Polaris Trophy (ODI Cricket - Ko-oren in the Plough Islands)

by **The Plough Islands** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:13 pm

on the 6th March 2019, the Plough Islands Gazette wrote:
POLARIS TROPHY: ODI DATES ANNOUNCED AS TEST SERIES CONCLUDES
by Denis Wormwood, Sporting Correspondent, in Sutton

Following the completion of the Test series, the Plough Islands are now set to host Ko-oren for a four-match One Day International series over the course of the next two weeks - the first 50-over matches for Kevin Laing's team since Global Cricket Federation affiliation in 2018. The series will take place across the islands and be contested for a new trophy which will augment the Foxes' future tours programme.
Speaking today in his role as President of the Plough Islands Cricket Association, Cde Premier Dale Piper confirmed that the Polaris Trophy would "hopefully be contested henceforth in perpetuity whenever our two nations meet, as a symbol of the great friendship and socialist solidarity through competition we have come to share with our guests - although, of course, as Plough Islanders, we naturally hope to remain in possession of the Trophy for some time to come!". Head coach Lourens Hendricks told this author he was looking forward to the series; "Ja, no, it's gonna be really good I think, just to shift gears and get to play some punchier, more exciting stuff, really. I'm interested to see how the players will react, I think there's a lot of excitement among them, and the fans as well - and me, although I do hope I'm not asked to bowl this time..."

Hello! As indicated above - and in the scheduling thread for the Test series - Ko-oren will be playing a four match One Day International series in the Plough Islands following the conclusion of their Test series this week. The match dates and venues will be as follows;

12th March 2019: First One Day International, December Park, Sutton, Swift Island

16th March 2019: Second One Day International, Foxdale Sports Club, Foxdale, Bradford Island

19th March 2019: Third One Day International, Highrock Athletic Club, Highrock, New Dalmatia

23rd March 2019: Fourth One Day International, Ironworks Ground, Redcliff, Redcliff Island

More information on the islands and our cricket culture can be found in these posts from previous competitions, as well as the links in my signature below; 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!

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:12 pm

Ko-orenite ODI Team at the Plough Islands

All-time results:

OPP          W D L T
Plough Isles 0 0 0 0

Standard batting order:
1. Desmond Crawford (23) - R - R fast - Opener -

Willowbourne
2. Reginald Twaddle (23) - R - R fast - Opener -

West Surbourneshire
3. Patrick Willis (26) - R - R med - Batsman -

East Surbourneshire
4. Lester Ahern (20) - R - R med - Batsman -

Greencaster
5. Dennis Stanway (27) - L - L orth - Batsman -

Leeshire
6. Arnold Douglas (20) - R - R off - All-rounder -

Leeshire
7. Morris Wilkins (30) - R - R med - Wicketkeeper -

Willowbourne
8. Seophyn yMharwn (28) - R - R fast - All-rounder -

Mawryshire - Captain
9. Lachlan Harvey (29) - R - R fast - Bowler -

East Surbourneshire
10. Albin Raycraft (28) - L - L unorth - Bowler -

Leeshire
11. Norman Chapman (22) - R - R leg - Bowler -

East Surbourneshire

12. Theophilus Darknoll (27) - L - L unorth - All-rounder -

East Surbourneshire
13. Roman Kinghead (29) - L - L med - Bowler -

West Surbourneshire

(Number. Name (age) - Batting - Bowling - Role - Domestic FC team)

by **The Plough Islands** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:40 pm

Plough Islands Cricket Association

LIST OF RETAINED PLAYERS, 2019 SEASON

Name	Date of birth	Batting style	Bowling style	Domestic team
Kevin Laing (captain)	26th September 1986	Right-hand bat	Right-arm medium	Bradford
Sarah Ashe	30th August 1994	Right-hand bat	Right-arm off break	New Hibernia (first class), Constabulary (one day)
Andrew Baxter	9th January 1990	Right-hand bat	Right-arm fast	Sutton & Avalon
Tim Bleasdale	1st June 1989	Right-hand bat	wicket-keeper	Swift
Matthew Davy	13th November 1992	Right-hand bat	Right-arm leg break	Sutton & Avalon
Arthur Donovan	30th April 1989	Right-hand bat	Right-arm off break	Redcliff
Graeme Holt	5th July 1988	Left-hand bat	Left-arm medium	Redcliff
Ilya Lebed	28th September 1993	Left-hand bat	wicket-keeper	New Dalmatia
Audrey Leggett	12th March 1988	Right-hand bat	Right-arm leg break	Bradford
Colin McCarthy	19th June 1991	Right-hand bat	Right-arm fast-medium	New Dalmatia
Naomi Salisbury	21st December 1992	Left-hand bat	Slow left-arm orthodox	Bradford
Shauna Weaver	30th January 1994	Right-hand bat	Right-arm leg break	Swift
Angus Whittall	4th May 1991	Right-hand bat	Right-arm off break	Swift

(Full player biographies can be found in the Plough Islands Cricket Association handbook. As with the Test series, players may be selected from outside the list - c.f. Rory Aliyev)

on the 10th March 2019, the Plough Islands Gazette wrote:
POLARIS TROPHY: A TALE OF TWO WICKETKEEPERS
by Denis Wormwood, Sporting Correspondent, in Sutton

The Plough Islands have played in twenty three Tests since their first last year against Lisander, and wicketkeeper Ilya Lebed has been a constant presence in all of them - his fox-like agility and reflexes saving his comrades' embarrassment many, many times over the course of two seasons of cricket. Tim Bleasdale, meanwhile - the other wicketkeeper on the retained list - has hardly played, such has been Lebed's consistency behind the stumps and with the bat. Not that this has prevented him from enjoying the Plough Islands' dominant performances in the Tests; "I think I've been twelfth man, what, eight or nine times? Which is actually really good in its own way, weirdly enough, you get a far more intimate view of the game - and still get to get smashed in the evenings..."
The received wisdom has been that Lebed's more patient batting and broader, gymnastic reach with the gloves has made him better suited for Tests, while Bleasdale's naturally eager performance with the bat - he averaged just under 45 in Sutcliffe Shield competition in 2018 - makes him more of a natural choice for limited overs matches. The only test of that wisdom thus far has come at the 20-over world championships last year - and ultimately proved slightly moot as both players ended up being used, with Lebed taking the gloves and Bleasdale as a standalone batsman, as the realities of an absurd schedule made the resulting comparison "unrepresentative at best", according to Lourens Hendricks, the 52-year-old coach being pressed into service as an extra bowler in the Foxes' final two games.
Preparing for the Foxes' first One Day International since joining the Global Cricket Federation at December Park this week, the expectation is that Bleasdale will take over the position - despite Lebed's maiden Test century at the same ground last week - but this author found both of them on the sidelines at the Four Anchors Cricket Club enjoying each others' company as much as the building atmosphere around the series with Ko-oren. Where other people, from other countries, might have turned the competition for places into a bitter, hurtful rivalry, Lebed and Bleasdale - the quiet blonde Soviet and the adopted Scouser - present as genuine friends and comrades. "Honestly, Ilya's been a real help to me. The way it is with wicketkeepers, you're always gonna end up on the sidelines together at some point, so you get to know each other inside" - he unexpectedly wraps an arm around Lebed, prompting a mock protest from the New Dalmatian - "and out. And you've been a proper pal, honestly, all those hours of advice about watching the ball?"
Lebed concurs; "Tim is fun to be around but every bit of advice he has is a goldmine - especially given he had a completely different perspective growing up, which I think is doubly helpful when we...there are so few of us and we grew up so far away from the rest of the cricketing world". (Bleasdale's response, in not necessarily printable language, is to suggest that his teaching background gave him more than enough practice at challenging perspectives.) "And he is a true friend. I will be cheering him every ball and every run against the Dragonflies next week".
For Bleasdale's part, what matters to him is getting a good start in what the adopted Plough Islander is seeing as his true debut at home. "It was something else playing at December Park for the first time in the league, right, but this is...a different kind of something else, almost. It's the atmosphere, it's the sound of twenty thousand of your countrymen willing you on, it's everyone important who's there, it's all different and exciting and magic. And I want to do the best I can for the rest of my teammates..." the arm comes out again, and Lebed is again squeezed in a bear hug "...and for me mate here. Top, top man".
Bleasdale is expected to play at number six in the historic One Day International, with a relatively experienced squad consisting entirely of players with previous international experience; every member of the squad announced by the Plough Islands Cricket Association travelled and played on the tour to Ko-oren for the 20-over competition last year. Play begins at December Park at 11:00am; Plough Islanders can follow the games with Ian Goswell and Andrew Kulayev on Plough Radio from 9:00am, or - as ever - in these pages.

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

      PLAYER            BAT   BOW
G     Holt              LHB      
AC    Leggett           RHB   RLB
SLC   Weaver            RHB   RLB
RP    Aliyev            RHB      
KCT   Laing (c)         RHB   RMD
TM    Bleasdale (w)     RHB      
AM    Donovan           RHB      
S     Ashe              RHB   ROB
CG    McCarthy          RHB   RFM
A     Baxter            RHB   RFS
NA    Salisbury         LHB   SLA

by **The Plough Islands** » Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:01 pm

POLARIS TROPHY: FIRST ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 169/6 (50 overs)
Plough Islands 171/5 (47.1 overs)

at December Park, Sutton

by **Ko-oren** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 5:56 am

ODI Roster Notes

The Tests are over, but before attention shifts back to the domestic scene, the KCA has scheduled a few ODIs. These will be the first One Day Internationals to be played by the Greenblues, and there will be plenty to adjust to from the players' perspectives. The backdrop remains the same - the team stays in the Plough Islands after the end of the Test series - but the pace of the game will be different.

Most of the 17-man squad will return home, six out of seventeen will stay with our generous guests for a little longer. Seven more players have been sent from Ko-oren to join them. It is mostly the older players that will go home after the Tests, and a few up-and-coming potential national teamers have been asked to defend the Greenblues' honour in a series of four ODIs. Twaddle remains the starting opener, with Willis still on the XI as well. yMharwn and Raycraft are the other two players that will stay starters. Darknoll has been retained, but will be an extra for the time being. Wilkins and Harvey, who weren't on the standard Test XI, are among the eleven in the standard batting order.

That gives us these debutants:
Desmond Crawford, just 23-years old, from Willowbourne. He was compared to Twaddle in his formative years, as they are the same age. Where Twaddle's development went through the roof, especially in the longer formats, Crawford focused mainly on T20s and one-day-matches. He's had a great season, and he's earned the call-up. He'll be opening with Twaddle, with whom he has some friendly rivalry - though his name will always be mentioned in the same sentence with 'if he'd matured quicker, he'd be a Test starter like Twaddle' or something to that effect.

Lester Ahern, at 20 years old. He is also on a list to make the Test squad, but it's far too early for him just yet. Ko-orenite players get better as they age, so a 20-year-old shouldn't expect a starting position. His talent is recognised, which is why he is on the ODI squad, and in fact he is the only player from Greencaster who's made the team. Given that there are only six List A teams, that's something of note in a selection of 14 players.

Arnold Douglas, also 20 years old. He is a latecomer in a great generation for Leeshire, and is the 'little brother' of four exceptional players (along with Stanway, Raycraft, Courtenay) and hopefully the next household name among all-rounders, which have a particularly prominent place in Ko-orenite cricket.

The other players are Harvey and Chapman. Harvey has started a few Tests, but was initially one of the backup players. Chapman was part of the 9th Test season squad but failed to make the team in season 10.

One last thing to note is the lack of diversity on the team: one from West Surbourneshire, one from Mawryshire, one from Greencaster. Two players are from Willowbourne - and that leaves the remaining eight spots divided between East Surbourneshire (4) and Leeshire (4). Looking at last season's standings, it makes sense: these two regions came second and third in the List-A tournament. Willowbourne won the title and are the third largest supplier to the team. Leeshire and East Surbourneshire are currently enjoying a great generation, and they did very well in the First Class tournament as well. Willowbourne's absence from the ODI team can be explained by a few remarks: first, they focus mostly on the longer format, second, they have some older players whereas the KCA wants to select a few younger players, and third, they don't specialise in batting which is something you need more of when playing ODI.

by **The Plough Islands** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 1:35 pm

on the 12th March 2019, the Plough Islands Gazette wrote:
POLARIS TROPHY: FOXES CLAIM MAIDEN ODI VICTORY IN SUTTON STORM
by Denis Wormwood, Sporting Correspondent, in Sutton

In their first One Day International since affiliating to the Global Cricket Federation in 2018, the Plough Islands battled the twin forces of a gritty Ko-orenite side and an unexpectedly fierce wind to ultimately ease to a five wicket victory. Having never won before at December Park, Kevin Laing's side were able to master the elements better than their guests and overcame the loss of both openers early in their innings to prevail in an unusually low-scoring match, as the Foxes were able to eventually deliver in front of a capacity December Park crowd and thousands more watching from afar.
Though the forecast had been for a dry, cool day (and indeed those adjectives, at least, held true), Sutton awoke to gale force winds that, though they failed to deter a capacity crowd at the national stadium, complicated the matter of playing a game of cricket somewhat as the umpires were forced again to source a set of the heavy bails, and though it was expected to die down over the course of the day, Ko-oren's ODI captain Seophyn yMharwn was less than happy to lose the toss and have Laing ask his team to bat.
yMharwn's worries doubled when play began (after a short ceremony in which Cde Premier Dale Piper and the Ko-orenite ambassador Naefwal yCaeghill declared the series open) as Colin McCarthy's third ball caught a tailwind and deflected straight off opener Reginald Twaddle's gloves and into those of Tim Bleasdale, the Swift wicketkeeper scarcely believing his good luck as the visitors were 1-1. Debutant Desmond Crawford, though, passed the initial test, and indeed seemed more confident than many of his colleagues in handling the prevailing conditions; on a slow pitch, he took advantage of the way the ball looped and spun in the breeze to pick off runs his partners couldn't see, and with Patrick Willis in support soon began to make up for the nightmare start.
Ko-oren soon had some momentum, but runs came at a price, particularly as the wind began to die a little and ceased to give balls heading towards the boundary an advantage, and Sarah Ashe (3-36) was best placed to take advantage of this with her off breaks - she was able to pick off both Willis (lbw on 26) and Crawford (bowled two runs short of his fifty) and, spurred on, induced a rash shot from Dennis Stanway (15) that went straight to third slip. Together with paceman Andrew Baxter, who had Greencaster batsman Lester Ahern caught behind on 18, they continued to check the Dragonflies' progress, particularly after they surpassed the three figure mark, and it took the partnership of wicketkeeper Morris Wilkins and another debutant, Arnold Douglas, to bring some stability towards the end of the innings.
Douglas was able to hold his own in the cold and see Ko-oren through to the end of their overs, and Wilkins almost joined him; failing to connect properly with a Naomi Salisbury ripper, he chopped onto his stumps having scored 20 and left captain yMharwn to come in for the last ball of the game. The Mawryshire all-rounder dispatched this to the boundary to leave 170 as the benchmark for the hosts, before lunch was taken in a slightly futile hope that the weather would ease.
Just like the Ko-orenites, however, it took just three balls for the Foxes to encounter difficulty; having taken a single from the first two from Norman Chapman, Graeme Holt tried to drive the leg spinner back over his head and found only his waiting hands. Opening partner Audrey Leggett departed soon after; in typical fashion, she set off for a run despite Shauna Weaver's instructions and was found well short of her ground by Crawford's direct hit. From 10-2, though, Weaver and Rory Aliyev mounted a comeback as they rebuilt the Plough Islander innings, with runs being taken opportunistically as the gale whipped around the East and West stands at December Park.
The conditions and match situation forced Aliyev to be patient as he and Weaver traded singles regularly to tip the game slowly in their favour, but it was perhaps unsurprising when the frustrated New Dalmatian teenager lashed out at a tricky ball from the equally young Douglas and sent it looping up into the air, from where the Dragonflies' stand-in captain pouched it to dismiss him for 11. However, captain Laing was able to provide a firmer foundation, quickly settling into a rhythm with Weaver and methodically, unflashily marking off the runs with Weaver. Together the pair took the Foxes over the halfway mark, both in terms of runs and time, and took the sting out of the tourists' attack until a lapse of concentration saw Weaver edge Albin Raycraft behind for 42 runs.
By now batting into the high wind as its direction changed, next man in Bleasdale struggled to get off the mark at first, only doing so when a good Harvey length took a thick deflection off the shoulder of his bat and trickled past Wilkins for a four. This seemed to relax the wicketkeeper, though, and he and Laing were able to keep the runs flowing thereafter - though by now the Foxes' run rate had slowed a little, they seemed well on course to reach the finishing line, particularly once Douglas had completed his allotted overs. The Leeshire off-spinner had been especially accurate on the slow December Park surface, and against the pace of yMharwn and Harvey the runs required began to tick down.
Chapman eventually did for Laing - the Foxes' captain attempting to follow up a deftly worked four down square leg when he mistimed his shot and was clean bowled for 33 - but by now the end was in sight, and Bleasdale and new partner Arthur Donovan were liberated in their choice of shots as a packed and very supportive Sutton crowd sensed a debut victory was in the making. With four overs remaining, the wicketkeeper brought up his half century with a well worked single to third man that brought the target within striking distance, and then struck the first ball of yMharwn's last over back down the ground for four to make the victory complete. In these conditions, and under this pressure, the Foxes had come through and won their first One Day International.
Bleasdale played down his own role - "look, I'm just the bloke that hit the winning runs, we all had a role to play and Ko-oren pushed us all the way out there" - and Laing was in agreement about the victory owing more to the team effort than one person, although understandably jubilant; "it has been a superb performance by everyone - I cannot really single out anyone as we all did our part and it has been a huge relief to finally get a victory at December Park - that makes it extra special for me personally. I have won about twice here in my whole career...". The weather conditions on the day also drew comment from the captain; "I think that has to be the strangest game I have played. The ball would stop still in the air at times - it was right on the limit of what would be acceptable to play, but we got a game out of it".
Strange though the match may have been, a win is a win, and - after a draw against Lisander in our country's first Test, and a loss to Mattijana in our first foray into the too short and random 20-over format - it is statistically fulfilling to have emerged victorious from our first one-day match. There are still three more to play, and there is plenty of time for a strong Ko-orenite side to fight back - as yMharwn and his colleagues have shown themselves very capable of - but the Foxes have shown that they can compete wearing green as well as white, and it will be a content and vindicated team that travels onward to Foxdale.

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

      PLAYER            BAT   BOW
G     Holt              LHB      
AC    Leggett           RHB   RLB
SLC   Weaver            RHB   RLB
RP    Aliyev            RHB      
KCT   Laing (c)         RHB   RMD
TM    Bleasdale (w)     RHB      
AM    Donovan           RHB      
S     Ashe              RHB   ROB
CG    McCarthy          RHB   RFM
A     Baxter            RHB   RFS
NA    Salisbury         LHB   SLA

by **The Plough Islands** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 2:00 pm

POLARIS TROPHY: SECOND ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 252/8 (50 overs)
Plough Islands 252/8 (50 overs)

at Foxdale Sports Club, Foxdale

by **The Plough Islands** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:16 pm

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

      PLAYER            BAT   BOW
G     Holt              LHB      
AC    Leggett           RHB   RLB
SLC   Weaver            RHB   RLB
RP    Aliyev            RHB      
KCT   Laing (c)         RHB   RMD
TM    Bleasdale (w)     RHB      
AM    Donovan           RHB      
S     Ashe              RHB   ROB
CG    McCarthy          RHB   RFM
A     Baxter            RHB   RFS
NA    Salisbury         LHB   SLA

by **The Plough Islands** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:01 pm

POLARIS TROPHY: THIRD ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 152/3 (26 overs)
Plough Islands 148 (26.1 overs)

at Highrock Athletic Club, Highrock

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Mar 22, 2019 4:03 am

With attention shifting to the ongoing World Cup qualification and the start of some domestic seasons, the spotlights occasionally pan over to the Plough Islands to shed some light on Ko-oren's first ODI series. In the wake of a disappointing Test season, the KCA will try out this 'new' format - after all, there is a one-day competition among the six cricketing regions, so we have to put that experience to the test somehow.

In the first match, the Greenblues managed 169 on a slow pitch, and the hosts needed 47 overs to top it. It wasn't that high of a target, but there was a lot there for the bowlers. There was a lot more for the fielders though, with the wind's varying strength and direction that could turn any surefire maximum into an easy catch well inside the boundary. It also saw Crawford's debut for 48 runs and Douglas' debut for 27 not out as well as a wicket in the second innings.

The second match saw a score that is closer to what we're used to domestically as far as total number of runs goes. 252 for Ko-oren in the first innings, Crawford (and Willis) going down for ducks while Douglas put himself firmly in the Test squad discussion, the all-rounder scoring 112 runs (not out, again!) and taking three wickets as a bowler! The best bowler of the day was likely Salisbury, taking four Greenblue wickets and giving up just 35. At the end, Ko-oren set a target of 253 which the hosts failed to get. They did match our 252, and in the end the match was tied (!!) on eight for 252 - not even wickets separated these teams.

Ahead of the third match, the series was still somewhat in the Foxes' favour (1 win, 1 tie) which means we need at least one win. Assuming no further match will end in a tie (how awesome would that be), we even need two wins to win the series. There was also some confusion among the Foxes and the officials as to the captain of the Ko-orenite team, with Marsden sent home, the Greenblues lack a clear captain. In the end, the relatively experienced (both in age and in international matches) yMharwn has been listed as captain. There have been no further changes to the starters, which means we're still rolling with Crawford and Twaddle to start, Willis, Ahern and Stanway to follow them, then the trio of Douglas, Wilkins and yMharwn (all-rounder, wicketkeeper, all-rounder & captain), and the tail end consisting of Harvey, Raycraft and Chapman.

We know that Twaddle has the talent, but ODI so far hasn't been his format, scoring two runs across two innings. Crawford is up and down with 48 and 0. The rest of the batsmen have been solid although we hoped for a little more oomph - but remember that that first match had very little to provide to the batsmen. In that sense, the third match will give us a lot of information about the state of our batting. The best thing is that we never needed to rely on tail-end batting, which we know is very poor. Given that, our batting has been good enough to at least save us from Harvey and Raycraft pairing up.

Plough Islands

Name          R  Out

Holt          8  b Harvey c Twaddle
Leggett       67 lbw Raycraft
Weaver        18 b Harvey c Ahern
Aliyev        9  b Raycraft c Wilkins
Laing (c)     0  b Raycraft c Wilkins
Bleasdale (w) 25 lbw Chapman
Donovan       0  b Chapman c Stanway
Ashe          0  b Harvey
McCarthy      5  b & c Harvey
Baxter        6  not out
Salisbury     0  b Harvey c Crawford

Extras: 10

Total: 10-148 (26.1)

The Plough Islands started proceedings for the first time this series. They went underway pretty well, starting on a low-ish run rate while scoping out the bowlers and the pitch. However, quickly enough, to make up for his poor batting, Twaddle snatched the ball out of the air in like a wide receiver takes a low sideline catch - incredible reflexes and there was nothing for the Foxes to appeal. Instead, Harvey was the first to yell even before Twaddle did - and the umpire put up his finger to send Holt back to the pavilion. The Foxes were cautious around Raycraft and Chapman's spinning, but they were happy enough to swing at Harvey's fast deliveries, that apart from Holt's miss lacked venom in line, length and speed. The vast majority of Leggett's 67 runs came from Harvey, who seemed to land every second ball just outside off, good length, 130-140 km/h. Seam and swing didn't give him much either, but at least that improved as time went on. Raycraft, meanwhile, ran through the top and middle of the Foxes and took Aliyev and Laing out in the exact same manner, on consecutive deliveries, both ending up as top edges in Wilkins' glove. As the tail-end came into view, Harvey got more confident and varied up his deliveries far more, each time dragging the batsman further away from their comfort zone. He ended up on five wickets, which makes it look like he had a great time though his conceded runs will paint a different picture. Raycraft and Chapman did most of the work in inconveniencing the batsmen, while there was nothing there for Douglas and yMharwn. Still, four ducks and 10 wickets around halfway through the innings, setting a target of 149 is an incredible display. After Leggett was gone, nothing suggested that the Plough Islands would set a big target, and everything past the full-time batsmen went down without a fight.

Ko-oren

Name        R  Out

Crawford    28 lbw Ashe 
Twaddle     17 lbw Salisbury  
Willis      51 not out    
Ahern       23 b Salisbury c Bleasdale   
Stanway     24 not out
Douglas     did not bat    
Wilkins (w) did not bat   
yMharwn (c) did not bat    
Harvey      did not bat
Raycraft    did not bat    
Chapman     did not bat    

Extras: 9 

Total: 3-152 (26.0)

There wasn't much to judge Douglas and yMharwn on, they didn't even make it out as the match was over after 26 overs. The five batsmen that did go out there have been absolutely stellar and were the perfect complements to what the bowlers did in the first innings. Crawford and Twaddle were both over their ODI average (including domestic matches), but the big star of the show was Willis. Most of his diet consisted of simple drives, but has some flashier 4s on pulls, hooks and even the occasional glance. Baxter and McCarthy provided most of the initial overs, and they had the same problems as Harvey early in the match, but Ashe and Salisbury couldn't take wickets in their overs to keep runs down. Weather wasn't much of an influence, which is a great improvement over the first two matches. Now, it's always great when the elements make their mark, but the wind has been such a factor from time to time that it's nice to see a nice, even battle between teams. Laing consulted his bowlers when Willis neared his 50, and then decided to give all overs to Ashe and Salisbury - no wickets, but at least it meant not giving up massive runs, for as long as they're allowed to bowl. Ko-oren was sitting on 100 total runs, 14 overs in, with eight wickets in hand, so it was a tall order. Laing's decision did slow down the match a little, and Salisbury even got two wickets, but in the end Ko-oren needed just about half of their innings to match the target.

All in all, it was a day to forget for the Foxes, and it's rare to see a team that has a collective bad day. They will be better in the fourth match, also because that will decide the outcome of the series. The Greenblues could've gotten well over 300 runs today with their form, and we can only hope that their form lasts. yMharwn will probably be on the phone with Marsden a fair bit to discuss tactics: the Plough Islands defeated themselves today, and it really wasn't because of a great gameplan. Ko-oren could've taken care of things even quicker (or at least could have limited runs far more than they did), so it'll be interesting to see what happens there.

by **The Plough Islands** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 1:03 pm

on the 23rd March 2019, the the Plough Islands Cricket Association official programme wrote:
PROFILE: DAVID HEATH
Born 24th January 1987, Sutton ☭ Left-hand bat ☭ Left-arm medium pace

With the series finely balanced after the Plough Islands' collapse at Highrock, the loss of captain Kevin Laing to the same thigh injury that prevented him from bowling more than a single delivery on Tuesday has necessitated some changes to the Foxes' lineup. Audrey Leggett stands in as captain, to the evident amusement of our guests' representatives of the press, but the surprise to Plough Islanders with longer memories is the other change to the team sheet.
David Gabriel Heath feels that - as a pace bowling all-rounder rather than a spinner - he has been overlooked for national representative selection perhaps too often; "I think the Association and successive captains have had strategies ingrained in them that involved lots of spin bowling, and there was little room for some outspoken Suttoner who did not fit the formula...even when I was playing well it was a case of the grand plan, whatever that might have been, over individual talent." With a tricky, subtly varying style of medium pace honed on the pitches of the Four Anchors club in Sutton, Heath made his Sutcliffe Shield debut twelve years ago aged just sixteen, but drifted in and out of the Sutton & Avalon setup over the next few years as he failed to perform consistently at a high level with either bat or ball.
Indeed, inconsistency dogged much of Heath's early career; as an all-rounder, he found his position within a side tenuous at best if either aspect of his game faltered, and has spoken of "personal difficulties" with coaches and island officials which he believes "held me back from enjoying the sport fully - I could not find an environment I was happy with, sadly, and it was through no fault of my own." A relocation to Redcliff in 2016 helped his form, however, and in what was an admittedly below par season for their Harrison Cup side Heath was their top performer in 2017, taking 53 wickets at 20.62 and scoring two centuries - albeit both in losing causes.
Similarly to how his Redcliff colleague Arthur Donovan gained two Test caps at short notice through local knowledge, though, Heath has earned his long-awaited callup largely on a similar basis. The Association hope his uncomplicated and textbook batting and familiarity with the hard, pace friendly Redcliff pitch will help the Foxes, especially given their false start in Highrock, while Heath just hopes this will finally be his chance to impress. "It might not be the ideal circumstance, but as they say, 'better late than never' and there is a series to be won and one or two points for me to prove..."
A vehicle mechanic by training, but latterly found in the composites workshop at Redcliff's High Performance Materials complex, Heath is married to Emily and lives within "shouting distance" of the Ironworks Ground.

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

      PLAYER            BAT   BOW
G     Holt              LHB      
AC    Leggett (c)       RHB   RLB
SLC   Weaver            RHB   RLB
RP    Aliyev            RHB      
AM    Donovan           RHB      
TM    Bleasdale (w)     RHB      
DG    Heath             LHB   LMD
S     Ashe              RHB   ROB
CG    McCarthy          RHB   RFM
A     Baxter            RHB   RFS
NA    Salisbury         LHB   SLA

by **The Plough Islands** » Sat Mar 23, 2019 2:01 pm

POLARIS TROPHY: FOURTH ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL

Ko-oren 152 (31.2 overs)
Plough Islands 263 (49.1 overs)

at Ironworks Ground, Redcliff

POLARIS TROPHY: SERIES RESULT

Plough Islands 2 - 1 Ko-oren

Plough Islands win the Polaris Trophy!

Polaris Trophy (ODI Cricket - Ko-oren in the Plough Islands)

Polaris Trophy (ODI Cricket - Ko-oren in the Plough Islands)

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