders:
Michael Clark - 34 - RHB - OS – Montfort PCC
Nathan Marshall - 22 - RHB - RF – Abingdon PCC
Eric Aitken - 30 - LHB - LFM – Colesham PCC
Tristan Alexander - 28 - RHB - LS – Montfort PCC
Dexter Mackay - 35 - RHB - LS – St Bart’s PCC

Bowlers:
Calvin Watt - 29 - RHB - RFM – St Bart’s PCC
Shaun Gibson - 35 - LHB - SLA – Colesham PCC
Fletcher Reid - 22 - RHB - RMF – Montfort PCC
Isaac Smith - 38 - RHB - RF – St Bart’s PCC
Douglas White - 23 - LHB - LS – St Bart’s PCC
Cailean Reilly - 18 - RHB - SLA - Montfort PCC

Wicket-Keepers:
Corey Maclean - 31 - RHB - N/A – St Bart’s PCC
Gerard Stevenson - 28 - RHB - N/A – Colesham PCC

Captain – Michael Clark
Vice-Captain – Rab Hughes
Coach – Nathaniel Hamilton

Side to face Apox at the Montfort Cricket Ground:

1. Hughes (C)
2. Clark
3. Anderson
4. Docherty
5. Marshall
6. Maclean (WK)
7. Aitken
8. Watt
9. Gibson
10. Reilly
11. Reid

Bowling Order

1. Watt
2. Gibson
3. Reilly
4. Reid
5. Clark
6. Marshall
7. Aitken

Series in the Licentian Isles will be played at, in order (cut any that won't be used because of the number of tests):
Montfort Cricket Ground (MCG)
Colesham Cricket Ground (CCG)
St Bart's Cricket Ground (SBCG)
Abingdon Cricket Ground (ACG)
Garton Cricket Ground (GCG)

by **Liventia** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 3:03 pm

Liventia Test squad for GCF Season 4
With the new season of Test cricket upon us, Liventia's Cricket Board of Authority has finalised its list of 25 centrally contracted players for the forthcoming Test season. While some players may be drawn from outside the 25, the majority of each match squad (13 for home Test v Kytler Peninsulae, 17 for tours) will be drawn from the central contracts list.

Max Finney has been retained as Test captain as Liventia look to consolidate their position as the best Test-playing nation in the multiverse. There is no place in the squad for the now 27-year-old Peter Smallville in a side whose oldest player is Arthur Cunningham, 26. Young gun Thomas Jonsson has been relieved of the pressures of vice-captaincy — he still retains the limited-overs role — and that has been passed to fast bowler Matt Geach.

Head coach: Tim (TJS) Geach
Bowling coach: Anthony (ASC) Rodwell
Batting coach: Dan (RDD) Blackburn
Coaching staff: Sean (SEA) Deanston, Andrew (AL) Walley

Club – RWP: Raithwick Park CC, FOL: Folenisa Combined CC, DOV: Dover CC, NCE: Centre of Excellence XI, CYC: Cyclonesville CC, COR: Central Orean CC

NAME				AGE	CLUB	BATS	BOWL	DOMESTIC SEASON* FIRST-CLASS STATS
								INN  NO  RUNS    AVG  100  50   OVERS  RUNS  WKTS    AVG  ECON
Jonathan (JPK) Adams		20	RWP	LHB	LF	 14   9    97  19.40    0   0   404.3   974    77  12.65  2.41
Walter (WWR) Ashworth		23	FOL	RHB	OS	 16   2   657  46.93    1   4
Leroy (LM) Bérard		23	CYC	RHB	SLA	 18   3   169  11.27    0   0   462.4  1113    49  22.71  2.41
Ben (BR) Broome			23	COR	RHB	LS	 16   3    73   5.62    0   0   537.3  1355    67  20.22  2.52
Leo (LP) Cartwright		24	RWP	RHB	RF	 14   3   569  51.73    1   4   317.2   987    48  20.56  3.11
Kevin (KSM) Christensen		20	NCE	LHB	RM	 17   2   385  25.67    0   2   436.4  1320    72  18.33  3.02
Arthur (AJ) Cunningham		26	RWP	RHB	RFM	 15   1   619  44.21    1   3
Max (MA) Finney [capt]		25	RWP	RHB	OS/WKT	 19   2   963  56.65	3   5	23c/7s
Matt (MC) Geach	[vice-capt]	25	DOV	LHB	RFM	 17   9    67   8.38    0   0   504.3  1440    91  15.82  2.85
AP (APC) Gignac			21	NCE	RHB	LS	 18   5   884  68.00    1   7
Garland (GP) Goudreau 		25	FOL	RHB	RM/WKT	 22   2  1125  56.25    3   8	29c/4s
Dylan (DA) Hennessey		22	COR	LHB	LS	 20   2   909  50.50    2   6
Paul (PW) Jamieson		22	DOV	LHB	SLA	 20   0   941  47.05    2   6
Thomas (TD) Jonsson		22	CYC	RHB	RMF	 19   0   824  43.37    1   4    26.0    77     0      -  2.96
Ollie (OH) Kerr			20	RWP	LHB	LMF	 12   2   546  54.60    1   4   200.1   536    33  16.24  2.68
Stéphane (SG) Millard		22	NCE	LHB	SLA	 17   2    80   5.33    0   0   446.5  1076    64  16.81  2.41
Daniel (DM) Quinn		24	RWP	RHB	OS	 14   0    56   4.00    0   0   403.5  1067    62  17.21  2.64
David (DR) Ryan			24	FOL	RHB	LFM	 16   2   413  29.50    0   2   366.2  1019    65  15.68  2.78
Bryan (BC) Sinclair		21	CYC	RHB	RF	 19   2   365  21.47    0   0   402.0  1331    52  25.60  3.31
Will (FJW) Stewart		24	DOV	RHB	RM	 19   1   983  54.61	1   8
Joe (JTE) Sanderson		23	FOL	LHB	LMF	 19   2   270  15.88    0   0   401.1  1156    62  18.65  2.88
Mike (MQ) Sarrin		20	NCE	RHB	RMF/WKT	 20   1   860  45.26    1   8   17c/7s
Stuart (STS) Watting		22	COR	RHB	RM	 15   0   402  26.80    0   2   291.4   843    26  32.42  2.89
Michael (MJ) Westley		22	COR	RHB	n/a	 20   0   623  31.15    1   1
Alex (AF) Williams		21	DOV	RHB	RF	 20   1   667  35.11    0   6

*CBA National Championship only

Individual tour and match squads will be named before each Test.

Liventia's sole home Test this season, a one-off against Kytler Peninsulae, will be played at the NCE Oval in City Centre (ground mod +2).

by **Eura** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 3:40 pm

Euran Test Squad to face Liventia in the First Test
Venue: Brigham Oval, Brigham (90,000)
Official sponsor: EurChem

Roles

Captain: Tristan Lewis
Vice Captain: Tom Grant
Wicketkeeper: Jeremy Davis
Opening bowler: Shaun Folkstone against a right hander, Daniel Aldair against a left hander.
Most talented batsman amongst specialist bowlers: Shaun Folkstone
Most talented bowler amongst specialist batsmen: Matt Leech
Preferred night watchman: Daniel Aldair

Coaching staff

Head Coach: Thomas Wright
Fitness Coach: Callum Oldey
Batting Coach: Graham Lowton
Bowling Coach: Brian Temple

Batsmen and Wicketkeepers

Player         Age  Caps  Club       Bats  Innings  Runs  BatAvg  TopInn 50s 100s

Alan Royce      26     6  Directus   Left       12   454   37.83     110   3    1
Tristan Lewis   30     6  Holdenberg Right      12   623   51.91     165   4    1
Andrew Elland   22     6  Holdenberg Right      12   398   33.16      78   4    0
Liam Tunbridge  21     4  Brigham    Right       8   310   38.75     100   3    1
Matt Leech      24     6  Capital    Right      12   444   37.00      81   6    0
Jeremy Davis    27     2  Harther    Right       4    26    6.50      15   0    0
Tim Carpenter   20     4  Holdenberg Right       8   137   17.12      56   1    0
Lucas Johnson   29     2  Harther    Left        4    18    4.50      10   0    0
Gary Allan      26     0  Harther    Right       0     0       0       0   0    0

All-Rounders

Player          Age  Caps  Club       Bats  Innings  Runs  BatAvg  TopInn 50s 100s  Bowls      Overs  Mdns  Runs  Wkts  BwlAvg  5Hauls  TopHaul

Tom Grant        21     6  Holdenberg Right      12   500   41.66     106   3    1  R Med Fast   157    39   429    11   39.00       1     65-5
Shaun Folkstone  19     6  Capital    Right      12   423   35.25     119   1    2  R Fast     209.2    42   583    11   53.00       0     52-3
Michael Overdale 32     0  Spartans   Right       0     0       0       0   0    0  R Fast         0     0     0     0    0.00       0      N/A

Bowlers

Player         Age  Caps  Club        Bowls      Overs  Mdns  Runs  Wkts  BwlAvg  5Hauls  TopHaul  

Daniel Aldair    28     4  Spartans   L Fast     146.5     8   555     8   69.37       0     50/2
Andy Harrison    23     2  Brigham    R Fast      70.3    11   226     3    75.3       0     77/3
Greg Lark        24     6  Holdenberg L Off Spin 179.5    36   521    18   28.94       2     46/6
Nick Fodrell     23     6  Directus   R Off Spin 168.5    24   546    12   45.50       0     88/3
Joe Nott         26     0  Directus   R Fast         0     0     0     0    0.00       0      N/A

1st Batting Order

1. A Royce
2. T Lewis (C)
3. A Elland
4. L Tunbridge
5. M Leech
6. J Davis (WK)
7. T Grant (VC)
8. S Folkstone
9. A Harrison
10. G Lark
11. D Aldair

Likely bowling order

1. S Folkstone (Right arm fast seamer)
2. D Aldair (Left arm fast swing)
3. T Grant (Right arm fast medium seam and swing)
4. A Harrison (Right arm fast seamer)
5. G Lark (Left arm off spin)

by **Liventia** » Mon Sep 30, 2013 5:08 pm

Touring party named, first-class tour match proposed
CITY CENTRE— The Cricket Board of Authority (CBA) has finalised a touring party of 17 to travel to Eura for the inaugural five-Test EurChem Series to be led by Max Finney.

The 25-year-old, who averaged 56.65 from 19 innings (two not outs) in domestic first-class cricket this season, will lead the side from the slip cordon after it was confirmed that Garland Goudreau will be the side's main wicketkeeper in the series.

Goudreau had a breakout season in the National Championship, being the only man to score more than a thousand first-class runs this year. He tallied 1125 runs at 56.25 including three tons and eight fifties, while taking 29 catches and four stumpings – three dismissals more than Finney, who managed 23 catches and seven stumpings.

Jonathan Adams is expected to be promoted to open the attack after a stunning Championship season saw him take 77 wickets at less than 13 runs apiece, partnering vice-captain Matt Geach with the new ball.

Geach led the National Championship in wickets taken this year, claiming 91 victims for less than 16 runs each. A surprise inclusion in the squad for a possible Test debut – and even maybe as first change bowler – is Kevin Christensen, who made his Liventia debut in the recent title-winning World Twenty20 campaign.

Christensen took 72 wickets at 18.33 in the Championship this season in addition to carrying a decent all-rounder's batting average of 25.67 including two fifties.

Liventia have traditionally played two spinners but may find themselves tempted to play just one, leaving Test stalwart slow left armer (even at the age of 23) Leroy Bérard to fight for the spot with legspinner Ben Broome and fellow left arm spinner Stéphane Millard.

Of the three, Bérard took the fewest Championship wickets this year but may find that his Test experience helps in his appeal to be included in any of the matchday squads.

Meanwhile, the CBA have approached the Euran Cricket Association to ask to play a first-class four-day tour match between the second and third Tests against a domestic team. Vice-captain Geach played in Eura for champions Holdenberg, winning the foreign player award, and it is possible that Holdenberg will be the opponents.

Touring party
Batsmen: WWR Ashworth, AJ Cunningham, MA Finney (capt), GP Goudreau (wkt), DA Hennessey, PW Jamieson, TD Jonsson, FJW Stewart
All-rounders: LP Cartwright, KSM Christensen, OH Kerr, DR Ryan
Bowlers: JPK Adams, LM Bérard, BR Broome, MC Geach (vice-capt), SG Millard

First Test squad
(For batting/bowling, please refer to this post)
1 MA Finney*
2 PW Jamieson
3 DA Hennessey
4 GP Goudreau†
5 FJW Stewart
6 LP Cartwright
7 OH Kerr
8 KSM Christensen
9 JPK Adams (nominated nightwatchman)
10 SG Millard
11 MC Geach

Bowling order: 1 MC Geach 2 JPK Adams 3 KSM Christensen 4 OH Kerr 5 SG Millard (spin) 6 LP Cartwright (optional fifth seamer)

by **Django Unchained** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 6:46 am

To Tasrailia do you have a list of venues for my tour of your nation? That I can use for my records.

To Barunia the name of the venue for our match is "Lords The Palatinate". Who can RP test cricket without one of their home grounds being called lords ? :lol:

EDIT: Also below is the front my Test shirt I have drafted. I just wanted peoples opinions on it before I make it official, is there too much colour on it?

by **Ingla Terra** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 8:49 am

Perth, Chelta

The team have arrived in Perth for the first test against Chelta. They will make their debut test, against one of arguably the best sides in multiversian cricket. Now they just need a good rest in their hotel room and they were good to go. The first test will be in Claremont Oval. The Oval had hosted Chelta's home test against The Babbage Islands, which ended in a draw. The Cheltans had a chance to end the series with a tie, but it ended in a draw, so their opponents took the series after winning the second test in Newport.

Meanwhile, one of the three cricket grounds that will be used to host Tasrailia is currently in use in the Fourth World Korfball Classic. The National Cricket Ground in Shiefield, the largest stadium in the capital, is currently hosting Group A of the Classic, in which the hosts are struggling after a 9-17 loss to Shadowbourne, that left them rooted to the bottom, after their draw with Patistan in the first matchday. They are due to face The Licentian Isles in Matchday Three.

Back to cricket, there will be no changes in the lineup for the Inglans for their first test. The gaffers are hoping that they win their opening test.

by **Apox** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 10:03 am

Matchday 1

Match Report: Liventia in Eura
Eura bat first
Eura 427 (89.2 overs), 228/6d (100.0 overs)
Liventia 291 (101.3 overs), 273/4 (134.4 overs)
Drawn

Match Report: Darmen in Welsh Cowboy
Welsh Cowboy bat first
Welsh Cowboy 428 (108.4 overs), 178/5d (60.0 overs)
Darmen 241 (82.5 overs), 242 (87.4 overs)
Darmen lose by 123 runs

Match Report: Apox in The Licentian Isles
The Licentian Isles bat first
The Licentian Isles 410 (152.3 overs), 250/5d (71.2 overs)
Apox 302 (81.0 overs), 324 (142.2 overs)
Apox lose by 34 runs

Match Report: Ingla Terra in Chelta
Chelta bat first
Chelta 97 (22.4 overs), 299 (83.1 overs)
Ingla Terra 296 (93.1 overs), 101/2 (32.4 overs)
Ingla Terra win by 8 wickets

Match Report: Wray in Cyborg Holland
Cyborg Holland bat first
Cyborg Holland 227 (59.0 overs), 194 (81.4 overs)
Wray 201 (55.4 overs), 225/8 (70.1 overs)
Wray win by 2 wickets

by **Darmen** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:51 pm

OOC: I can't count. Wickets fixed. SR's adjusted accordingly as well.

Darmeni Batting Falters, Bowling performance sub-par

The struggles from last season continued, as Darmen fell to Welsh Cowboy by 123 runs. Gordon Spence was Darmen's best batter, scoring 103 runs off of 166 balls, with 5 boundries. As for the bowling, it looks like Gearóid Rosenfeld may be getting more use. His economy rate of 2.27 was the lowest on the day. Darmen will face Welsh Cowboy once more before returning home to face Barunia.

Match Report: Darmen in Welsh Cowboy
Welsh Cowboy bat first
Welsh Cowboy 428 (108.4 overs), 178/5d (60.0 overs)
Darmen 241 (82.5 overs), 242 (87.4 overs)
Darmen lose by 123 runs

Darmeni Bowling-First Innings
Player      Overs Wickets Maidens Runs Econ. SR
Spence      16.4  2       1       69   4.14  50.00
Stumpf      16    2       2       77   4.81  48.00
Atteberry   16    1       0       76   4.75  96.00
Groß        12    1       0       44   3.66  72.00
Voclain     12    1       1       44   3.66  72.00
Christopher 12    1       0       56   4.66  72.00
Walsh       12    1       0       35   2.91  72.00
Rosenfeld   12    1       1       27   2.25  72.00

Darmeni Batting-First Innings
Player      Runs Balls 4's 6's SR
Spence      61   105   1   1    58.09
Stumpf      23    46   0   0    50.00
Atteberry   17    38   1   0    44.73
Groß        31    82   0   0    37.80
Voclain     24    58   0   0    41.37
Christopher 26    77   0   0    33.76
Dedrick     19    35   1   0    54.28
Blackbourne  3    12   0   0    25.00
Walsh       17    27   0   0    62.96
Rosenfeld*  13    12   0   1   108.33
Breisacher   7     5   1   0   140.00

Darmeni Bowling-Second Innings
Player      Overs Wickets Maidens Runs Econ. SR
Spence      10    1       1       38   3.80  60.00
Stumpf      10    1       0       35   3.50  60.00
Atteberry    8    0       0       26   3.25  -
Groß         8    1       0       25   3.12  48.00
Voclain      6    1       0       12   2.00  36.00
Christopher  6    0       0       11   1.83  -
Walsh        6    1       0       17   2.83  36.00
Rosenfeld    6    0       0       14   2.33  -

Darmeni Batting-Second Innings
Player      Runs Balls 4's 6's SR
Spence      42   61    2   1   68.85
Stumpf      17   48    0   0   35.41
Atteberry   12   42    0   0   28.57
Groß        17   40    0   0   42.50
Voclain     28   42    0   0   66.66
Christopher 26   53    0   0   49.05
Dedrick     26   54    0   0   48.14
Blackbourne 16   41    0   0   39.02
Walsh       19   50    0   0   38.00
Rosenfeld   13   44    0   0   29.54
Breisacher* 27   51    0   0   52.94

Darmeni Bowling-Match Totals
Player      Overs Wickets Maidens Runs Econ. SR
Spence      26.4  3       2       107  4.01   53.33
Stumpf      26    3       2       112  4.30   52.00
Atteberry   24    1       0       102  4.25  144.00
Groß        20    2       0       69   3.45   60.00
Voclain     18    2       1       56   3.11   54.00
Christopher 18    1       0       67   3.72  108.00
Walsh       18    2       0       52   2.88   54.00
Rosenfeld   18    1       1       41   2.27  108.00

Darmeni Batting-Match Totals
Player      Runs Balls 4's 6's SR
Spence      103  166   3   2   62.04
Stumpf       40   94   0   0   42.55
Atteberry    29   80   1   0   36.25
Groß         48  122   0   0   39.34
Voclain      52  100   0   0   52.00
Christopher  52  130   0   0   40.00
Dedrick      45   89   1   0   50.56
Blackbourne  19   53   0   0   35.84
Walsh        36   77   0   0   46.75
Rosenfeld    26   56   0   1   46.42
Breisacher   34   56   1   0   60.71

by **Chelta** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 10:09 pm

"What just happened?" ask shocked home fans.

"Just who are these guys?" was the pleading query from Channel Eleven commentator Pat McGowan as Inglaterran opening batsman Jee Hodson contemptuously smacked Alistair May to the boundary to bring up the winning runs and Inglaterra's eight-wicket win over a dumbfounded Chelta. The Cheltish crowd watching the match at Claremont Oval were dead silent, in shock, as these nobodies, these complete newcomers to GCF Test cricket, celebrated their comprehensive trouncing of Chelta at home. The same questions were being asked over and over again: "what had just happened?", "who are these guys?". For a nation for whom Test cricket is a matter of national pride and glory, it was just too much to be beaten at home by a side that was not even a full member of the GCF yet.

First there was the embarrassment of being bowled out for 97 before lunch. Gordon Walters chopped an inside edge onto his stumps off Arwin Sheppard coming around the wicket on the second ball. Blainey, Waight and Moody all fell like dominoes in the next few overs. The captain's innings that was required of Percy Waight, Chelta's best batsman, in this precarious position, was squandered as Waight fell back onto his stumps after copping a vicious bumper to the head off Sheppard. A hat-trick from Summers' beguiling leg spin saw Goss, Trott and Birt all fall in three balls, leaving Chelta reeling at 8/63. Only Ernie Sullivan seemed to be able to take the match to the Inglaterran bowlers, looking totally unfazed by the pressure at the crease, scoring freely and assuredly. Unfortunately, no Cheltish batsman was good enough to stay around with him, and Sullivan was left stranded on 39* not out as Stuart Werren was run out by Monaghan after trying to run a quick single off a misfield. Chelta had been bowled all out for 97 in 22.4 overs, Ingla Terra supremely on top of the match.

The Cheltish bowlers did well to contain Ingla Terra to under 300 in their first innings, but, given that Chelta had only posted 97 in their first innings, it was still too much. With a deficit of 199, Chelta would have had to post a second innings total of at least 500 to be in with a real chance of winning.

Chelta batted considerably better in their second innings, but still failed to rise to the challenge, posting 299 and setting Ingla Terra a deficit of only 100. Walters made his way comfortably into the 30s before capitulating prematurely upon the introduction of off spin, being bowled through his defences by Barron. Blainey fared no better, having been caught behind on 9 off a delivery of Sheppard's with surprising bounce. While Waight was beaten yet again without making a contribution of any significance, Macnair made his way dutifully to 50, looking as though he would build a match-saving partnership with Phil Moody before edging one to second slip off Sheppard. Another prospective partnership between Moody and Sullivan looked as though it would go the distance, but was cut short by Moody's being trapped lbw by Stevenson, not picking the flipper. A big partnership between Sullivan and Goss looked to be Chelta's only hope of saving the innings and the match. The two made it to the end of the second day together, and continued to put on a steadying partnership together at the beginning of the third day, but Goss holed out to mid-wicket on 39, ending what was, until then, a good-looking partnership. A familiar script then played out: Sullivan trying to put on runs while partner after partner fell around him, eventually leaving him on 70* not out as Chelta's last wicket fell.

It would take a herculean effort to bowl the Inglaterrans out for under 100 - a challenge to which the Cheltish bowlers ultimately proved unequal. The Inglaterrans got there with eight wickets to spare, winning the First Test of the series convincingly, on only the third day.

Cheltish skipper Percy Waight said after the match, "I don't know what happened to us. Is it early season blues? Is it that we weren't prepared, going up against an unknown quantity? I don't know. This is the most shocking result we've suffered since I've become captain. I don't think we bowled badly, as such; their bowlers just got the better of us. We were trounced. There's not much more that can be said. There will definitely be some long hours in the nets before the next Test. But I can promise you we will not give the Inglaterrans as easy a time at Wimbourne."

(OOC: deliberately leaving big open spaces for Ingla Terra's innings, if he wants to RP his batting. Also because I can't be bothered to do up two more batting scorecards

)

Chelta first innings

Batsman           Out          Bowler        Runs  Balls
Walters                        b Sheppard       0      2
Blainey           lbw          b Summers        9     14
Macnair           c Carty      b Sheppard      18     28 
Waight            hit wicket   b Sheppard       2      2
Moody             lbw          b Barron         0      2
Sullivan          not out                      39     48                        
Goss                           b Summers       13     12
Trott             c Stevenson  b Summers        0      1
Birt              c Carty      b Summers        0      1
May                            b Sheppard       4      7
Werren            run out (Monaghan)           11     19
EXTRAS: 1 (1b)
TOTAL: 97 (22.4)

Chelta second innings

Batsman           Out          Bowler        Runs  Balls
Walters                        b Barron        34     55
Blainey           c Carty      b Summers        9     19
Macnair           c Greenwood  b Sheppard      50     92 
Waight            lbw          b Rodrigues     12     18
Moody             lbw          b Stevenson     55     81
Sullivan          not out                      70    121                        
Goss              c Bowler     b Barron        39     40
Trott             c &          b Sheppard       2      2
Birt              c Carty      b Rodrigues      0      1
May                            b Barron        20     52
Werren            c Stevenson  b Summers        6     18
EXTRAS: 2 (1wd, 1lb)
TOTAL: 299 (83.1)

INFO for next Test:

Unchanged side.

Next Test match is at Derwent Cricket Ground in Wimbourne. Derwent is an exceedingly quick, bouncy wicket, a lot like the WACA Ground. Good for fast bowling.

by **Wray** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:27 am

State of Play
A man. Sports. Booze.

Day 1
Cyborg Holland 227 all out
Wray 45/1

An expectant hush descends upon the ground. Even the fabled Cricket journalists' girlfriend is quiet as Jackson Storm steams into the imperious Vitali Krantz, captain of Cyborg Holland with his crouched style of batting. He came up to the crease...and promptly fired down a horrific bouncer-cum-wide which the experienced batsman slashed it away to the point boundary.

And all that pre-match build up, the hype, the belief, poof. Gone. I moved my laptop out of the way from the desk in the press box and put my head on it, before letting out a long sigh and asking Amy whether she'd like to get a beer. She was reluctant, as it'd only just started, but she agreed: helping me navigate through the complex passages which inhabited the bowels of the Cabbage.

Things did get better, actually, quite quickly as well. Just 10 minutes after leaving my desk in the press box, I was desperately scampering back to my place desperately asking everyone "what the f*** happened?!"

The answer was that the other Cyborg Dutch opener, Isan Guildstern had nicked Adam Corrie straight into the welcoming gloves of Julian Stacey. I was elated, to say the least. It's what test cricket does to you, despair one minute, joy the next. It all happened very quickly, but it was a very monumental wicket. The first taken by the men in green caps. A real biggy.

Adam Corrie was interviewed on the radio the other day, and he strikes me as a really nice guy, with a cool temperament and a generally relaxed, but seeing him scream into the face of a slightly-sheepish Guildstern showed another, raw passionate side of the guy. The wicket was met with appreciation from the largely Cyborg-Dutch crowd, expect for the fierce Green Division, who have moved from football to cricket, and the grumpy ACG members in the old Pavillion.

Corrie, Storm and Bennett kept good lines against the often-dominant Klaus Jorgensen and Krantz, but too often they slipped from the nagging length and they were suitable punished. Corrie's spell was ended after going for three fours in over off Jorgensen, to introduce Shane Agunado to the attack.

He's the new George Carter. Our new Hero.

It's the casual cockiness that Shane presents himself with. Cracking a joke with silly mid-on fielder Ed McCaughey before coming in for his first ball in International cricket: a loopy leg-break to Klaus Jorgensen which was left easily enough. A run-of-the-mill cricket spectator would have thought the Shane is another Test spinner, good, but not amazing.

Four more balls then that special one. The one we can only dream of. It started off loopy, pitching on off-stump and Krantz motioned to block it like any normal delivery. Although I didn't spot it, being all the way up in the press-box, but they way he released it: it was the deadly wrong-un.

When well-bowled, it's impossible to spot for a batsmen, and this one was as well-bowled as any. He came forward, only to this delivery hold it's length and spit out of the foot-marks. It bounced far higher than anyone (including Stacey behind the sticks) expected, before clipping Krantz's shoulder and looping to a diving Simon Sterne at slip. A huge appeal followed, but the umpire remained steadfast. I initially shouted at everyone that it was out, but the world-weary Cyborg Dutch journos shook their heads and said something about the death of proper written journalism.

But I didn't have to wait very long to shout it again, and this time there was no head shaking. Aguando had been mixing it up (with mixed results) against the two men, until the fifth ball of his fifth over when he tossed it up slightly further, drawing Jorgensen into an early stroke. It turned into the bat, taking the edge and into the gloves of Stacey. Sheer delirium on the field and in the Green Division stands. Not quite football fans, but close enough.

Julian Stacey reaching the atmosphere after dismissing Klaus Jorgensen

Lunch was closing in and Cyborg Holland were moving along reasonably comfortable. Smithe and Krantz had navigated the spin of Aguando and a few quick overs from the pacemen, before Sterne brought Ashton Macallister on to bowl the last over before lunch.

I think the sheer lack of pace which Ashton delivers was what undid Krantz. He'd played and missed at the first two, before trying to cut an off-cutter, but took a massive bottom edge which cannoned into the stumps. Another huge wicket.

98-3 and things were very much in the balance. A couple of quick wickets would swing it Wray's way, but a strong partnership between Clausen and Smithe could take things towards the hosts.

Lunch in the press section was light, but nonetheless delicious.

And the cricket to come was even more delicious, for a Wray fan at least. Smithe lasted 6 overs after the break, until Jackson Storm got him to nick off into the slip cordon. 4 down, only 105 on the board. Edward Romijnsen held his end well whilst Clausen tried to launch a counter-attack on the Wray bowlers. It worked, for about half-and-hour. He added 43 to his lunch-time score and passed fifty which a sweetly-struck four through midwicket off Keillher.

But four balls later, he saw his off-stump pegged back by Storm after he missed a delivery bowled wide of the crease. The angle did for the keeper and he was back in the hutch for 55. 169-5

Romijnsen is a traditional nurdler, who just pokes around for singles and doubles, rarely exposing himself to boundaries. His philosophy is "if it's on the stumps, it's going nowhere" and that's really how he played. But his partners weren't as patient as him as first the all-rounder Klaus Biyern was trapped in front by Aguando, with the ball not doing as much as it's predecessor's as he tried to work it square. Even Pelser looked lively, but was very well caught at backward point by Keillher for just 15.

It all seemed so normal, but when you look back on it, it was crazy. A team which had played 2 seasons of Test cricket, and bag loads of other international game was 207-7 against a team who'd never played outside their own country before.

The innings, thankfully, was wrapped up. Sorensen played a loose shot to Corrie, vice captain Patrick de Vries nicked through to Stacey before massive seam bowler Kruger den Lettar tamely chipped to cover for just 2 off Storm. The eyes between the two were colder than my freezer.

So, massive disaster averted. I had expected a 400+ deficit by the end of the first day, but then again I'm pretty negative guy about cricket, so a normal person would have expected 320 for 7 or 8 wickets, but with Cyborg Holland firmly in control. But no, we'd bowled well, fielded exceptionally and generally kept a lid on the explosive lineup that is Cyborg Holland.

10 quick minutes went by where Amy and I bought sandwiches and more beer before given a standing ovation on the balcony of the press box as the green-helmeted figures of Ed McCaughey and Mark Hudson marched out into the middle. I'm sure I looked a bit silly, and Amy lowered her so as not be associated with me as the other journalists gave some puzzling looks.

The opening overs from den Lettar and de Vries were fast and furious, but the openers stayed tentative and watched out the early exchanges. Hudson got a thick outside edge which raced in between second and third slip to get the left-hander off the mark.

Everything couldn't be fairytale of course, and it wasn't as Ed McCaughey was dismissed by Kruger den Lettar for just 1, edging off to second slip, and after Krantz juggled it, he secured it, much to the roaring delight of the 73,000 strong crowd.

Simon Sterne trotted out of the pavillion, doing the same warm-up routine I've seen him do a thousand times. So cool, so collected, he'd just take on what came and be done with it. Century or duck, he does it in the same way, day in day out. The first ball from Kruger den Lettar was vicious, tearing off a length to sear past his outside edge. Muffled cries were heard, but Simon just looked straight on, poked at the turf, and stayed cool.

Captain Sterne (background) and Mark Hudson (foreground) started comfortably)

In the penultimate over before the close, Sterne showed his fantastic ability at changing his game rapidly against the spin of Biyern. He allowed four dot balls, before stepping down the track and crashing the leggie over cover, a risky shot considering the situation. Next ball he comes down again, but this time playing against the spin, and he chipped it so sweetly over midwicket for four more.

Nothing more occurred before close, with the Green caps on 45-1, and I went to bed a very happy man indeed.

Day 2

A slightly greyer day presented the Cyborg Dutch seamers with a golden opportunity to strike back at the Wray batting line-up, who for 50 minutes, looked pretty comfortable. They struck within minutes of Sterne taking his guard for the first ball of the day. The experienced batsmen beaten for pace by den Lettar and losing his bails.

Glenn Mitchell played with fluency and aggression, utilising his favourite cut-stroke on four occasions against Johan Smithe to great effect (and great applause from me).

Amy had got talking to a Liventian journalist, who was keeping her in check with scores going on between her home nation and Eura. Despite the quality of cricket probably being a fair bit higher in Eura, but nothing beat the passion out in the Cabbage on that second day.

Mitchell passed 50, but not before Hudson was lbw to Biyern, with a risky single to cover-point, where the throw from the fielder was inches from running out the big man. He lifted his bat to the Green Division, before removing his helmet and taking a drink. But he'd need to go a lot further if he could win this game for Wray.

And it turns out he couldn't, a den Lettar delivery taking the shoulder of the bat and looping up to the safe hands of point. There was visible frustration in his face as he left the pitch, slamming his bat into the turf after the catch was secured. Not for the first time in the match, the game was finely balanced.

Ashton Macallister and Julian Stacey settled down with eyes on big scores to take the game beyond Cyborg Holland's first innings score, but despite solid 20s, both departed after lunch to Patrick de Vries within the space of four overs. Now Wray were 170-6, with and all-rounder and a bowler at the crease. Despair. Jason had been an arrogant twat towards just about everyone at school, and I prayed, prayed, that he wouldn't be an arrogant twat this time around and put in a solid innings to guide his country.

Nope.

Didn't happen.

Instead he tried to play part-time spinner Edward Romijnsen into the atmosphere but instead he missed it and was cleaned up by a gently looping, ...slow delivery is all I can call it. I muttered out loud (by accident) "Jason you twat".

Adam Corrie went soon after for 9, swatting at a wide one from Martin Sorensen to leave Wray severely damaged at 191-8, still 36 behind and with the threat of rain on day three. Jackson Storm provided some decent resistance, including a shot any top order batsman would have been proud of, slapping Even Pelser straight down the pitch for a one-bounce four. His partner Craig Bennett went next for 4, caught behind of Sorensen again before Shane Aguando's weaker side, his batting was exposed as he had middle stump dissected by den Lettar. A bad end to a promising start, with Wray ending on 201 all out.

Adam Corrie walks after nicking through off Martin Sorenson

Rain took out most of the evening session before Cyborg Holland batted out the 20 minutes before the close very slowly, only managing to score 5 runs before the Umpires called the players off for bad light at 6:40pm.

(I lost all 2,000 words of the third and fourth day, I'm really mad, but I'll re-write day 4)

Day 4

Day four was simple enough: Wray had to get 225 runs, Cyborg Holland had to stop them getting there.

The openers came out to mixed applause from the Cyborg Dutch crowd, whose polite reservations had all but disappeared now, and they were firmly behind their side.

All that had to be done was for Ed McCaughey and Mark Slater to get off to a good start, and a score like 225 would be an easy target to reach with such quality batsmen. McCaughey started tentatively as usual, leaving the majority of his opening deliveries. Slater looked to try and score, but even he was more restrained than usual.

13-0 off 6 is slow, but good. No wickets down, and both batsmen have been at the crease. 13-2 of 6.5 however, was not good. In fact, it was very bad. Terrible, in fact. It made me want to cry when first Slater got out for 9, cutting straight into the hands of point, then seeing McCaughey trapped LBW three balls later by den Lettar. It was all falling to pieces around me. It couldn't, not after everything they'd done.

But never doubt the man named Sterne.

If anyone on the entire planet could save this game, it was SLM Sterne. He walked out to the middle in almost complete silence. He had to do it, there was no other way.

When he was joined by number Glenn Mitchell, they had a solid target in mind: Lunch. It was still 29 overs away, but if they could not lose any more wickets before then, they'd have a great chance at taking the game. Sterne seemed to calm Mitchell's natural aggression, with several little chats in between overs, presumably telling him to calm down. Mitch appeared to calm down, playing sensible strokes and only dealing in singles and doubles.

But then, just as it was looking alright. It all fell apart. Bowled by de Vries for 11. He tried to cut a length delivery, but instead it pinged off the bottom edge and into the base of the middle stump, a lot like Vitali Krantz's dismissal in the first innings. The crowd was rocking now, three down, only 34 on the board.

Sterne was joined in the middle by all-rounder Ashton Macallister, whom I'd never really backed as a top-order batsmen. Sure, he could hit it, but I didn't think he had the temperament to bat the day with Sterne. And, annoyingly, I was right. After just 6 runs and 2.2 overs, he was gone, nicking off to third slip. Loose bat, away from the body: textbook bad shot. I was on the verge of tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. Amy tried to console me with a beer, and although I drank it, I didn't taste it.

My eyes were glued to the pitch, but I desperately wanted to take them away. I couldn't bear it.

Stacey came out to the middle. Two of the countries best batsmen to save the day. This cheered me up slightly, as these were two whom I'd choose to do this job: Sterne, with his ever vigilant style, and Stacey, with his scrappy demeanour of accumulating runs. They could do, if anyone could.

They reached the first big target of the day unscated, Lunch. Sterne was on 43*, Stacey 15*. I could finally relax a little bit. I had a pie from a truck and talked to some Cyborg Dutch journalists about the game and cricket in general. They thought that Wray would win. Even the enemy were more confident than I was.

Stacey and Sterne walked back out to the middle under the full glare of test-cricketing world. I don't know how they handled the pressure, but the way they took singles looked like they were playing with their kids in the park: no signs of it at all. Sterne passed fifty with a clip down to fine leg for two, then drove den Lettar for a cover four the next over.

Stacey closed in on his fifty with a cracking swept four off Klaus Biyern, and he looked so set that he could for the rest of the year.

But then, utter calamity. Utter f***ing calamity. F*** s*** f***.

den Lettar bowled one short and at his body, and he was caught in two minds about whether to pull it or leave, instead, he got his bat in front of his face and the ball edged off the shoulder and into the gloves of Clausen. The look on his face read "That's not fair, it wasn't supposed to happen like that", but he had to go, giving one last futile glance back to Sterne in the middle as he trudged off.

If Jason Keillher won this game for us, I would forgive him for everything. Absolutely everything. I don't care what you made me look like at school, you take this test home, you're forgiven. And for a long while, he did. Sterne calmed him, and for once he played sensible cricket. He nudged around singles (nudge is used lightly, because he's a big guy, he nudges it quite far). Sterne passed 70 and looked in full control. It would take a miracle to get him out now.

But they did get a semi-miracle, they dismissed a sensible Jason Keillher. And what a ripper it was from den Lettar. It pitched outside off-stump, before swinging in so late that it beat bat, his the top of his pad and smacked into off stump, sending it cart-wheeling. A massive wicket. It was now 169-6. Another quick wicket would swing it for the home side. A strong lower-order reply would give it to Wray.

Sterne and Storm dug in, blocking everything vaguely near the stumps as well as anything on it. Sterne survived a near miss, an outswinger from den Lettar taking the outside, but it dropped some yards short of first slip. Perhaps he wasn't invincible.

To add to his task, Storm got out. Even Pelser had been peppering his helmet with short stuff for a few overs, so he tried to slash him out of the park, but instead got a huge top edge that was eventually pocketed by cover. 178-7. Adam Corrie at the crease. Martin Sorensen, the seam bowler, was instantly brought back on, and did the trick.

After supporting Sterne to 90, and scoring 6 himself, he got out to a rather poor delivery from part-time spinner Edward Romijnsen. It was a loopy...slow delivery, that's all I can call it, and he simply missed it, and the ball hit the top of leg-stump. Jubilant scenes. The hosts still had a chance. It was known that Shane Aguando couldn't bat, so they wanted that last wicket so desperately, but at the end of the 68th over, with Sterne on 95 and 20 still required, this happened:

68.4 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR Great shot! Bennett steps out and launches a length ball from captain over midwicket and straight to the fence, beating the sweeper. Sixteen needed, two wickets in hand.

68.5 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR, again, Bennett finds the rope and de Vries is struggling here. It was full and outside off stump, in the pocket and Bennett cashed in, driving it like a bullet straight through cover. Unbelievable batting from the number 10.

68.6 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR, oh my word, de Vries has lost it completely. This time it was a waist high full toss, a yard outside off stump. Bennett swung, got a hard top edge which flew over the keeper and beat the third man fielder coming round. Just 8 needed now, it's surely in the bag.

The first ball of the 69th over, bowled by Kruger den Lettar, brought Simon Sterne to the brink of a historic, match-winning hundred. den Lettar strayed leg side and Sterne whipped it in between square leg and fine leg, reaching boundary to bring up his 99. Just one more for Sterne, four more for the side. He blocked the second ball and left the third, before cutting to deep-point to bring up a sensational hundred. He raised his bat and helmet to the Green Division, before saluting the Wray flag and the dressing room, who were all on their feet.

I'll never forget this hundred, how important, how skilful it was. Under all that pressure, Simon was able to deliver. He will go down in history as one of the great Wray test batsmen. Just 3 required now. Bennett blocked out the last two balls, and you sensed that crowd knew it was over.

Even Pelser was given the 'honour' of bowling the over when they were beaten by Wray. He decided to start with a slower ball, and that's all Sterne needed. He read it perfectly and, with a few steps of his quick feet, slapped it over cover for four. They'd done, we'd done. Victory for Wray...

Simon Sterne played a match-winning innings, scoring 104*

by **Apox** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:37 pm

Apox in narrow loss, despite Benthron heroics

And so our Test season has opened with a cracker of a game against neighbours The Licentian Isles, although some fans will be disappointed by the Apoxian loss.

We didn't start well, with The Licentian Isles notching up 410 runs in their first innings, with Sam Vernon and Kelly Crookshaw both taking quite a battering, with 92 and 86 runs being scored off each of them. Miles Scott played better though, with an international career best figures of 5-45.

In our innings, it was Caulderon who scored a battling 68 against some surprisingly good bowling opposition, while Sam Gugh had a decent opening knock. There was then a mini middle order collapse, before Chris Benthron put on a heroic 85 runs, with vital contributions from Kelly Crookshaw and Scott Gilbert, taking the team to 302 all out.

The Licentian Isles could sense victory, and put on a quick 250 before declaring midway through the third day. We were once again sent into bat, and it at first looked like we wouldn't be playing for much longer, with the top order collapsing to 39 for 3. However, with the wicket of Dan Watt falling, Jake Walters and Chris Benthron put on a fantastic stand, putting on 201 runs together before Walters finally fell for 129. Benthron continued on, reaching only his second international hundred, before finally being out for 127, just 40ish runs short of the required total to complete a historic comeback and snatch victory from the Licentians at the death. However, the job was eventually completed by the Licentians, with time running out, and we were eventually all out for 324, 34 runs short of our 358 required total. However, with Benthron in the form of his life, things are definitely looking up for the next test of this series.

Match Report: Apox in The Licentian Isles
The Licentian Isles bat first
The Licentian Isles 410 (152.3 overs), 250/5d (71.2 overs)
Apox 302 (81.0 overs), 324 (142.2 overs)
Apox lose by 34 runs

Apox Bowling 1st Innings
Name             Overs  Maidens  Runs Wickets Economy
Sam Vernon        31.0    6       92     2       2.97
Miles Scott       26.3    4       45     5       1.70
Scott Gilbert     22.0    5       66     1       3.00
Aram Dhawa        38.0   10       76     1       2.00
Kelly Crookshaw   23.0    3       81     1       3.52
Chris Benthron    13.0    1       50     0       3.85

Apox Batting 1st Innings
Name             How Out           Runs Balls 4/6  SR
Sam Gugh         c Maclean b Watt    33   75  3/0  44.00
Jazz Caulderon   c Aitken b Gibson   68  102  7/0  66.67
Giles Greaves    lbw Reid             3   12  0/0  25.00
Jake Walters     c Clark b Watt      13   18  1/0  72.22
Dan Watt         run out             21   50  0/0  42.00
Chris Benthron   c Maclean b Watt    85  126  9/1  67.46
Kelly Crookshaw  b Clark             19   18  1/0 105.56 
Scott Gilbert    c Maclean b Watt    35   43  3/0  81.40
Miles Scott      c Maclean b Reid     8   22  0/0  36.36
Aram Dhawa       b Watt               4    9  0/0  44.44
Sam Vernon       NOT OUT              3   11  0/0  27.27
EXTRAS       2 nb, 5 wides, 5 byes   10
TOTAL                               302

FOW
52  for 1 (Gugh)
60  for 2 (Greaves)
83  for 3 (Walters)
143 for 4 (Caulderon)
144 for 5 (Watt)
187 for 6 (Crookshaw)
255 for 7 (Gilbert)
271 for 8 (Scott)
287 for 9 (Dhawa)
302 all out (Benthron)

Apox Bowling 2nd Innings
Name             Overs  Maidens  Runs Wickets Economy
Sam Vernon        18.2    6       41     1       2.28
Miles Scott       10.0    2       38     1       3.80
Scott Gilbert     17.0    3       54     0       3.18
Aram Dhawa        20.0    7       78     3       3.90
Kelly Crookshaw    6.0    1       39     0       6.50

Apox Batting 2nd Innings
Name             How Out           Runs Balls 4/6  SR
Sam Gugh         b Gibson             7   33  0/0  21.21
Jazz Caulderon   c Maclean b Watt     6   14  0/0  42.86
Giles Greaves    lbw Watt            14   81  0/0  17.28
Jake Walters     c Aitken b Gibson  129  305 12/0  42.30
Dan Watt         c Docherty b Reid    7   18  0/0  38.89
Chris Benthron   c Marshall b Watt  127  296 14/2  42.90
Kelly Crookshaw  c Maclean b Clark   11   22  0/0  50.00
Scott Gilbert    b Watt               0   19  0/0   0.00
Miles Scott      c Maclean b Reid     8   46  0/0  17.39
Aram Dhawa       NOT OUT              4   12  0/0  33.33
Sam Vernon       c & b Reid           0    8  0/0   0.00
EXTRAS     6 byes, 3 nb, 2 wides     11
TOTAL                               324

FOW
10  for 1 (Gugh)
18  for 2 (Caulderon)
39  for 3 (Greaves)
59  for 4 (Watt)
260 for 5 (Walters)
286 for 6 (Crookshaw)
293 for 7 (Gilbert)
314 for 8 (Scott)
320 for 9 (Benthron)
324 all out (Vernon)

by **Liventia** » Wed Oct 02, 2013 3:44 pm

EurChem Test Series: Liventia in Eura
First Test of five, Brigham Oval, Brigham
Eura won the toss and elected to bat
Eura 427 and 228/6 declared
Liventia 291 and 273/4
Match drawn
Series is tied 0–0

CAPTAIN Max Finney produced a measured second innings century as Liventia saved an unlikely draw against Eura in the first EurChem Test.

His opposite number Tristan Lewis had won the toss and elected to bat, making an impressive ton of his own in the first dig en route to helping Eura post a commanding 427 in just one day.

Matt Geach took four wickets but every Liventian bowler went for more than four runs an over as Eura streaked away to a healthy total.

Liventia struggled in response, managing only 291 in 101 overs thanks to fifties from Garland Goudreau, Will Stewart and Ollie Kerr as opening bowlers Daniel Aldair and Shaun Folkstone wreaked havoc on the tourists.

With the pitch starting to wear, Eura were much more cautious in their second innings after losing four early wickets for just 70 runs, including Lewis for 47.

It took Jeremy Davis and Tom Grant to put on a 123-run sixth wicket partnership to propel Eura to 228/6, at which point they declared after losing Davis and setting Liventia an unlikely 365 to win.

Although Goudreau suffered a wrist sprain while batting and retired hurt – he is expected to miss the second Test to rest the injury – Finney compiled a composed 124 off 400 balls to see his side home to safety.

EUR 1st inns batting	Out				R   B   4   6     SR   FOW
A Royce			c Jamieson	b Geach		7  18   1   0  38.89   1/16
T Lewis*		c +Goudreau	b Millard     166 202  22   1  82.18   5/352
A Elland				b Geach	       78 106  10   0  73.58   2/157
L Tunbridge		c Stewart	b Geach	       67  72   9   0  93.06   3/300
M Leech			c Finney	b Cartwright   19  14   3   0 135.71   4/327
J Davis+				b Adams	       35  46   5   0  76.09   6/381
T Grant			lbw		b Christensen  21  42   2   1  50.00   9/411
S Folkstone		run out (Hennessey/+Goudreau)	0   0   0   0      -   7/390
A Harrison		lbw		b Geach		2   3   0   0  67.77   8/395
G Lark			c          and	b Adams	       11  20   1   0  55.00  10/427
D Aldair		not out				9  13   0   0  69.23   -
EXTRAS			3b 2wd 7lb		       12
TOTAL			all out (89.2 overs)	      427

LEN 1st inns bowling	O   M   R   W   Econ
MC Geach	     24.0   6 102   4   4.25
JPK Adams	     19.2   3  95   2   4.83
KSM Christensen	     16.0   2  79   1   4.94
OH Kerr		     15.0   3  65   0   4.33
SG Millard           11.0   3  52   1   4.72
LP Cartwright	      4.0   0  24   1   6.00

LEN 1st inns batting	Out				R   B   4   6     SR   FOW
MA Finney*		c Aldair	b Grant	       12  29   1   0  41.38   3/25
PW Jamieson		lbw		b Aldair	9  13   1   0  69.23   1/14
DA Hennessey				b Aldair	3   5   0   0  60.00   2/20
GP Goudreau+		c +Davis	b Grant	       55 111   6   0  49.55   4/89
FJW Stewart		lbw		b Folkstone    56 120   7   0  46.67   5/141
LP Cartwright				b Harrison     39  81   3   0  48.15   6/193
OH Kerr			c Leech		b Aldair       61 181   6   1  33.70   8/265
KSM Christensen				b Aldair       21  31   1   0  67.74   7/233
JPK Adams		lbw		b Folkstone	8  22   0   0  36.36  10/291
SG Millard				b Folkstone	4  10   1   0  40.00   9/278
MC Geach		not out				9   9   1   0 100.00   -
EXTRAS			3nb 7wd 4lb		       14
TOTAL			all out (101.3 overs)	      291

EUR 1st inns bowling	O   M   R   W   Econ
S Folkstone	     28.3   5  88   3   3.09
D Aldair	     24.0   6  67   4   2.79
T Grant		     19.0   4  60   2   3.16
A Harrison	     18.0   3  49   1   2.72
G Lark		     12.0   5  23   0   1.92

EUR 2nd inns batting	Out				R   B   4   6     SR   FOW
A Royce			lbw		b Kerr	       40 105   5   0  38.10   2/61
T Lewis*		c Finney	b Geach	       17  47   2   0  36.17   1/28
A Elland		c Christensen	b Kerr         39  69   4   0  56.52   5/105
L Tunbridge				b Adams 	1   2   0   0  50.00   3/63
M Leech					b Geach         4  11   1   0  36.36   4/70
J Davis+				b Millard      56 122   7   0  45.90   6/228
T Grant			not out			       81 244   9   0  33.20   -
S Folkstone		did not bat
A Harrison		did not bat
G Lark			did not bat
D Aldair		did not bat
EXTRAS			7lb				7
TOTAL			for 6 dec (100.0 overs)	      228

LEN 2nd inns bowling	O   M   R   W   Econ
MC Geach	     29.0   8  65   2   2.24
JPK Adams	     26.0  10  59   1   2.27
KSM Christensen	     13.0   4  30   0   2.31
OH Kerr		     15.0   5  41   2   2.73
SG Millard           17.0   7  26   1   1.53

LEN 2nd inns batting	Out				R   B   4   6     SR   FOW
MA Finney*		not out			      124 400  11   1  31.00   -
PW Jamieson				b Lark	       18  41   2   0  43.90   1/59
DA Hennessey		c +Davis   	b Lark	       32  90   4   0  35.56   2/104
GP Goudreau+		retired hurt		       40 129   4   0  31.01   */175
FJW Stewart		lbw		b Lark	       35  84   4   0  41.67   3/218
LP Cartwright		lbw		b Lark	       21  53   0   2  39.62   4/262
OH Kerr			not out				3  13   0   0  23.08   -
KSM Christensen		did not bat
JPK Adams		did not bat
SG Millard		did not bat
MC Geach		did not bat
EXTRAS			2nb				2
TOTAL			for 4 (134.4 overs)	      273

EUR 2nd inns bowling	O   M   R   W   Econ
S Folkstone	     29.4  11  59   0   1.99
D Aldair	     27.0   9  48   0   1.78
T Grant		     21.0   7  45   0   2.14
A Harrison	     19.0   5  37   0   1.95
G Lark		     38.0   9  84   4   2.21

Second Test lineup: MA Finney*†, PW Jamieson, DA Hennessey, WWR Ashworth, AJ Cunningham, FJW Stewart, LP Cartwright, OH Kerr, JPK Adams, LM Bérard, MC Geach [bowling attack: MC Geach, JPK Adams, OH Kerr, LP Cartwright (fourth seamer), LM Bérard (spin)]

by **Chelta** » Fri Oct 04, 2013 8:11 am

Wray wrote:
State of Play
A man. Sports. Booze.

Day 1
Cyborg Holland 227 all out
Wray 45/1

An expectant hush descends upon the ground. Even the fabled Cricket journalists' girlfriend is quiet as Jackson Storm steams into the imperious Vitali Krantz, captain of Cyborg Holland with his crouched style of batting. He came up to the crease...and promptly fired down a horrific bouncer-cum-wide which the experienced batsman slashed it away to the point boundary.

And all that pre-match build up, the hype, the belief, poof. Gone. I moved my laptop out of the way from the desk in the press box and put my head on it, before letting out a long sigh and asking Amy whether she'd like to get a beer. She was reluctant, as it'd only just started, but she agreed: helping me navigate through the complex passages which inhabited the bowels of the Cabbage.

Things did get better, actually, quite quickly as well. Just 10 minutes after leaving my desk in the press box, I was desperately scampering back to my place desperately asking everyone "what the f*** happened?!"

The answer was that the other Cyborg Dutch opener, Isan Guildstern had nicked Adam Corrie straight into the welcoming gloves of Julian Stacey. I was elated, to say the least. It's what test cricket does to you, despair one minute, joy the next. It all happened very quickly, but it was a very monumental wicket. The first taken by the men in green caps. A real biggy.

Adam Corrie was interviewed on the radio the other day, and he strikes me as a really nice guy, with a cool temperament and a generally relaxed, but seeing him scream into the face of a slightly-sheepish Guildstern showed another, raw passionate side of the guy. The wicket was met with appreciation from the largely Cyborg-Dutch crowd, expect for the fierce Green Division, who have moved from football to cricket, and the grumpy ACG members in the old Pavillion.

Corrie, Storm and Bennett kept good lines against the often-dominant Klaus Jorgensen and Krantz, but too often they slipped from the nagging length and they were suitable punished. Corrie's spell was ended after going for three fours in over off Jorgensen, to introduce Shane Agunado to the attack.

He's the new George Carter. Our new Hero.

It's the casual cockiness that Shane presents himself with. Cracking a joke with silly mid-on fielder Ed McCaughey before coming in for his first ball in International cricket: a loopy leg-break to Klaus Jorgensen which was left easily enough. A run-of-the-mill cricket spectator would have thought the Shane is another Test spinner, good, but not amazing.

Four more balls then that special one. The one we can only dream of. It started off loopy, pitching on off-stump and Krantz motioned to block it like any normal delivery. Although I didn't spot it, being all the way up in the press-box, but they way he released it: it was the deadly wrong-un.

When well-bowled, it's impossible to spot for a batsmen, and this one was as well-bowled as any. He came forward, only to this delivery hold it's length and spit out of the foot-marks. It bounced far higher than anyone (including Stacey behind the sticks) expected, before clipping Krantz's shoulder and looping to a diving Simon Sterne at slip. A huge appeal followed, but the umpire remained steadfast. I initially shouted at everyone that it was out, but the world-weary Cyborg Dutch journos shook their heads and said something about the death of proper written journalism.

But I didn't have to wait very long to shout it again, and this time there was no head shaking. Aguando had been mixing it up (with mixed results) against the two men, until the fifth ball of his fifth over when he tossed it up slightly further, drawing Jorgensen into an early stroke. It turned into the bat, taking the edge and into the gloves of Stacey. Sheer delirium on the field and in the Green Division stands. Not quite football fans, but close enough.

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Julian Stacey reaching the atmosphere after dismissing Klaus Jorgensen

Lunch was closing in and Cyborg Holland were moving along reasonably comfortable. Smithe and Krantz had navigated the spin of Aguando and a few quick overs from the pacemen, before Sterne brought Ashton Macallister on to bowl the last over before lunch.

I think the sheer lack of pace which Ashton delivers was what undid Krantz. He'd played and missed at the first two, before trying to cut an off-cutter, but took a massive bottom edge which cannoned into the stumps. Another huge wicket.

98-3 and things were very much in the balance. A couple of quick wickets would swing it Wray's way, but a strong partnership between Clausen and Smithe could take things towards the hosts.

Lunch in the press section was light, but nonetheless delicious.

And the cricket to come was even more delicious, for a Wray fan at least. Smithe lasted 6 overs after the break, until Jackson Storm got him to nick off into the slip cordon. 4 down, only 105 on the board. Edward Romijnsen held his end well whilst Clausen tried to launch a counter-attack on the Wray bowlers. It worked, for about half-and-hour. He added 43 to his lunch-time score and passed fifty which a sweetly-struck four through midwicket off Keillher.

But four balls later, he saw his off-stump pegged back by Storm after he missed a delivery bowled wide of the crease. The angle did for the keeper and he was back in the hutch for 55. 169-5

Romijnsen is a traditional nurdler, who just pokes around for singles and doubles, rarely exposing himself to boundaries. His philosophy is "if it's on the stumps, it's going nowhere" and that's really how he played. But his partners weren't as patient as him as first the all-rounder Klaus Biyern was trapped in front by Aguando, with the ball not doing as much as it's predecessor's as he tried to work it square. Even Pelser looked lively, but was very well caught at backward point by Keillher for just 15.

It all seemed so normal, but when you look back on it, it was crazy. A team which had played 2 seasons of Test cricket, and bag loads of other international game was 207-7 against a team who'd never played outside their own country before.

The innings, thankfully, was wrapped up. Sorensen played a loose shot to Corrie, vice captain Patrick de Vries nicked through to Stacey before massive seam bowler Kruger den Lettar tamely chipped to cover for just 2 off Storm. The eyes between the two were colder than my freezer.

So, massive disaster averted. I had expected a 400+ deficit by the end of the first day, but then again I'm pretty negative guy about cricket, so a normal person would have expected 320 for 7 or 8 wickets, but with Cyborg Holland firmly in control. But no, we'd bowled well, fielded exceptionally and generally kept a lid on the explosive lineup that is Cyborg Holland.

10 quick minutes went by where Amy and I bought sandwiches and more beer before given a standing ovation on the balcony of the press box as the green-helmeted figures of Ed McCaughey and Mark Hudson marched out into the middle. I'm sure I looked a bit silly, and Amy lowered her so as not be associated with me as the other journalists gave some puzzling looks.

The opening overs from den Lettar and de Vries were fast and furious, but the openers stayed tentative and watched out the early exchanges. Hudson got a thick outside edge which raced in between second and third slip to get the left-hander off the mark.

Everything couldn't be fairytale of course, and it wasn't as Ed McCaughey was dismissed by Kruger den Lettar for just 1, edging off to second slip, and after Krantz juggled it, he secured it, much to the roaring delight of the 73,000 strong crowd.

Simon Sterne trotted out of the pavillion, doing the same warm-up routine I've seen him do a thousand times. So cool, so collected, he'd just take on what came and be done with it. Century or duck, he does it in the same way, day in day out. The first ball from Kruger den Lettar was vicious, tearing off a length to sear past his outside edge. Muffled cries were heard, but Simon just looked straight on, poked at the turf, and stayed cool.

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Captain Sterne (background) and Mark Hudson (foreground) started comfortably)

In the penultimate over before the close, Sterne showed his fantastic ability at changing his game rapidly against the spin of Biyern. He allowed four dot balls, before stepping down the track and crashing the leggie over cover, a risky shot considering the situation. Next ball he comes down again, but this time playing against the spin, and he chipped it so sweetly over midwicket for four more.

Nothing more occurred before close, with the Green caps on 45-1, and I went to bed a very happy man indeed.

Day 2

A slightly greyer day presented the Cyborg Dutch seamers with a golden opportunity to strike back at the Wray batting line-up, who for 50 minutes, looked pretty comfortable. They struck within minutes of Sterne taking his guard for the first ball of the day. The experienced batsmen beaten for pace by den Lettar and losing his bails.

Glenn Mitchell played with fluency and aggression, utilising his favourite cut-stroke on four occasions against Johan Smithe to great effect (and great applause from me).

Amy had got talking to a Liventian journalist, who was keeping her in check with scores going on between her home nation and Eura. Despite the quality of cricket probably being a fair bit higher in Eura, but nothing beat the passion out in the Cabbage on that second day.

Mitchell passed 50, but not before Hudson was lbw to Biyern, with a risky single to cover-point, where the throw from the fielder was inches from running out the big man. He lifted his bat to the Green Division, before removing his helmet and taking a drink. But he'd need to go a lot further if he could win this game for Wray.

And it turns out he couldn't, a den Lettar delivery taking the shoulder of the bat and looping up to the safe hands of point. There was visible frustration in his face as he left the pitch, slamming his bat into the turf after the catch was secured. Not for the first time in the match, the game was finely balanced.

Ashton Macallister and Julian Stacey settled down with eyes on big scores to take the game beyond Cyborg Holland's first innings score, but despite solid 20s, both departed after lunch to Patrick de Vries within the space of four overs. Now Wray were 170-6, with and all-rounder and a bowler at the crease. Despair. Jason had been an arrogant twat towards just about everyone at school, and I prayed, prayed, that he wouldn't be an arrogant twat this time around and put in a solid innings to guide his country.

Nope.

Didn't happen.

Instead he tried to play part-time spinner Edward Romijnsen into the atmosphere but instead he missed it and was cleaned up by a gently looping, ...slow delivery is all I can call it. I muttered out loud (by accident) "Jason you twat".

Adam Corrie went soon after for 9, swatting at a wide one from Martin Sorensen to leave Wray severely damaged at 191-8, still 36 behind and with the threat of rain on day three. Jackson Storm provided some decent resistance, including a shot any top order batsman would have been proud of, slapping Even Pelser straight down the pitch for a one-bounce four. His partner Craig Bennett went next for 4, caught behind of Sorensen again before Shane Aguando's weaker side, his batting was exposed as he had middle stump dissected by den Lettar. A bad end to a promising start, with Wray ending on 201 all out.

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Adam Corrie walks after nicking through off Martin Sorenson

Rain took out most of the evening session before Cyborg Holland batted out the 20 minutes before the close very slowly, only managing to score 5 runs before the Umpires called the players off for bad light at 6:40pm.

(I lost all 2,000 words of the third and fourth day, I'm really mad, but I'll re-write day 4)

Day 4

Day four was simple enough: Wray had to get 225 runs, Cyborg Holland had to stop them getting there.

The openers came out to mixed applause from the Cyborg Dutch crowd, whose polite reservations had all but disappeared now, and they were firmly behind their side.

All that had to be done was for Ed McCaughey and Mark Slater to get off to a good start, and a score like 225 would be an easy target to reach with such quality batsmen. McCaughey started tentatively as usual, leaving the majority of his opening deliveries. Slater looked to try and score, but even he was more restrained than usual.

13-0 off 6 is slow, but good. No wickets down, and both batsmen have been at the crease. 13-2 of 6.5 however, was not good. In fact, it was very bad. Terrible, in fact. It made me want to cry when first Slater got out for 9, cutting straight into the hands of point, then seeing McCaughey trapped LBW three balls later by den Lettar. It was all falling to pieces around me. It couldn't, not after everything they'd done.

But never doubt the man named Sterne.

If anyone on the entire planet could save this game, it was SLM Sterne. He walked out to the middle in almost complete silence. He had to do it, there was no other way.

When he was joined by number Glenn Mitchell, they had a solid target in mind: Lunch. It was still 29 overs away, but if they could not lose any more wickets before then, they'd have a great chance at taking the game. Sterne seemed to calm Mitchell's natural aggression, with several little chats in between overs, presumably telling him to calm down. Mitch appeared to calm down, playing sensible strokes and only dealing in singles and doubles.

But then, just as it was looking alright. It all fell apart. Bowled by de Vries for 11. He tried to cut a length delivery, but instead it pinged off the bottom edge and into the base of the middle stump, a lot like Vitali Krantz's dismissal in the first innings. The crowd was rocking now, three down, only 34 on the board.

Sterne was joined in the middle by all-rounder Ashton Macallister, whom I'd never really backed as a top-order batsmen. Sure, he could hit it, but I didn't think he had the temperament to bat the day with Sterne. And, annoyingly, I was right. After just 6 runs and 2.2 overs, he was gone, nicking off to third slip. Loose bat, away from the body: textbook bad shot. I was on the verge of tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. Amy tried to console me with a beer, and although I drank it, I didn't taste it.

My eyes were glued to the pitch, but I desperately wanted to take them away. I couldn't bear it.

Stacey came out to the middle. Two of the countries best batsmen to save the day. This cheered me up slightly, as these were two whom I'd choose to do this job: Sterne, with his ever vigilant style, and Stacey, with his scrappy demeanour of accumulating runs. They could do, if anyone could.

They reached the first big target of the day unscated, Lunch. Sterne was on 43*, Stacey 15*. I could finally relax a little bit. I had a pie from a truck and talked to some Cyborg Dutch journalists about the game and cricket in general. They thought that Wray would win. Even the enemy were more confident than I was.

Stacey and Sterne walked back out to the middle under the full glare of test-cricketing world. I don't know how they handled the pressure, but the way they took singles looked like they were playing with their kids in the park: no signs of it at all. Sterne passed fifty with a clip down to fine leg for two, then drove den Lettar for a cover four the next over.

Stacey closed in on his fifty with a cracking swept four off Klaus Biyern, and he looked so set that he could for the rest of the year.

But then, utter calamity. Utter f***ing calamity. F*** s*** f***.

den Lettar bowled one short and at his body, and he was caught in two minds about whether to pull it or leave, instead, he got his bat in front of his face and the ball edged off the shoulder and into the gloves of Clausen. The look on his face read "That's not fair, it wasn't supposed to happen like that", but he had to go, giving one last futile glance back to Sterne in the middle as he trudged off.

If Jason Keillher won this game for us, I would forgive him for everything. Absolutely everything. I don't care what you made me look like at school, you take this test home, you're forgiven. And for a long while, he did. Sterne calmed him, and for once he played sensible cricket. He nudged around singles (nudge is used lightly, because he's a big guy, he nudges it quite far). Sterne passed 70 and looked in full control. It would take a miracle to get him out now.

But they did get a semi-miracle, they dismissed a sensible Jason Keillher. And what a ripper it was from den Lettar. It pitched outside off-stump, before swinging in so late that it beat bat, his the top of his pad and smacked into off stump, sending it cart-wheeling. A massive wicket. It was now 169-6. Another quick wicket would swing it for the home side. A strong lower-order reply would give it to Wray.

Sterne and Storm dug in, blocking everything vaguely near the stumps as well as anything on it. Sterne survived a near miss, an outswinger from den Lettar taking the outside, but it dropped some yards short of first slip. Perhaps he wasn't invincible.

To add to his task, Storm got out. Even Pelser had been peppering his helmet with short stuff for a few overs, so he tried to slash him out of the park, but instead got a huge top edge that was eventually pocketed by cover. 178-7. Adam Corrie at the crease. Martin Sorensen, the seam bowler, was instantly brought back on, and did the trick.

After supporting Sterne to 90, and scoring 6 himself, he got out to a rather poor delivery from part-time spinner Edward Romijnsen. It was a loopy...slow delivery, that's all I can call it, and he simply missed it, and the ball hit the top of leg-stump. Jubilant scenes. The hosts still had a chance. It was known that Shane Aguando couldn't bat, so they wanted that last wicket so desperately, but at the end of the 68th over, with Sterne on 95 and 20 still required, this happened:

68.4 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR Great shot! Bennett steps out and launches a length ball from captain over midwicket and straight to the fence, beating the sweeper. Sixteen needed, two wickets in hand.

68.5 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR, again, Bennett finds the rope and de Vries is struggling here. It was full and outside off stump, in the pocket and Bennett cashed in, driving it like a bullet straight through cover. Unbelievable batting from the number 10.

68.6 de Vries to Bennett, FOUR, oh my word, de Vries has lost it completely. This time it was a waist high full toss, a yard outside off stump. Bennett swung, got a hard top edge which flew over the keeper and beat the third man fielder coming round. Just 8 needed now, it's surely in the bag.

The first ball of the 69th over, bowled by Kruger den Lettar, brought Simon Sterne to the brink of a historic, match-winning hundred. den Lettar strayed leg side and Sterne whipped it in between square leg and fine leg, reaching boundary to bring up his 99. Just one more for Sterne, four more for the side. He blocked the second ball and left the third, before cutting to deep-point to bring up a sensational hundred. He raised his bat and helmet to the Green Division, before saluting the Wray flag and the dressing room, who were all on their feet.

I'll never forget this hundred, how important, how skilful it was. Under all that pressure, Simon was able to deliver. He will go down in history as one of the great Wray test batsmen. Just 3 required now. Bennett blocked out the last two balls, and you sensed that crowd knew it was over.

Even Pelser was given the 'honour' of bowling the over when they were beaten by Wray. He decided to start with a slower ball, and that's all Sterne needed. He read it perfectly and, with a few steps of his quick feet, slapped it over cover for four. They'd done, we'd done. Victory for Wray...

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Simon Sterne played a match-winning innings, scoring 104*

You really are mad. I could never put that much effort into an RP, mine just looks half-arsed now. This should be archived or stickied or something, for future generations of cricket RPers :!:

by **Ingla Terra** » Fri Oct 04, 2013 9:45 am

The Inglans came to Perth knowing that they had no chance of beating Chelta. The third best cricket team in the multiverse would have been too strong for them in their very first outing as a cricket team. They did not have practice together, as the team was quickly assembled, and the coaches thought that they would struggle more with how to handle the players' egos rather than how to make them play aggressive cricket. Another factor was that they were playing in Chelta, because the fields in the capital, Shiefield, where the first international test in Inglan history is wanted to take place, are being used for korfball.

They were proved wrong.

The Cheltish bat first, but scored an underwhelming 97 runs in 22.4 overs in their at-bats. Meanwhile, the Green Eagles scored 296 runs in 93.1 overs. Their best batter, Jee Hodson, scored 86 runs in 132 balls. With Ingla Terra leading by 199 runs at the end of the second inning, they just have to match Chelta's total runs in their inning to win the test, which they did.

After allowing the Cheltish to score 299 runs, the Green Eagles only needed 101 runs to seal the test. They did this with only two batters bowled out. That meant that the Inglans scored 101 runs with 2 wickets dropped. They upset the third best team in the world by 8 wickets, an astounding result for a debuting team.

The teams now head to Derwent Cricket Ground in Wimbourne. Chelta will look bounce back to tie the series and have a chance to snatch the series away from the Green Eagles. The Inglaterran lineup will be unchanged, with Janross Dale as the emergency 12th man.

Batting Statistics

ITR 1st Inning

Batsman         How Out        Bowler        Runs    Balls
J. Monaghan     bowled         Sullivan        15       40
J. Hodson       not out                        86      132
M. Bowler       bowled         Birt             2        3
M. Carty        c Blainey      Werren          30       72
K. Greenwood    lbw            Trott           46       88
M. Stevenson    c Moody        Birt            50       96
B. Needham      lbw            Trott            2        8
A. Sheppard     bowled         Sullivan        34       62
H. Barron       c Blainey      Trott           25       36
M. Rodrigues    bowled         Sullivan         1        2
J. Summers      c Macnair      May              6       20

Extras
N/A

Total: 296 in 93.1 overs

ITR 2nd Inning

Batsman         How Out        Bowler        Runs    Balls
J. Monaghan     bowled         Sullivan        18       24
J. Hodson       not out                        62      108
M. Bowler       c Macnair      May              3        9
M. Carty        not out                        18       54
K. Greenwood    did not bat                                
M. Stevenson    did not bat                                
B. Needham      did not bat                                
A. Sheppard     did not bat                                
H. Barron       did not bat                                
M. Rodrigues    did not bat                                
J. Summers      did not bat                                

Extras
N/A

Total: 101/2 in 32.4 overs
Ingla Terra wins by 8 wickets

GCF Season 4 Everything Thread

GCF Season 4 Everything Thread

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