60th Anniversary Triseries (ODI cricket) (invitation only)

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: DATES ANNOUNCED FOR VISIT OF KO-OREN AND KRYTENIA
by Denis Wormwood, Sporting Correspondent, in Sutton

After what has been a notably successful year for the Plough Islands cricket team, Cde Premier Dale Piper today confirmed that the sixtieth anniversary commemorations of the independence of the Commonwealth of the Plough Islands from the British Empire on the 2nd of December will be augmented by a cricketing triseries to be played between the Foxes, reigning World Twenty20 champions Ko-oren, and ODI World Trophy finalists Krytenia.
Announcing the 60th Anniversary Triseries at an event at December Park attended by representatives of all three competing nations, and speaking in his capacity as the President of the Plough Islands Cricket Association, the Premier stated that the competition "will be the perfect opportunity to show the world the achievements of Marxist-Leninist endeavour and of the socialist society we have built in our small country, a country at peace with itself, and with its fellow travellers and sister nations across the multiverse...not least of whom are our dear old friends from Ko-oren and our dear new friends from Krytenia", adding that "naturally, it is our hope that we can have some measure of revenge for the last time a Plough Islander team played each of them!".
The Premier was joined at the event by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Krytenia (and Member of the Witting for the single-member electoral district of Adanac North), Ivan Kaladze, who was profuse in his acknowledgment of the invitation, stating that "we are grateful for the opportunity to join with our comrades in the Plough Islands as the Communist Party of Krytenia continues to ceaselessly pursue the utilisation of sport and gymnastics as a weapon of the revolutionary class struggle [...] building the new socialist society with the labour of the toilers and peasants of Krytenia, of the proletarian sporting representatives of the Plough Islands and of the workers of the world...". The Ko-orenite Minister of Science, Culture, and Sports, Llawchidd yBeomwig, was briefer in his remarks but no less enthusiastic for the series, telling this author after the scheduled close of the event that "matches between the Foxes and our Dragonflies really draw a lot of attention back home, whether it's in Mawrystwyth or Willowbourne, and we are looking forward to another exciting chapter in the history our team has on these shores".
Applications for tickets for the matches have already opened, with games scheduled to be played at every major cricket board ground in the Plough Islands; excitement has been building within the cricketing community for some time, and Foxes senior head coach Lourens Hendricks commented at the event that "really it has been a fantastic year for cricket in the Plough Islands, ja, really, and, we are hoping to be able to show how far we have come with winning Test series at home and progressing so far in the World Trophy...also it's gonna be a really good opportunity to bring through some of the kids that did so well in Grearia last month..."

Hello! As indicated above, the Plough Islands Cricket Association will be hosting a One Day International triseries between themselves, Ko-oren, and Krytenia, in part to commemorate what will be the in-character 60th anniversary of the independence of the Commonwealth of the Plough Islands. The series will take the form of a double round-robin, with each team playing the others twice, before a one-off series final between the top two teams by win/loss record (with net run rate to be used to break any ties). The schedule will be as follows;

1st December 2020: First One Day International (Krytenia vs. Plough Islands), December Park, Sutton

DECEMBER PARK, SUTTON
Pavilion or Park end (north), Trotsky Avenue End (south) ☭ ~18 000 capacity ☭ -2 to -3 style modifiers (first-class)

Located in the heart of Sutton and nestled between a curious mix of 19th century colonial architecture and relatively tasteful mid-1960s Stalinist urban design, December Park - known as Hanover Park from the mid-1800s until independence - has served as the green and welcoming focal point of the islands' capital almost since the day Captain Sutton first set foot in these parts. The stadium itself sits in the southern corner of the park, having been used for cricket since 1910 and having its current layout since 1969.
The pavilion is of late Edwardian design; mostly constructed of local greenish-grey granite but with whitewashed columns flanking a mock-Ionic entrance matching the white-painted wooden structures on the inside forming the stands. Unlike some grounds of similar age, the original dressing rooms and ticketing facilities are still used, with some upgrades, for every game played here, with at some point the style having been imitated to enclose the turnstiles.
Going around the ground from the inside, the pavilion structure is almost dwarfed by a huge, symmetrical pair of Brutalist stone-clad concrete stands that each encircle about three eighths of the ground on either side, holding 13 000 between them in a single tier of seating. Built with other events as well as cricket in mind, the heavy stand roofs amplify sound into the ground and out around the city, adding to the experience if not the architectural appeal of the place. At the far end of the ground, the circle is completed by a series of smaller structures for media seating built similarly to the pavilion, flanked by large pine trees that form part of the perimeter of the park and separate the ground from Trotsky Avenue.
Despite being the government's main showground, December Park sees frequent use as the main home ground of the Sutton and Avalon Cricket Board in the Harrison Cup and Sutcliffe Shield, as well as development and coaching work done by the Plough Islands Cricket Association. Pitches prepared here tend to be more spin-friendly than an equivalent ground in England or Ireland would be, but not to the point of making pace ineffectual; by Plough Islander standards it is generally flat and well-kept enough to offer some bounce.

4th December 2020: Second One Day International (Ko-oren vs. Krytenia), Lainemouth Athletic Club, Lainemouth

LAINEMOUTH ATHLETIC CLUB, LAINEMOUTH
River End (north), Pavilion End (south) ☭ ~10 000 capacity ☭ -3 to -4 style modifiers (first-class)

The primary home of the Swift Island Cricket Board ever since losing Sutton in 1973, the Lainemouth Athletic Club also benefits from its proximity to the University of the Plough Islands' sporting facilities, playing host to many visiting teams and youth team programs. The ground itself almost fills all of a meander in the River Laine as it enters the city centre, and is the only ground in the islands to - thanks to flood protection work that raises the river banks - have almost a complete bowl of seating, along the Brutalist lines of a (quite) low-rise equivalent to the stands at December Park.
Where the bowl breaks at one end, the 1930s pavilion - originally Art Deco, but morphed somewhat unwillingly by modernisation work into a vaguely Mediterranean structure - accommodates around a thousand paid spectators along with media facilities and, infamously, no lift; wheelchair-bound Plough Radio commentator Ian Goswell once had to summarise the action from pitch level, borrowing a spectator's umbrella to protect him from the sun and sixes. The ground feels smaller than it looks, and the houses and city offices overlooking the stands add to the cosy feel.
Lainemouth has the smallest field in the Harrison Cup, but not by much; most of the ground's reputation for being boundary-heavy comes from the players who have walked out here and the very green, slow pitches it usually produces. However, Lainemouth tends to be sheltered to an extent from the islands' otherwise ubiquitous fog, which prevents it from being a paradise on the level of Highrock.

7th December 2020: Third One Day International (Plough Islands vs. Ko-oren), Southport Athletic Club, Southport

SOUTHPORT ATHLETIC CLUB, SOUTHPORT
Crabble End (north), New Pavilion End (south) ☭ ~7 500 capacity ☭ -3 to -4 style modifiers (first-class)

The southernmost of the Plough Islands missed out on hosting a match during the country's inaugural Test series due to badly needed renovation work at the New Hibernia Cricket Board's main venue in Southport, which forced the island's Harrison Cup team to play fixtures in Crabble; however, cricket at the highest level can now return to a new, ultra-modern facility, marked by a tented, semi-transparent, almost organic roof that provides shelter for some 2000 people and covers a structure doubling as a pavilion and main stand at the south end of the ground. A smaller shelter with fewer seats provides cover at the north end.
The remainder of the ground is left open, with some gently landscaped banking providing the remainder of the spectator accommodation; seeded with the same grass as the outfield, in time the only divisions between spectators and players will be the boundary rope and whatever buffer politeness will allow. Set on a natural plain, there is very little slope or variation in the outfield which makes games played here quite neutral; allowing for the typical Plough Islander conditions, Southport gives little away to either team.
The pitch tends to be quite normal for the islands; relatively slow, with a lot on offer for spinners even early in the innings, but never quite deteriorating as much to be unplayable. The New Hibernia board have taken to hosting some matches in Crabble even after returning home, so the pitch gets ample time to recover between games.

10th December 2020: Fourth One Day International (Plough Islands vs. Krytenia), Ironworks Ground, Redcliff

IRONWORKS GROUND, REDCLIFF
Mill End (north), Ironworks End (south) ☭ ~12 500 capacity ☭ -1 to -2 style modifiers (first-class)

Exactly as you would perhaps expect from the Plough Islands' industrial capital, the ground is located amongst chimneys and factories in what still serves as a workers' welfare complex. The ironworks itself has been gone for a while, replaced by a more modern steel mill at the other end of Redcliff in the late 1980s, but the name is now more literal as the structure of the early 20th century industrial building has been reworked to accommodate indoor training facilities and 5 000 seats for spectators, replacing an earlier permanent structure that somehow always looked temporary and making the ground feel more welcoming.
This has resulted in what was one of the islands' most cramped fields becoming one of the biggest, with the resulting boundary expansion putting the original 1920s pavilion and remaining spectator stands curiously offset from the main square. Aside from the converted ironworks itself, most of the stands are quite low-rise, and it is notoriously tricky to navigate the corridors and rooms that connect them and the pitch; on a full matchday journalists and fans alike easily find themselves in the workers' co-operative gymnasium or massage rooms instead of their intended seat.
Redcliff is situated much further inland and at higher altitude than any other major ground in the predominantly coastal Plough Islands, and combined with its industrial setting produces hard pitches; though the local flora never quite allows it to reach road levels, by local standards pace bowlers flourish early on, while the lack of moisture leads to more deterioration during multi-day matches. This can be exascerbated by frequent use; it is the main home ground of the Redcliff Cricket Board which rarely uses outgrounds.

13th December 2020: Fifth One Day International (Ko-oren vs. Plough Islands), Foxdale Sports Club, Foxdale

FOXDALE SPORTS CLUB, FOXDALE
Pavilion End (north), Dock End (south) ☭ ~10 000 capacity ☭ -3 to -4 style modifiers (first-class)

Although the oldest venue in the islands, the present Foxdale Sports Club is, sadly, not the original, which was gutted by fire in 1949. The rebuilt ground, opened in the mid-50s, shifted and rotated the pitch somewhat so it now no longer aligns precisely with history, but the facilities and comfort offered by the new structure make it popular with players and officials. It is still considered to carry on the tradition which started with the oldest written records of games against the Silverdale Athletic Club, although the modern ground almost exclusively hosts Harrison Cup and Sutcliffe Shield games rather than club-level cricket.
The modern ground comprises four small stands with room in between; two flank a pavilion elevated from functionality somewhat by a local stone facade and broad timber pillars, while the stands at the far side of the ground are similarly styled but broader, and each hold around 3 500 people. The gaps are filled with pine trees; freshly planted in 1956, they have come to envelop the ground and give it a rural feel despite being almost adjacent to Foxdale docks; matches here have a soundtrack punctuated by foghorns and bells in addition to the usual bustle.
A typical Plough Islander ground in how it plays, the pitch in Foxdale is usually moist and offers lots of grip for spinners; drainage is quite poor here though, especially on the far side where the old buildings stood, and ground staff armed with brushes and sponges are a frequent sight prior to play. This can cause the ground to break up much later than usual, if at all, which affects the dynamic of four- and five-day matches.

16th December 2020 17th December 2020: Sixth One Day International (Krytenia vs. Ko-oren), Highrock Athletic Club, Highrock

HIGHROCK ATHLETIC CLUB, HIGHROCK
City End (north), Celestial Ocean End (south) ☭ ~7 500 capacity ☭ -4 to -5 style modifiers (first-class)

Situated on a hillside outcrop on the southern edge of the city limits, administrators have been known to grumble about Highrock's capacity and relative isolation - which has in the past seen the New Dalmatia Cricket Board move games from here to the Air Force ground at PIA Ishtar in the south - but literally anyone else tends to overlook those facts for one of the most dramatic settings for a game of cricket anywhere in the region. The pavilion, completely rebuilt in local stone and natural wood during the 1990s, sits to one side of the pitches, with the end pointed inland accommodating most of the spectators via a functional, 1960s structure that eventually merges with the hillside and grass banking to provide benched seating in something of an amphitheatre arrangement.
There is little seating around the other side of the ground; the hillside drops away dramatically towards the main road south and then becomes a cliff towards the ocean, and though it is quite safe to field around this side - there is ample netting and a concealed storage shed - to spectators and batsmen it looks for all the world as though the world just vanishes at the boundary rope to give way to endless sea.
Situated right on the island's eastern coast, Highrock is a chilly, breezy place year-round, and experiences more precipitation and fog than most places on the islands; this sometimes impacts on match start times if the fog has not cleared. This all tends to make the pitch rather moist, spongy, and spin-friendly; pace bowlers here, such as the island's own Colin McCarthy, tend to have to rely on swing and drift in the moist air rather than pure speed and bounce to be effective.

19th December 2020: Seventh One Day International (Series final), December Park, Sutton

In the highly unlikely event any participant in the tournament needs more information about the Plough Islands, previous posts about the country and about its cricketing culture are linked above in Lourens' quote; ground profiles have now been posted (apologies for the delay), and feel free to contact myself via telegram or on the NS Sports discord (joey_picus#2168) if you have any further queries. Otherwise - barring the OOC information below - this thread is now open, so get posting rosters and RPs, and the very best of luck to all of us!

All score generation will be done by myself using xkoranate v.0.3.3 with the stock ODI file, and the cutoffs for each matchday will happen at approximately 21:00 Greenwich Mean Time (22:00 Central European Time). Starting rank values for nations will be taken from the official GCF rankings, as of the end of the World Trophy, and subsequent RP and roster bonuses for all three competing nations will be generous and cumulative, with no home advantage used. At least a 60mhz Intel® Pentium® processor, at least 20 megabytes of free space on your hard drive and a Microsoft® Windows® 95 compatible video card are required to play cricket. Optional network play requires a 28.8k modem and a subscription for access to the World Wide Web.

[Krytenia]

1. Shelton SCHNELLER (SV Schneller)
Batsman : Right-handed
Age: 28
State Team: Sothis Stallions
Schneller is an excellent one-day opener, able to settle quickly into his stride and stroke the ball all over the pitch. Can be a little too exuberant though, and too often loses his wicket trying to turn a sprinting start into a fast fifty.

2. Howard TATTON (HM Tatton)
Batsman : Right-handed
Age: 26
State Team: Beck Admirals
With soft hands and an eagerness to score runs, Tatton is an artisan at the crease. Unlikely to bloot the leather for six, but his ability to exploit gaps for boundaries makes him a dangerous opponent.

4. Ryan WATLING (RJ Watling)
Batsman : Left-handed
Age: 26
State Team: Central Mercia Scholars
What Watling lacks in finesse and shot selection, he makes up for in sheer brute force. He cleaves at the ball like he's brandishing a broadsword, and especially loves to thump shorter deliveries into the stands. Not the best player of spin, though.

12. Edward FENN (EL Fenn)
Batsman : Right-handed
Age: 21
State Team: West Mercia Sabres
The World ODI Trophy was Ed Fenn's breakout tournament. Unburdened by the disappointments of age, Fenn loves his cricket. He's a supreme technician, preferring placement and accuracy to pure arm strength, looking to punish any gaps in the field. Also a top-notch fielder.

13. Diego AQUINO (DAR Aquino)
Batsman : Left-handed
Age: 23
State Team: Avide-Dioro Rivermen
Dreamed of a baseball career as a youngster, before switching to cricket thanks to Krytenia's lack of infrastructure in his preferred sport. His shot selection is somewhat rudimentary, but he makes up for this with excellent timing.

15. Gavin UDALL (GM Udall)
All-rounder : Right-handed : Right arm pace
Age: 28
State Team: Overa Warriors
An aggressive talent with either bat or ball in hand, Udall is sure to create excitement of some description, whether that be bowling 90mph artillery shells down the track or crunching a misplaced delivery into the stands.

7. Lynton SAXON (LR Saxon)
CAPTAIN
All-rounder : Rght-handed : Right arm pace
Age: 31
State Team: Emberton Lions
Has a cricketing brain to be feared; sometimes gives off an air of being "surrounded by idiots" when field placements don't work the way he intends. Saxon's batting style leans towards keeping the ball low, looking to make the fielders work to prevent the four. With the ball, Saxon leans towards inviting the edge, tending to bowl a little short of length.

6. Bradley GRAFTON (BH Grafton)
Wicket-keeper : Left-handed
Age: 30
State Team : Yardley Lumberjacks
Relaible as an atomic clock behind the wickets; entertainingly crazy in front of them. There's a good chance Grafton will lose his wicket trying one slog too many.

16. Odell LOVATOVIC (OP Lovatovic)
Bowler : Right-handed : Right arm swing
Age: 22
State Team: Newland Bears
Lovatovic loves nothing more than a cloudy day and a white ball in his hand. Excels at getting the ball to move both ways. Batting isn't his strong suit, but then again that's not why he's in the team.

11. William DE TONG (WJ de Tong)
Bowler : Right-handed : Finger (off) spin
Age: 24
State Team: Aigea Cormorants
Has a deadly accuracy to his off-break, and a good range of deliveries. Batting isn't the best, mind.

10. Brigham HILL (BY Hill)
Bowler : Left-handed : Wrist (leg) spin
Age: 24
State Team : Atrebla Cowboys
Potentially GCF's best Mormon. Hill is an absolute spin demon, foxing some of the world's best in the World Trophy. Unfortunately, he can't bat for toffee.

Reserves:
20. Andrew TAYLOR (ARD Taylor) - Batsman : Right-handed - 25 - East Mercia Red Caps
21. Marcus MORGAN (MD Morgan) - Batsman : Right-handed - 23 - Druida Dragons
14. Wesley KOSTA (WS Kosta) - Wicket-keeper : Right-handed - 28 - Emberton Lions
8. Barry MAHLER (BG Mahler) - Bowler : Right-handed : Right arm swing - 32 - Beck Admirals
19. Martyn MIRANDINO (MJL Mirandino) - Bowler : Right-handed : Finger (off) spin - 24 - Overa Warriors
9. Stuart OBERMANN (SA Obermann) - Bowler : Right-handed : Right arm pace - 31 - Milthenia Knights

[The Plough Islands]

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
SQUAD FOR THE 60TH ANN'SARY SERIES

#NO     PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#2  RP  Aliyev           RHB      
#3  S   Ashe             RHB   ROB
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#6  MG  Davy             RHB   RLB
#7  AG  Fairfield        LHB   SLC
#8  TSF Gibbs            RHB   RLB
#9  AJ  Hendricks        RHB   RLB
#10 P   Hodgeson         LHB   SLC
#11 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#12 LA  Martin (w)       LHB      
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA
#14 BK  Scarbeck         RHB      
#15 ADM Tyrie            RHB   RLB
#16 RG  Vowles           LHB   SLA
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#18 SH  Wilson           RHB   ROB

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: OLD AND NEW ALIKE FEATURE IN END OF YEAR SQUAD
by Ian Goswell, Chief Cricket Correspondent for Plough Radio, in Sutton

Despite being planned for some considerable time, the timing of the 60th Anniversary Triseries featuring the Plough Islands against Ko-oren and Krytenia appears to have taken some in the cricketing establishment by surprise, falling as it does after the conclusion of the Harrison Cup and Sutcliffe Shield and at a time when Kevin Laing's team normally have preparations for the upcoming Tests on their collective minds.
With the weather slowly changing as winter sets in on the islands, there have been other considerations for Laing and coach Lourens Hendricks than just form; the players who have been taking part in training in Sutton have been chosen as much for a lack of work commitments and their fitness as for their ability. In fact, the squad being assembled has something of the summer festival about it; the core of the World Trophy team are still likely to feature, but with several absentees - opener Graeme Holt and pace bowler Colin McCarthy being among the most notable - opportunities are likely to present themselves for Young Foxes stars, such as Peter Hodgeson and Arnold Tyrie, and uncapped Sutcliffe Shield stalwarts, like Brett Scarbeck and Sarah Wilson.
Laing told this author that he hoped "we will get to look at what everyone can do in a relatively low-pressure competitive environment, so between myself and Lourens there will probably be chances for a lot of players who deserve them" and hinted that team selections were likely to be fluid; "The honour of playing for the Plough Islands is one a lot of people are deserving of, more than have probably had the chance up until now. We will not always be lucky enough to have Graeme and Audrey [Leggett] leading the way for the Plough Islands, just for one example, or even myself as captain, and we need to be responsible and make sure the next generation have the preparation they need, and that we have that depth in the team."
Regardless of familiarity, though, the Foxes should still pose problems for both the Dragonflies and the Stars, who are understood to be sending close to full-strength sides to the Plough Islands. The bowling attack from the World Trophy is still intact with Naomi Salisbury, Sarah Ashe, and the ageless Andrew Fairfield providing multiple spin options alongside Redcliff player Sarah Wilson and Young Foxes Hodgeson and Terry Gibbs, although Andrew Baxter is the only genuinely fast bowler in the team. With Holt absent, Bradford opener Scarbeck is likely to be auditioned in several matches alongside Leggett, Matthew Davy, and Leanne Martin (although the lithe right-hander is a far less intense figure than any of his potential partners), and though the Colossal Shauna Weaver is likely to play at #3 in every game, there is ability and strength in abundance for the rest of the batting order with team sheets likely to be changeable.
While the series will not count for the Global Cricket Federation world rankings, the presence of three of the top six ranked teams has nonetheless generated some excitement among the cricketing public both on and beyond these shores, and Laing is appreciative of both the interest shown - "it is gratifying that our small country has such an impact disproportionate to how many of us there are!" - and of the opportunity to test how the Foxes have progressed since the World Trophy half a year ago. "I think we are all hoping it will be a good and competitive series, it is always very special when the Ko-orenites come over to play, and we have perhaps a measure of revenge, if you can call it that, to seek over Krytenia...". That revenge may well come at the first One Day International of the series at December Park on Tuesday; myself and my comrade Andrew Kulayev will be reporting live on Plough Radio from 8:00am, and Plough Islanders and others can also follow developments in these pages.

[Krytenia]

The Cricket Bat and Sickle
Opinion Column from David Maclean, Politics Editor

Those who read this fine organ from back to front will be well aware that there is a cricket tournament about to get underway in the Plough Islands, and that our own national team is to help kick of this sporting festival tomorrow morning. For those who read in the proper direction of travel, though, it's the ancillary motion behind the scenes that carries the real interest.

Among the delegates given the guest of honour treatment by the host country is one Ivan Kaladze. You may know him as a Member of the Witting, representing Adanac North as the sole representative of the Communist Party of Krytenia. It has raised a few eyebrows in Emberton that he is met with such reverence, carring almost celebrity status in the streets of Sutton, but there is method to this perceived madness.

The Plough Islands are, and are proud to be, a Communist state. Unlike some you may have seen in the past, such as Hockey Canada (and arguably Sorthern Northland), this is not a totalitarian regime. Instead, this is a country run by people who have read the Communist Manifesto, taken its teachings to heart, and genuinely attempted to apply those teaching for the benefit of the entire populace. It helps, of course, that the nation's population is about the size the electorate in Mr. Kaladze's seat. It's far easier to implement statewide collectivity to a population of one hundred and forty thousand than it is to a population in the tens of millions, after all. The important thing though, for both the islanders and their Krytenian guest, is there is proof that the concept can work without resulting to oligarchy or despotism. It is not a Communist state; it is a community, and once the locals are genuinely proud to be a part of. A fellow traveller from a nation of the economic and political prowess of Krytenia, therefore, is an ally to be welcomed.

There are those who say that Mr. Kaladze has accepted this invitation purely as a PR opportunity. This is, at best, a half-truth. Though he may be met with quirky curiosity on these shores, to the people of the Plough Islands he is genuinely revered as a foreign statesman of import. For our man in Hoqanuk County, meanwhile, herein lies a chance to take note in how to make the system truly work, to network and build relationships, and yes, to take the opportunity of speaking in front of a benevolent crowd and preaching a message to be heard back home. For Mr. Kaladze, there is nothing to be lost from this visit, and much to be gained. If he is as shrewd in his talking as he is in his electioneering, he could improve the lot of a party seen largely as a joke outside the city of Adanac. If that is the case, then regardless of results on the pitch, the tournament will be a success for at least one Krytenian.

[The Plough Islands]

PROFILE: BRETT SCARBECK
Born 10th October 1990, Whitby, United Kingdom ☭ Right-hand bat ☭ Occasional right-arm off break

When he makes his One Day International debut today at December Park, Brett Scarbeck will have capped a rise through the cricketing ranks as calm and unhurried as the playing style of this wristy right-hander, and, on another level, it will represent the completion of a personal journey that has as frequently intersected with tragedy as it has cricket.
The fourth senior Plough Islander cricketer to be born outside the islands, Brett Kevin Scarbeck grew up in Silverdale where his Plough Islander mother moved after a road accident took his British father and older brother, and was an orphan aged just eighteen, when his mother died from previously undiagnosed stomach cancer. Having planned to become an engineer, Scarbeck instead took an art course with the University of the Plough Islands and became a poster and landscape artist, while continuing to play for the Silverdale Sports Club where he has been a regular since his youth. He is remarkably casual and plain spoken when discussing the impact of her death on his life, opining that "maybe losing my family brought me into art, I honestly do not know, but I know that painting certainly helped to distract me from everything that had gone on. I picked up the techniques quickly and would work on a scene all day and then go down to the cricket club in the evening, and then when I started to play that just reversed and I was fortunate enough to be able to sustain myself painting at night with bright moonlit views".
By now a first team regular at Silverdale as well as an increasingly respected portrayer of proletarian landscapes, Scarbeck had made occasional appearances in Bradford Cricket Board sides and through what he reflects was "as much down to consistently training and being available as any kind of ability", by 2017 he was regularly playing in the Harrison Cup and Sutcliffe Shield, albeit with a frequent lack of consistency; his maiden first-class century in 2016 was followed by six innings in which he failed to reach double figures. But perseverence and a certain determination led him to work on his technique and he had an excellent 2020, particularly in the shorter format; he scored 136 and 102 in successive group matches and averaged 59.09 as Bradford reached the semi finals of the Sutcliffe Shield. He continues to rely on position and swift running rather than raw power; his 136 against the Air Force featured just nine boundaries, no sixes, and an 82 partnership with Ilya Postukhov that relied on quick, consistent singles and twos over power shots.
Scarbeck admits to being "very nervous" about his debut alongside Matthew Davy, particularly given the national attention focused on this particular match, but says his teammates have helped him take the occasion in his stride. "Everyone has been beyond welcoming to me, especially Kevin [Laing], he reminded me that I was picked because of my natural game and I should not try and be something I am not. And I have got through so much already in my life by just being who I am".

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
XI FOR FIRST ODI AGAINST  KRYTENIA

        PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#14 BK  Scarbeck         RHB      
#6  MG  Davy             RHB   RLB
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#2  RP  Aliyev           RHB      
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#11 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#7  AG  Fairfield        LHB   SLC
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#3  S   Ashe             RHB   ROB
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: FIRST ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Krytenia 228/6 (46.1 overs)
Plough Islands 225/8 (50 overs)
at December Park, Sutton

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 1 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR
1   Krytenia             1    1    0    0   0.44
2   Ko-oren              0    0    0    0   0.00
3   Plough Islands       1    0    1    0  -0.44

[Krytenia]

A Generous Host Indulges Their Guest
Angus Haggerston reports from Sutton, Plough Islands

Amidst the bunting and celebration in the Plough Islander capital, it would have been easy for the casual observer to forget there was a game of cricket to be played. Here at December Park, though, there was no chance of that happening as the Anniversary Triseries got underway betwen our own Stars and the host nation.

Perhaps with one eye on the forthcoming events to be hosted here, it's possible that the ground staff might not have been able to divert their full attention to the track. It would be remiss to say the wicket was a poor one; "difficult" might be the apt word with a distinct lack of life for batsmen and bowlers alike. Neither side, however, was willing to use that as an excuse. Pitch conditions, after all, are the same for both sides. Lynton Saxon, feeling that a low-scoring game was likely, and after winning the toss elected to field. Krytenia had proven several times in the GCF Trophy that they were more comfortable chasing than setting the target, and the hope was that this match would provide more of the same.

Brett Scarbeck, however, had other ideas. The Plough Islands opener may have taken his time reaching the top table of the white-ball game, but now he's here, he's determined to stay. The dead pitch suited his style perfectly, and he was quick to exploit the gaps in the Krytenian field. It may not have been the swashbuckling game you'd expect to see from the likes of Ryan Watling, more a Tattonesque clinic of soft hands and quick adaptation that threatened to derail Saxon's plans.

There were bright spots for the Stars, though. Matthew Davy was quick to go, barely into double figures before the captain trapped him plumb with a laser-guided yorker. The always dangerous Shauna Weaver rather unsurprisingly created resistance for a good while, even managing to plunder a couple of big sixes off Gavin Udall's bowling as the Overa all-rounder endured a miserable day with the ball. With the combination of Scarbeck and Weaver causing concern, Saxon switched Udall out for the spin of William de Tong. The switch worked wonders, Weaver toeing an off-break into the grateful arms of Ed Fenn at mid-on to break up what could have been a dangerous partnership.

It would soon be the Foxes who were in danger of losing the plot. Having weathered a couple of deliveries without troubling the scorers, Rory Aliyev clipped a fine edge back to the gloves of Bradley Grafton. He would be joined a scant on the last ball of the over by his captain, with Saxon trapping Kevin Laing leg before for the cost of a solitary run. At the other end, meanwhile, the Stars finally managed to dislodge the dangerous Scarbeck, though more through excellent fielding than an error on the debutant's part. The delivery from de Tong was a poor one, and Scarbeck looked to capitalise; unfortunately for him, he couldn't quite get the height he needed, but it still required an outstanding overhead diving catch in the covers to send him back to the pavilion.

Some players you can count on to keep their heads in a crisis. With their most potent threat thus far neutralised, and four wickets tumbling in quick succession, the Plough Islands turned to the experience of Audrey Leggett. Of course, this is Leggett we're talking about, so keeping her head didn't necessarily mean keeping the ball on the deck. With Andrew Fairfield at the other end, the pair did manage to right the ship, Leggett apparently deciding the best course for doing so being the judicious use of a large cannon. This was largely at the expense of Udall and Brigham Hill, with Lovatovic also in on the act as the innings reached the latter stages.

Leggett's aggressive style was bound to be her downfall, and so it proved. Having notched a half century, a swing and a miss to a Hill delivery that kept low did for her as Grafton removed the bails. It took the air out of the hosts' innings. Though Fairfield gamely tried to get the run rate up, a lack of support at the other end as first Tim Bleasdale and then Sarah Ashe lost their wickets cheaply, leaving the Foxes on a score decent for the pitch but by no means out of reach.

Krytenia started their chase brightly, with Howard Tatton leading the charge. Not to be outdone by Scarbeck, the Beck batsman set about his task with aplomb, using the momentum of the Plough Island attack against them. Ably assisting him in this regard was Shelton Schneller, curbing his usual enthusiasm somewhat to keep the scoreboard ticking over. I say "somewhat" because a rush of blood to the head did for him, going for a second run that just wasn't there and being undine by an excellent direct hit from Ashe.

This brought Ryan Watling into the fray; his appearance, though, would be all to brief. Attempting to swat a Naomi Salisbury delivery out of the park, he missed completely and could only listen in horror as the ball clattered the stumps behind him. The shake of the head as he trudged back to the pavilion was one of a man who knew he'd made an absolute mess of proceedings. On the plus side, for Krytenia at least, Ed Fenn has a much calmer head on his shoulders, and the Stars returned to their tactic of keeping the ball moving and the runs ticking over in ones and twos. It may not be the most exhilerating of tactics, but it appeared to work, as the score climbed up and Tatton reached his fifty. The celebrations, though, would be short-lived, as Andrew Baxter produced an absolute jaffa of a ball to send the Krytenian packing.

This led to a bit of a mini-collapse for the Stars. Diego Aquino got thirteen before holing one to Leggett, before Gavin Udall capped his nightmare day misjudging a Salisbury delivery and leaving the field without troubling the scorers. Thankfully, though, this served to bring out the captain; unlike his opposite number, Saxon held his nerve and kept his head. His useful knock of thirty-eight brought the men in sky blue to the brink of victory before a thin edge gave Bleasdale a routine catch to despatch the Emberton all-rounder.

It proved to be the last bump in the road for the Krytenians. With deliveries to spare, wicketkeeper Grafton concentrated on not doing anything stupid, allowing Ed Fenn to complete a four-wicket victory with an exquisite drive through the covers. His unbeaten eighty, and the manner in which it was completed, is a timely reminder that Fenn is one of the most dangerous batsmen out there right now.

For the Plough Islands, it could be argued that the event is more important than the result, though being defeated at headquarters is still going to hurt. For Krytenia, meanwhile, it's further proof that the nation is among the best in this format of the game - though that may only prove to paint a bullseye on their chests when they face Ko-oren in Lainemouth on Friday. Let's hope that the pitch is less of a talking point, and that both teams' talented cricketers can shine through.

PLOUGH ISLANDS INNINGS - 225/8, 50 overs

BATTING
BK Scarbeck        c Aquino        b de Tong        49      
MG Davy                            lbw Saxon        10
SLC Weaver         c Fenn          b de Tong        37
RP Aliyev          c Grafton       b Saxon           0
KCT Laing                          lbw Saxon         1
AC Leggett         st Grafton      b Hill           51
AG Fairfield       not out                          43
TM Bleasdale                       c&b de Tong       9
S Ashe                             b Lovatovic      12
A Baxter           not out                           0
EXTRAS                                              13


BOWLING          O    R   W    Econ
WJ de Tong      10   32   3    3.20
LR Saxon        10   46   3    4.60
OP Lovatovic    10   39   1    3.90   
BY Hill         10   55   1    5.50
GM Udall        10   53   0    5.30

KRYTENIA INNINGS - 228/6, 46.1 overs

BATTING
SV Schneller                       run out          22
HM Tatton                          b Baxter         56
RJ Watling                         b Salisbury       0
EL Fenn            not out                          80
DAR Aquino         c Leggett       b Davy           13
GM Udall                           lbw Salisbury     0
LR Saxon (c)       c Bleasdale     b Ashe           38
BH Grafton         not out                           7
EXTRAS                                              12

BOWLING          O    R   W    Econ
NA Salisbury    10   44   2    4.40
S Ashe           6   23   1    3.83
MG Davy        8.1   35   1    4.29
A Baxter        10   56   1    5.60
KCT Laing        3   13   0    4.33
SLC Weaver       4   19   0    3.75
AG Fairfield     5   38   0    7.60

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: SECOND ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 221/9 (45.5 overs)
Krytenia 220/5 (50 overs)
at the Lainemouth Athletic Club, Lainemouth

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 2 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR 
1   Ko-oren              1    1    0    0   0.422
2   Krytenia             2    1    1    0   0.005
3   Plough Islands       1    0    1    0  -0.439

[The Plough Islands]

Apologies for not really doing much to add to the excellent Krytenia RP - unfortunately, *gestures generally in the direction of 2020* has hit me hard again >_< I'm hoping I can get my mojo back for the rest of the series though!

---

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
XI FOR FIRST ODI AGAINST   KO-OREN

        PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#14 BK  Scarbeck         RHB      
#11 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#15 ADM Tyrie            RHB      
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#12 LA  Martin           LHB      
#10 P   Hodgeson         LHB   SLC
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#16 RG  Vowles           LHB   SLA
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: THIRD ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Plough Islands 213/9 (38.3 overs)
Ko-oren 211/7 (50 overs)
at the Southport Athletic Club, Southport

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 3 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR 
1   Plough Islands       2    1    1    0   0.384
2   Krytenia             2    1    1    0   0.005
3   Ko-oren              2    1    1    0  -0.385

[Ko-oren]

Ko-orenite ODI Cricket Team

All-time results:

Polar - 1W 2L 1T
Frie. - 1W 2L 0T
WT I  - 4W 3L 0T
Tri60 - 1W 1L 0T

TOTAL - 7W 8L 1T

Standard batting order:
1. Simeon Penn (24) - L unorth/L Opener (Greencaster)
2. Reginald Twaddle (24) - R fast/R Opener (West Surbourneshire)
3. Herbert Doyle (26) - R off/R Batsman (Willowbourne)
4. Judson Windsor (24) - R med/R Batsman (East Surbourneshire)
5. Monroe Baldry (34) - R off/R Batsman (Greencaster)
6. Gilbert Wheelwright (31) - R med/R Wicketkeeper (Greencaster)
7. Seophyn yMharwn (29) - R fast/R All-rounder (Mawryshire)
8. Erik Whitley (25) - R med/R All-rounder - East Surbourneshire
9. Lachlan Harvey (30) - R fast/R Bowler (East Surbourneshire)
X. Mitchell Enright (20) - R leg/R Bowler (Greencaster)
=. Garfield Hooligan (26) - L fast/L Bowler (Willowbourne)

Additional Team Members:
10. Carlton Shapter (23) - R off/R Opener (East Surbourneshire)
11. Sherman Commins (22) - L fast/L Batsman (East Surbourneshire)
12. Dallas Welsh (30) - R med/R Batsman (West Surbourneshire)
13. Lucius Letchford (23) - L orth/L Batsman (Greencaster)
14. Finley Meredith (27) - R leg/R Wicketkeeper (Willowbourne)
15. Sundhuril Pandherinthen (27) - L unorth/L All-rounder (Willowbourne)
16. Herschel Marsden (32) - R fast/R Bowler (West Surbourneshire)
17. Borllog yLellmedd (23) - R off/R Bowler (Mawryshire)
18. Caprws ySarthylhar (26) - L orth/L Bowler (Mawryshire)

This team is 50% composed of the best players in form who are looking to get results in the Triseries - friendly nature be damned - and 50% of players that are well known in the Plough Islands through the various Test series that have taken place between the Dragonflies and the Foxes. Baldry, Hooligan, Welsh, and Marsden are the 'celebrity' selections with the latter two not 100% certain to start. It's well known that Marsden's domain is Test cricket only, yet his impact on Ko-orenite cricket is that large that he cannot be left home. This team is here more to take wickets and not leak runs more than to score them, with an unproven and unfamiliar group of batsmen in Doyle, Windsor, and Baldry. They haven't played together much, and that includes in domestic competitions. Harvey is in his prime, Enright is catching up and starting to get better every match, and Hooligan is the token left-handed bowler. Players not in the starting eleven that could be substituted in and immediately be as good or better than the player they replace are Shapter for Penn, Commins or Letchford for Baldry, Meredith for Wheelwright, Pandherinthen for Whitley, and yLellmedd or ySarthylhar for Enright or Hooligan.

The starting XI is more or less devoid of lefties and will almost certainly be changed in further matches. Depending on the pitch, captain Harvey (named for the occasion) might opt for more spin or pace.

Venues
Greencaster, Surbourneshire (used by Greencaster)
Greencaster Oval (50.000)
Ground mod 0

Willowbourne, Gehrenna (used by Willowbourne)
Royal Oval (40.000)
Ground mod +2

Maynard, Gehrenna (used by Leeshire)
Leewardia Oval (31.000)
Ground mod +3

Ansonville, Surbourneshire (used by West Surbourneshire)
Southbight Ground (29.000)
Ground mod -3

Llandy, Mawryshire (used by Mawryshire)
yBherafon Hills (24.000)
Ground mod -1

Cirelbourne, Surbourneshire (used by East Surbourneshire)
Silverion Ground (25.000)
Ground mod +1

Bruncester, Surbourneshire (used by East Surbourneshire)
Goledon Oval (25.005)
Ground mod 0

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: FOXES SURVIVE SOUTHPORT COLLAPSE AGAINST KO-OREN
by Denis Wormwood, Sporting Correspondent, in Southport

After something of a bittersweet defeat at the hands of new friends Krytenia at December Park at the start of the month, the Plough Islands were able to find some of their form once again on New Hibernia, although a combination of another poor, spongy pitch at the Southport Athletic Club and a brilliant Ko-orenite batting attack made them work hard for a result against their old friends. The Foxes team that lined up was one of the youngest yet, with 54-year-old coach Lourens Hendricks and 34-year-old captain Kevin Laing giving debuts to Young Foxes graduates Peter Hodgeson, Robin Vowles, and Arnold Tyrie - 20, 19, and 18 years of age respectively - and it was lost on nobody that all three had played in the final match of the World 20-over championship in Grearia the month before, against many of the same players that featured for the visitors today.
The Dragonflies had an inauspicious start to their innings as in the very first over, Reginald Twaddle misjudged an Andrew Baxter yorker and was trapped in front for a golden duck by the Sutton & Avalon paceman, but Simeon Penn and Herbert Doyle stood firm against the opening attacks of Baxter and Naomi Salisbury, making their shots count where they could as the soft pitch actively refused to give either side much to work with. Building a total slowly at first, they brought up the half-century partnership as the fielding restrictions ended, before Doyle in particular opened up his wrists a little more and started to find gaps in Laing's field; this prompted the Foxes to rotate their bowlers, and it was a sharply turning delivery from Shauna Weaver that made the breakthrough as Penn skied the delivery; Tim Bleasdale had to backtrack a little but ultimately took a comfortable catch to dismiss the opener for 31.
From then on the Ko-orenite innings was marked by consistency at one end, as Doyle continued to carve up the best the Foxes had to throw at him, and nervousness at the other, as no one batsman was able to settle and the scoreboard stopped and started with increasing regularity. Four maidens were bowled in all, three by the impressive Hodgeson, who seemed unawed by the large home crowd in Southport and took a memorable first senior international wicket as he held on to a low catch in his follow-through to dismiss Judson Windsor. Doyle continued, though, powering on past fifty even as batsmen seemed to fall around him, and with twenty overs to go looked set to step up a few levels as he was finally joined by a consistent partner in wicketkeeper Gilbert Wheelwright.
This new partnership almost added fifty more before Wheelwright was adjudged caught behind by Darmeni umpire Rhett Teufel after giving the thinnest of edges to Baxter. Doyle, on 72, finally departed the very next over - having grown increasingly confident in the crease, the right-hander strode forward to scoop out Salisbury but missed entirely and was hit on the trailing leg and given lbw, and the Dragonflies were on the back foot once more, with new men Seophyn yMharwn and Erik Whitley the last of the recognised batters and Salisbury and Weaver able to keep a tight line and restrict the Ko-orenite scoring. That, though, was all they seemed capable of doing as the visitors dug in and slowly began to build a partnership, exploiting the bowling changes and particularly Vowles, who struggled for consistency from his seven overs and saw his final delivery go back over his head for six as Whitley took Ko-oren past 200. The East Surbourneshire all-rounder did not make it to the end of the innings, however, a Salisbury arm ball finding the gap between bat and pad to peg back his stumps for 24 with one ball remaining, but captain Harvey was able to steer the final ball for four to give his team something to bowl at and defend.
There was to be no bright start for his bowlers the way there had been for the Plough Islands; Brett Scarbeck and Audrey Leggett have opened together on occasion for the Bradford Cricket Board Sutcliffe Shield team, and the contrast of styles exhibited - the typically uncomplicated Leggett boundaries backed up with Scarbeck's consistent, quick singles - caused tactical problems for Harvey and his compatriots, as the pair scored quickly until Leggett deflected a seemingly innocuous ball from Mitchell Enright on to her own stumps. Weaver was next in and carried on the momentum, launching the first ball she faced back over Enright's head for four and using her feet to good effect on the still spongy pitch.
Scarbeck's luck deserted him before long; having been mostly untroubled by any truly difficult deliveries, he was run out for 25 at the non-striker's end when he failed to hear Weaver's instructions to stay back after she noticed yMharwn running in from mid on, and he was far short of his ground as the throw came in. Though deprived of a partner, Weaver nonetheless marched onwards, striding to her tenth One Day International fifty with ease, ably supported by the young Tyrie - who was perhaps unlucky to be judged lbw from a Garfield Hooligan inswinger when he appeared settled - and then by her captain as they brought the score over a hundred. Amidst some aggressive field placements and bowling tactics from Harvey, the Foxes kept the pressure on, to the point that when Weaver miscued a pull shot and instead sent the ball high into the air for a return catch, and departed for 68, the Plough Islands were nonetheless over halfway to the total with more than half the match remaining, and with Laing settled at the crease and most of the middle order to come, the way seemed clear for an easy finish to the match.
As had happened during the Ko-orenite innings, though, Laing now suffered from a collapse at the other end; the indomitable Hooligan took much of the blame for this, inducing an edge from Leanne Martin through to Wheelwright and trapping Hodgeson lbw for single figures before bowling the helpless Vowles first ball. With Windsor taking a superb catch behind him and to his right at cover to dismiss Bleasdale, the Foxes had lost four wickets for 22 runs, and it would have been five had Penn been able to hold on to a panicky, botched sweep from Baxter. As it was, the ball squirmed through his fingers, and Laing was able to rely on the tall tail-ender's judgment to run only when necessary and to keep his captain on strike as, picking his shots carefully, Laing found the gaps to the boundary more often than not, bringing up an only barely acknowledged half-century with a flick down to fine leg as he continued to gnaw away at the target.
With the total of the Dragonflies within sight, though, disaster struck once more; Laing shifted to carve yMharwn back through the leg side but did so a fraction of a second too late and the ball ricocheted into his stumps, and the Plough Islands were nine wickets down with thirteen runs left to chase. With Salisbury uneasily cradling a borrowed bat, the hopes of a hundred and forty thousand Foxes rested on the square shoulders of Baxter, who found himself immediately under attack from the Ko-orenite pacemen and having to score with singles and twos at a time to make certain that yMharwn, Hooligan and Harvey never had a clear run at Salisbury. And so it was to be; Salisbury was exposed for just two deliveries at the start of the 38th over, the second of which she was able to prod into the leg side and quickly ran the single to bring the Foxes to within two, before Hooligan sent down a slower delivery that Baxter spotted and was able to lift over the head of Baldry at mid on to finish the chase with aplomb. They had been made to earn their happy ending, but the Foxes had their first win of the series.
While Baxter was "exhausted!" from his exertions with both bat and ball, he was quick to praise the efforts of those further up the order; "it was incredibly close and I do not know how much I could have done if the gap had been a little more when Kevin [Laing] fell, he and Shauna [Weaver] really carried me there on their shoulders. It was a terrific game though, the Ko-orenites bowled really well". Laing echoed his bowler's comments about the opposition - "it feels a little like every time our nations play cricket, something dramatic happens, but it underlines what a strong team they are" and was a little concerned about the nature of the collapse that nearly cost the Foxes their victory. "I feel like we could have held our nerve a little better, which is not a matter of technique as it is confidence - I know and trust the players to be able to support each other when the situation becomes difficult, so we need to find a way of resolving that together, especially with the second Krytenia match coming up on Thursday".
That match will pair first and second in what is so far a very close 60th Anniversary Triseries table, with only the speed of the Foxes' chase in this match really separating the teams which have been closely matched thus far. In the spirit of the series, it is likely that the Foxes will be much changed again for the Ironworks Ground, but aside from the likely return of Sarah Ashe - who was deprived of another appearance on her home ground by illness - it is hard to say what that team will look like, and it is probable that Laing and Hendricks will be using the game to try and find solutions to the middle order problem. Whatever the Plough Islands team may be, however, it will not be denied the most wholehearted support by the hundred and forty thousand comrades of these islands who will be watching on, and as the series enters its second half, the achievements of the Foxes and the socialist society they stand for will not go unnoticed.

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
XI FOR SEC'D ODI AGAINST  KRYTENIA

        PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#14 BK  Scarbeck         RHB      
#11 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#12 LA  Martin           LHB      
#9  AJ  Hendricks        RHB   RLB
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#3  S   Ashe             RHB   ROB
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA
#8  TSF Gibbs            RHB   RLB

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: FOURTH ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Plough Islands 204 (47.2 overs)
Krytenia 241 (44.2 overs)
at the Ironworks Ground, Redcliff

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 4 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR 
1   Krytenia             3    2    1    0   0.364
2   Ko-oren              2    1    1    0  -0.385
3   Plough Islands       3    1    2    0  -0.113

[The Plough Islands]

PROFILE: SARAH WILSON
Born 28th February 1993, Redcliff ☭ Right-hand bat ☭ Right-arm off break

The 60th Anniversary Series has proven an at times frustrating experience for the Plough Islanders taking part; aside from the heartbreakingly close results, Sarah Ashe was deprived of an appearance in front of a home crowd in Southport by a stomach bug, and the same fate befell Redcliff born and raised off-spinner Sarah Hester Wilson, who rolled her ankle in practice at the Ironworks Ground and had to miss the Foxes' second loss to Krytenia, which she admits "felt a little unjust, I had been told by Kevin [Laing] he was glad to have me in the team and a green shirt had already been made up for me. I suppose that now I will get a matching pair, at least..."
Wilson's affection for the green and red shirts of the Plough Islands is literally woven into her; she works as a designer and supervisor at the Red Flag co-operative in the Redcliff valley that produces high-performance fabrics, including the playing kits for many of the cricket and sporting clubs of the Plough Islands, and she admits to being something of a collector; aided by having played for several club and school sides growing up, she has over fifty first-class, limited-overs, international, and club shirts from around the multiverse. Her playing career began at the Firecrest High School further up the slopes, where her considerable height (178cm) and her broad shoulders marked her out as someone with physical potential, and she began age group cricket as an all-rounder. As she developed, and began playing more senior cricket where "being a big girl no longer gave you an automatic advantage", she found herself having to work on her bowling to stay in contention for selection; under the tutelage of current senior head coach Lourens Hendricks and former Redcliff spinner Angus Wormwood, she developed an orthodox yet effective finger-spin technique with a large amount of variations, exploiting the diverse range of pitches in the Redcliff leagues to adapt her game to any situation. She opted to take a break from cricket while pursuing her studies in the early 2010s, and did not play for the University side in the Sutcliffe Shield, Wilson has been something of a mainstay in the Redcliff team since her return across all competitions; she took 40 wickets in this year's Harrison Cup, bringing her to the attention of her old coach Hendricks for this series.
Though her international debut, like several other players in this series, has been a little delayed, Wilson is optimistic about the chance to make up for lost time, and characteristically straightforward about how she plans to take on the Dragonflies. "Hopefully we can bat second; Foxdale tends to give both teams about the same amount and we know that Ko-oren are a good team, but they can struggle when you ask them to set a target. And I know what I can do on that pitch, I have done it before and hopefully the wind is in my sails tomorrow..."

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
XI FOR SEC'D ODI AGAINST   KO-OREN

        PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#12 LA  Martin           LHB      
#11 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#15 ADM Tyrie            RHB   RLB
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#7  AG  Fairfield        LHB   SLC
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#3  S   Ashe             RHB   ROB
#18 SH  Wilson           RHB   ROB
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: FIFTH ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 206/5 (50 overs)
Plough Islands 210/7 (42.1 overs)
at the Foxdale Sports Club, Foxdale

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 5 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR 
1   Krytenia             3    2    1    0   0.364
2   Plough Islands       4    2    2    0   0.136
3   Ko-oren              3    1    2    0  -0.546

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: SIXTH ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Krytenia 204/6 (38 overs)
Ko-oren 200 (46.4 overs)
at the Highrock Athletic Club, Highrock

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
ROUND 6 OF 60th ANNIVERSARY SERIES

R                        P    W    L    T    NRR 
1   Krytenia             4    3    1    0  -0.002
2   Plough Islands       4    2    2    0   0.136
3   Ko-oren              4    1    3    0  -0.668

The final on Saturday will therefore be Krytenia against the Plough Islands at December Park.

[The Plough Islands]

PLOUGH ISLANDS CRICKET ASSOCIATION
XI FOR THIRD ODI AGAINST  KRYTENIA

        PLAYER           BAT   BOW
#14 BK  Scarbeck         RHB      
#6  MG  Davy             RHB   RLB
#17 SLC Weaver           RHB   RLB
#15 ADM Tyrie            RHB      
#1  KCT Laing (c)        RHB   RMD
#12 AC  Leggett          RHB   RLB
#7  AG  Fairfield        LHB   SLC
#5  TM  Bleasdale (w)    RHB      
#3  S   Ashe             RHB   ROB
#4  A   Baxter           RHB   RFS
#13 NA  Salisbury        LHB   SLA

[The Plough Islands]

60th ANNIVERSARY TRISERIES: SEVENTH & FINAL ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Krytenia 219/9 (50 overs)
Plough Islands 222/6 (33.4 overs)
at December Park, Sutton

Plough Islands win the 60th Anniversary Triseries!