Esportivan East-West Cup 2 [Cricket]

[The Grearish Union]

Disclaimer: Please do not post in this topic unless you are Sylestone, The Licentian Isles, Ethane, The Grearish Union or a moderator performing their duties, thank you!

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Tournament Partners

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The Cricket-Traveller's Guide to Grearia

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Full resolution available here.

The Grearish Union is a South-East Esportivan nation sandwiched between San Jose Guayabal on the west and South Covello on the east, in the continent of Inferiore Minore. Governmental rule is established from the capital city of Atheburn localted fairly in the centre of the country if the picturesque, but fairly inhospitably high Antane mountains re not taken into consideration.

National Highways connect most of the country, with the NH1 connecting the island city of Colk in the extreme southwestern stretches of Grearish territory, to Urdsall in the far northeast. It has turned into the lifeline of the country, complemented by the railway network which has been worked on by both the Grearish Government and the Banijan RTC. Apart from the high-speed national highways, inter-state freeways also connect smaller cities and towns while providing a decent bypass route to the heavy NH traffic. The robust domestic transit system leaves no scope for fissures that may develop in the hosting of events of international proportions.

Internationals may enter the country through land, sea and air - with each kind of port dedicated to serving both individuals and goods adeptly. One has to hold a valid passport of a recognised nation, and a Grearish visa. Carriage of narcotics is strictly banned in the country, with imprisonment being the most common form of punishment, coupled with heavy fines. Major airlines frequently connect the larger cities and the capital with international flight, while the port cities of Paethsmouth and Colk are well-known for international shipping, as well as ferry services to the Manta Islands.

As far as cricket is concerned, different flavours can be found in different parts of the country - as the party never ends in Colk and it probably never even begins in the aristocratic Edgenorth. It is therefore advised to check the scheduling and transit passes in correlation with the flavour you want to enjoy - will it be a beer with the mates at the Waterfront Oval or a fine-dining members' experience at the Auburn Hill? The entire assortment is for you to choose! The very important caveat, in this case, is the strict crackdown on hooliganism of any kind by supporters of club or country. The convicts and/or suspects shall be detained in the GU until either further investigation occurs or the said individuals are acquitted or pronounced guilty. Punishments include imprisonment, and in some extreme cases, heavy fines.

All in all, as long as you're not losing your head while you enjoy the brilliant Omersk beer, have a nice stay, and see you at the cricket!

Fixtures & Format

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• Dates for matches are OOC and will differ ICly.
• Tour matches scheduled to be scorinated on the same day as an international match will be ICly on separate days, but at the same venue.
• Each series shall be won or lost separately, with no effect on the results of each other.
• Each Sylestone v Grearia match will contribute to the points system for the eventual East-West Cup winner. 1 point awarded for a T20I victory, 2 for ODIs and 3 for Tests. The nation with the most points wins the Cup.
• Tour, exhibition and 'A' matches do not count towards the Cup.
• As of commencement of the tournament, Grearia holds the East-West Cup.

• 3 April: Sylestone v Grearia 1st T20I @ Southgate Park, Plibury, (42,000)
• 5 April: Sylestone v Grearia 2nd T20I @ Waterfront Oval, Colk, (25,000)

• 11 April: Sylestone v The Licentian Isles 1st ODI @ Stade Rose, Urdsall, (25,000)
• 13 April: Ethane v Grearia 2nd ODI @ Atheburn Oval, Atheburn, (72,000)
• 15 April: Sylestone v Ethane 3rd ODI @ Southgate Park, Plibury, (42,000)
• 17 April: The Licentian Isles v Grearia 4th ODI @ Adam Garden, Forsho, (60,000)
• 19 April: Sylestone v Grearia 5th ODI @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, (30,000)
• 21 April: Ethane v The Licentian Isles 1st ODI @ Stade Rose, Urdsall, (25,000)
• 23 April: W1 v W2 FINAL ODI @ Atheburn Oval, Atheburn, (72,000)

• 27 April: Sylestone v Grearia Only Test @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth (30,000)

• 3 April: Sylestone A v Grearia A 1st T20 @ Southgate Park, Plibury, (42,000)
• 5 April: Sylestone A v Grearia A 2nd T20 @ Waterfront Oval, Colk, (25,000)
• 19 April: Sylestone A v Grearia A One-Day @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, (30,000)
• 27 April: Sylestone A v President's XI 4-day First-class @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, (30,000)

Venues and Cities

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Adam Garden, Forsho, 60,000

Fairly sunny for most days, it is widely believed be a nice batting surface, with the soil in most of Grearia being clay-like, causing the track to break up later on in the Test matches, assisting the spinners. The 60,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim with excited and enthusiastic spectators for the nation's first ever international Test match against Eastfield Lodge. It is generally deemed to be the stadium for home series openers in Tests, welcoming the opposition into sheer heritage.

Atheburn Oval, Atheburn, 72,000

The largest dedicated cricket stadium in The Grearish Union is located in the heart of the Grearish capital, Atheburn, and is generally forecasted to see overcast conditions and a slightly chilly breeze at 8° C that flows in from the riverside to the west of the batting crease. While the morning does see some swing support for the pacers, but it is believed to turn into a fairly even batting track as the games progress. This can be attributed to the kind of soil, and the fondness the locals have to the art of batting. This 72,000 seater mammoth of a stadium will expect to see a packed house on most match days, having hosted the GCF WT20 Championship XIII final with great pomp, with the lush green outfield creating the perfect setting.

Southgate Park, Plibury, 42,000

The Southgate park at Plibury generally is known for fairly sunny skies, a warm weather (which means the jumpers might be left back at the pavillion) and hopefully some gritty cricket for the Black Dolphins. The 24,000 seater had always been hailed as one of the more intense, balanced places to play cricket, with one of the more passionate fans, in sharp contrast to Atheburn's sophistication. The stadium has underwent a significant overhaul since the 11th GCF Season, adding 18,000 seats to the audience and the atmosphere. Now seating 42,000, it improved the locals' access to cricketing action in the southeastern city.

Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, 30,000

Being the oldest cricket establishment in the nation, Auburn Hill is hallowed among Grearish cricket fans to be the actual home of the nation's cricketing history. Being firm believers in good cricketing contest, it has always sported a balanced pitch. It wasn't sanctioned to be available for the international GCF Test Season 11 due to debate amongst the members of the board regarding the safeguarding of the stadium's heritage. After having reached a consensus on the matter, Auburn Hill was been made available for the 2nd New Lunenburg - Grearia test in the tour, and the rest is history (again).

Waterfront Oval, Colk, 25,000

The Waterfront Oval is known to be one of the newest cricket stadiums in Grearia, in outskirts of the island city of Colk in the Manta Is. province. The 25,000 seater stadium was deliberately kept low to keep the sea breeze flow undisturbed in the bowl (stadium) itself. This will mean assistance to pacers and the ball will readily nip around for the ones who prefer to swing it - a bowling paradise. The beer here is made in-house and the music is local, but the cricket promises to be world class!

Stade Rose, Urdsall, 25,000

Called one of the legacy arenas for cricket in the country, the Stade Rose is nestled in the Antane mountains. It might get chilly in the morning and in late evenings, and the dew might play a large role in the outcome of the matches: with a pitch that assists the bowling side of things. 25,000 spectators may be seated at once in the stadium, and the atmosphere will be stunning - both in natural beauty audience engagement. You can always go explore the nearby wildlife preserves, hike on mountain trails, raft down rivers when the cricket isn't on!



Gentle Reminders!

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• You are ecouraged to clarify whether you are comfortable with other RPers choosing your scorecard details or events such as injuries and other storylines.
• Note on COVID-19: For the purposes of this tournament, the virus is not considered to be present in either host countries and no attempts to RP its introduction to either nation will be permitted.

[The Grearish Union]

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Black Dolphins squad for the East-West Tour

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Cricket Grearia announced the Grearish cricket squad for the Esportivan East-West Cup tour that will see the likes of the usual suspect in Sylestone, along with the national cricket teams of the Licentian Isles and Ethane for the quadrangular ODI challenge that the board has schedueld for the national team. The tour will consist of one test and two T20 internationals of the bilateral type against the Sylestone. This will be accompanied by the touring Sylestone 'A' side that would play the same fixtures, but reduced to a List-A classification and against Grearia 'A'. The First-Class ficture would, however, be Sylestone 'A' taking on the CG President's XI.

The limited-overs side will be on duty for the entirety of the two T20Is and the three (potentially four) ODIs to be played as part of the tour. Osvaldo Cullison will be leading the side as captain, continuing on from previous endeavours, with Taylor Kincheloe being entrusted as his deputy. Kincheloe made no secret of her excitement for the series, being reportedly 'overjoyed' at the prospect of being vice captain, and 'looking forward' to the series with her responsibilites.

NOTE: All players are listed in descending form coefficient (calculated by the statisticians at CG based on their current domestic performances) for each of the batters', bowlers', wicketkeepers' and allrounders' departments. The higher they are on these lists, the greater is the chance of success in their respective duties.

Limited Overs

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[Bat] Eldridge Surprenant (23) - L Orthodox/L (Elesborough Everblades)
[Bat] Temeka Pippin (33) - R Medium/R (Valgow Bulls)
[Bat] Shirely Hershey (31) - R Fast/R (Adenham Bears)
[Bat] Numbers Benedetto (27) - L Medium/L (Valgow Bulls)
[Bat] Taylor Kincheloe (23) - R Medium/L (Manta Islanders)
[Bat] Mirian Dodds (34) - L Fast/R (Adenham Bears)
[Bat] Osvaldo Cullison (23) - R Medium/R (Grearish Railways)
[Bat] Tilda Ernst (35) - R Legbreak/L (Manta Islanders)

[Bowl] Guillermo Luque (33) - R Slow/R (Glomridge Magpies)
[Bowl] Son Copes (36) - R Medium/L (Forsho Rangers)
[Bowl] Angeline Ponder (26) - L Wrist/L (Chicaster Clarets)
[Bowl] Samuel Zylstra (37) - L Medium/R (Glomridge Magpies)
[Bowl] Mee Merideth (39) - L Fast/L (Elesborough Everblades)
[Bowl] Bambi Dilley (40) - L Slow/L (Chicaster Clarets)
[Bowl] Mikel Mineau (19) - L Fast/R (Grearish Services)

[Wicketkeeper] Brady Byerley (25) - L Wrist/R (Atheburn Lions)
[Wicketkeeper] Brendon Corrie (23) - L Wrist/L (Manta Islanders)
[Wicketkeeper] Ellsworth Severa (40) - R Slow/R (Manta Islanders)

[All-Rounder] Chauncey Conry (29) - L Orthodox/R (Forsho Rangers)
[All-Rounder] Dewayne Goolsby (32) - R Fast/L (Adenham Bears)
[All-Rounder] Gita Teter (32) - R Legbreak/L (Grearish Services)
[All-Rounder] Alexandria Starkweather (20) - L Fast/R (Valgow Bulls)
[All-Rounder] Petrina Greiner (23) - L Fast/R (Grearish Services)

Having been dropped from the unlimited overs' side, Cullison will not be captaining the Test team, this time being led by very charismatic Taylor Kincheloe, with Taryn Eslick serving as her deputy after having an average season domestically, where he led the Chicaster Clarets.

NOTE: All players are listed in descending form coefficient (calculated by the statisticians at CG based on their current domestic performances) for each of the batters', bowlers', wicketkeepers' and allrounders' departments. The higher they are on these lists, the greater is the chance of success in their respective duties.

Unlimited Overs

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[Bat] Numbers Benedetto (27) - L Medium/L (Valgow Bulls)
[Bat] Mirian Dodds (34) - L Fast/R (Adenham Bears)
[Bat] Noe Dibiase (37) - R Medium/R (Grearish Railways)
[Bat] Eldridge Surprenant (23) - L Orthodox/L (Elesborough Everblades)
[Bat] Dewitt Boswell (33) - L Fast/L (Atheburn Lions)
[Bat] Denver Spafford (26) - L Wrist/L (Glomridge Magpies)
[Bat] Vernell Hoops (30) - L Wrist/R (Manta Islanders)
[Bat] Gayle Merrill (19) - L Medium/R (Grearish Services)
[Bat] Taylor Kincheloe (23) - R Medium/L (Manta Islanders)
[Bat] Taryn Eslick (23) - L Medium/R (Chicaster Clarets)

[Bowl] Son Copes (36) - R Medium/L (Forsho Rangers)
[Bowl] Jeanett Tunnell (30) - R Legbreak/L (Valgow Bulls)
[Bowl] Towanda Mcelroy (38) - L Slow/L (Manta Islanders)
[Bowl] Walker Lipinski (19) - L Fast/R (Glomridge Magpies)
[Bowl] Jalisa Level (28) - L Slow/L (Adenham Bears)
[Bowl] Carol Heilig (26) - L Medium/R (Elesborough Everblades)
[Bowl] Emmie Boomhower (27) - R Slow/L (Grearish Railways)
[Bowl] Lyndon Pasternak (32) - R Fast/R (Grearish Services)

[Wicketkeeper] Brendon Corrie (23) - L Wrist/L (Manta Islanders)
[Wicketkeeper] Wilfredo Beaton (22) - R Fast/R (Chicaster Clarets)

[All-Rounder] Dewayne Goolsby (32) - R Fast/L (Adenham Bears)
[All-Rounder] Dorsey Eldridge (29) - R Fast/R (Grearish Railways)
[All-Rounder] Gita Teter (32) - R Legbreak/L (Grearish Services)

Grearia 'A' and the President's XI

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Throughout the tour, the Grearia 'A' team will be comprised of the other half of the 23-player squad (for limited overs) who will not be in direct contention to play for the national team's first XI in the concurrent International fixture. This, however, does not rule out any overlaps that may occur either due to impressive performances leading to a selection in the first XI, or a first XI injury requiring a replacement, or any other unforeseen reason.

The CG President's XI, on the other hand, will be specifically announced by the Cricket Grearia president, before the exhibition match takes place. It may constitute mostly of players in the current national Test squad, but there is no assurance of the same. The national selection committee will have no say over the selection of this team, and it would be a completely executive selection by the hon'ble president of Cricket Grearia.

Cricket Grearia also wishes to thank TAS for their continued support to circket in the nation, along with continuing assistance in Cricket Grearia's Together with Cricket campaign to bring people closer together in alleviating people from poverty, creaing awareness about financial securites, medical treatment, and others in rural and underdeveloped areas, and many more in an effort to drive social change. The Black Dolphins are proud to sport the TAS logo on their jerseys as they get on to the field to play better cricket, everytime, for a better Grearia.

Test (Unlimited Overs) - One Day International - Twenty20 International

[Sylestone]

Test Side:

Openers:
*+ Luke Tiati (Left-hand bat, age 26)
Lachlan Edwards (Right-hand bat, age 18)
Samuel Creln (Left-hand bat, age 27)

Batsmen:
Daniel Fomleya (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 32)
Zachary Charlton (Left-hand bat, age 31)
+ Jonah Appleby (Right-hand bat, age 25)
Simon Monteane (Right-hand bat, age 23)
Lachlan Cocrine (Right-hand bat, age 23)
Sean Lake (Right-hand bat, age 29)

All-Rounders:
Liam Afosha (Right-hand bat, right-arm off-spin, age 27)
Jack Martin (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 19)

Bowlers:
Norbert Pistecial (Left-hand bat, left-arm fast-medium, age 21)
Zangj Jonjaakh (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 31)
Broughton Hall (Right-hand bat, right-arm hybrid spin, age 20)
Joshua Vilesti (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 30)
Nathan Norwell (Left-hand bat, right-arm medium-fast, age 22)
Georgia Haines (Left-hand bat, right-arm leg-spin, age 27)

ODI Squad:

Openers:
+ Luke Tiati (Left-hand bat, age 26)
Lachlan Edwards (Right-hand bat, age 18)
Simon Monteane (Right-hand bat, age 23)
+ Yash Ubuni (Right-hand bat, age 33)

Batsmen:
* Daniel Fomleya (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 32)
Zachary Charlton (Left-hand bat, age 31)
Lachlan Cocrine (Right-hand bat, age 23)
Peter Lenton (Right-hand bat, age 31)
Oliver Edwards (Right-hand bat, right-arm medium, age 19)
Mitchell Stein (Left-hand bat, left-arm leg-spin, age 24)
Chloe Anderson (Left-hand bat, left-arm leg-spin, age 21)

All-Rounders:
Liam Afosha (Right-hand bat, right-arm off-spin, age 27)
Jack Martin (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 19)

Bowlers:
Norbert Pistecial (Left-hand bat, left-arm fast-medium, age 21)
Zangj Jonjaakh (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 31)
Broughton Hall (Right-hand bat, right-arm hybrid spin, age 20)
Joshua Vilesti (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 30)
Sean Polen (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast-medium, age 33)
Georgia Haines (Left-hand bat, right-arm leg-spin, age 27)

T20 Squad:

Openers:
+ Luke Tiati (Left-hand bat, age 26)
Simon Monteane (Right-hand bat, age 23)
+ Yash Ubuni (Right-hand bat, age 33)

Batsmen:
Lachlan Cocrine (Right-hand bat, age 23)
* Daniel Fomleya (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 32)
Zachary Charlton (Left-hand bat, age 31)
Lachlan Edwards (Right-hand bat, age 18)
Oliver Edwards (Right-hand bat, right-arm medium, age 19)
Peter Lenton (Right-hand bat, age 31)
Sean Lake (Right-hand bat, age 29)

All-Rounders:
Liam Afosha (Right-hand bat, right-arm off-spin, age 27)
Jack Martin (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 19)

Bowlers:
Norbert Pistecial (Left-hand bat, left-arm fast-medium, age 21)
Zangj Jonjaakh (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 31)
Broughton Hall (Right-hand bat, right-arm hybrid spin, age 20)
Joshua Vilesti (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast, age 30)
Sean Polen (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast-medium, age 33)
Georgia Haines (Left-hand bat, right-arm leg-spin, age 27)

Sylestone A: (In batting order - For all formats)

Samuel Creln (Left-hand bat, age 27)
Sean Lake (Right-hand bat, age 29)
* Mitchell Stein (Left-hand bat, left-arm leg-spin, age 24)
Jack Martin (Left-hand bat, left-arm off-spin, age 19)
+ Ashton Stealom (Right-hand bat, age 28)
Patrick Shotenham (Right-hand bat, right-arm medium, age 22)
Fergus Stanton (Right-hand bat, right-arm leg-spin, age 20)
Sean Polen (Right-hand bat, right-arm fast-medium, age 33)
Nathan Norwell (Left-hand bat, right-arm medium-fast, age 22)
Talvin Mankira (Left-hand bat, left-arm fast, age 26)
Georgia Haines (Left-hand bat, right-arm leg-spin, age 27)

[The Grearish Union]

Commons Elections Declared

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James Lawrie · Political columnist · Tuesday, 3rd November 2020
Atheburn, GU

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Grearia first XI in batting order
Cullison (c)
Benedetto
Suprenant
Kincheloe
Byerley (wk)
Conry
Goolsby
Starkweather
Luque
Merideth
Copes

Grearia 'A' in batting order
Pippin
Hershey
Dodds
Ernst
Corrie (wk)
Teter (c)
Greiner
Ponder
Zylstra
Dilley
Mineau

In what is being seen as a strong opposition to Jill Martin's LDP bid, Sean Fullerton has emerged as the biggest rival from within her own party and is being hailed as having a 'pro-Esportivanism' mindset edge over his rival. It is generally accepted that the LDP will find itself in the drivers' seat of the elections, if the mood of the people are to be considered, with early opinions being very strongly in favour of the LDP. What remains to be seen is what this would mean for the upcoming elections that have recently been sanctioned by the GU Election Commision.

After years of Presidential rule in the country, Garth Ledford has now given the Election Commission full authority to conduct elections to transition into a Prime-Ministerial democracy, giving birth to what may be called the Second Republic. The details of the election, the constituencies and procedures are soon to follow from the organisation. This moment of euphoria, however, has been in some cases, amplified and in others, marred by the comments coming from Fullerton. Pro-Esportivanism hasn't been discussed on the international stage with any intent as of yet (if at all), ywt, it has turned eyeballs towards possibilities and dangers. The biggest dread of the Grearish populace, would be the possible loss of self-determination just as they achieve a new democratic system. The common Grear doesn't want to have their taxes determined by a senator in Raussland - unless, of course, it works to their benefit. It is here that the Fullerton remarks have captivated the imaginations of some Grearish voters, with the promise of reduction of the stiff barriers to free competition in other Esportivan states.

'It is time to look byond Grearia,' Fullerton says, 'as the interests of the development of the Grearish economy lies abroad in the co-operation of friendly nations to boost the Esportivan economy as we know it.' It is a strong point to be made, as Grearia looks forward to its first General Elections, and it might be worth noting that a popular poll in Damukuni has shown 68% of residents would be on-board with a pro-Esportivanist shift to see economic co-operation, while the Tumbran Prime Minister Kenneth Everett (Labour) recently commented in favour of a Union of Esportivan states, and is reportedly trending on twii.tur ever since.

It will be interesting to see what influences Grears the most - whether this is a concerted effort towards an Esportivan unionist policy from the different nations - whether the claims of no talks held yet are true - there are a myriad questions to answer. From what it seems, Esportiva may be inching ever-so-closer to a union, that too, with apparent calm surrounding it.

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 1

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T20 Slam
Sylestone lead 1-0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 1-0

1st T20 International @ Southgate Park, Plibury
Grearia 156/3 (20 overs)
Sylestone 160/3 (15.4 overs)
Syslestone win by 7 wickets with 4.2 overs to spare

Conditions: Breezy and cool (20 °C)


Sylestone 'A' 155/5 (20 overs)
Grearia 'A' 156/4 (16.3 overs)
Grearia 'A' by 6 wickets with 3.3 overs to spare

Conditions: Sunny and warm (23 °C)

[Sylestone]

Player of the Match: Lachlan Cocrine
Result: Sylestone win by 7 wickets

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 2

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T20 Slam
Sylestone win 2-0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 2-0

2nd T20 International @ Waterfront Oval, Colk
Sylestone 214/5 (20 overs)
Grearia 138/5 (20 overs)
Sylestone win by 76 runs and win the East-West T20 Slam

Conditions: Very breezy and moderate (23 °C)


Grearia 'A' 178/5 (20 overs)
Sylestone 'A' 166/7 (20 overs)
Grearia win by 12 runs

Conditions: Very breezy (20 °C)

[Sylestone]

Player of the Match: Liam Afosha
Result: Sylestone win by 76 runs

[The Licentian Isles]

Licentian National Cricket Team

The Licentian Isles make their return to international cricket after being invited, along with Ethane, to join the one-day series accompanying the East-West Cup between the Grearish Union and Sylestone. Cricket still has the image of an upper class sport in the Isles. This view is not aided by the fact that the Royal Licentian Cricket Board is one of the few remaining national institutions to retain the "Royal" designation, despite the monarchy being abolished almost 200 years ago. Nonetheless, the side that will compete in the East-West Cup, captained by Alfie Cameron of St Bart's Parish, will contain players from each of the four parishes that make up the nation.

First XI
#   Name                   Bats   Bowls   Parish
1   Oscar Docherty         RHB    -       Montfort
2   Joss Zwartjies         RHB    -       St Bart's
3   Callie Muir            LHB    -       Montfort
4   Steven Dickson         RHB    -       Colesham 
5   Alfie Cameron (c)      RHB    OB      St Bart's 
6   Ruairi Burns (wk)      RHB    -       Abingdon
7   Alicia Stewart         LHB    SLA     Colesham
8   Joseph King            LHB    LM      Montfort
9   Miriam Boyle           RHB    RMF     Montfort
10  Ben Kleeven            RHB    RM      St Bart's
11  Derek Williamson       RHB    RF      St Bart's

Reserves
#   Name                   Bats   Bowls   Parish
12  Isabel Campbell (wk)   RHB    -       Abingdon
13  Tara Bindels           LHB    SLW     St Bart's
14  Frazer Walker          RHB    RFM     Colesham
15  Jonathan Mitchell      LHB    -       St Bart's
16  Alex van Assen         LHB    -       Montfort

[The Grearish Union]

The Grearish Heavy-Trade Question
William Evans - Atheburn National University

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It has always been interesting to the neutral enthusiast to observe the Grearish trade practices with many of its partners in the current world. With its heavy dependence on exports of crude oil (most of which is seen in the northern most state of Glomridge and in the seas on the northern coast, in the Strait of Santaguerra), and heavy metals exports too, Grearia finds itself in a precarious position when it comes to looking toward the future in terms of greener energy and technology. There can be no debate in the fact that the nation will need to move towards gaining atleast a sizeable comparative advantage in some greener energy product-baskets to keep in line with the evolving multiverse. The question at this juncture, however, is what is keeping the GU from steaming on forward using its strong base in traditional industries to leapfrog into the so-called future?

Rebecca Earl of the Economics faculty at the University of Humanities, Arts and Design (UHAD) in Urdsall, GU spoke to us about it. "Despite the sizeable advantage that Grearish petroleum has, over other producers of petroleum in the immediate neighbourhood," she continued, "it suffers from the adverse effects of the protectionist measures employed by other Esportivan countries." There is definitely no question that the advantage in production attained by the GU with better machinery and more productive labour has been foreshadowed by high trade tariffs that other Esportivan importers of petroleum have - exposing Grearish producers to domestic competition in those markets, leading to a shrinkage (if not a complete disappearance) of increases in profit percentages. Ms. Earl adds, "One must remember that simply bringing in larger volumes of cash is not an indication of higher profit percentages, but is a basic property of accounting, which seen as the volume of business rises."

Being trapped into the Covello Bay adds to Grearish woes when it comes to the oil. The circumnavigating route around the continent costs a hefty sum to transporters, squeezing the profit margins yet again. While there is interest in Damukuni to fly in Grearish oil, it is to be remembered that the market for the commodity is rather insignificant in the country with transport costs being prohibitively large. This applies to other heavy commodity bundles too, as it is not really feasible to transport heavy goods for thousands of miles via air, burning through ever-decreasing-stacks of petrostoedings in ever-flammable jet fuel.

What should the GU look towards, then? A probable move would be to sign trade deals to lower tariffs mutually with Esportivan partners to ensure short-term returns for heavy-industry producers. This is because, while exports facae high tariffs, imports have also been kept at bay with high tariffs on the Grearish end. While this ensured infant-industry protection at the initial stages of industrialisation, this is starting to become further and further redundant, as most of these heavy industries do not feed into further sophisticated industries domestically - leading to a rather limited demand for those commodities, and a surplus begging to be exported. The enrgy industry suffers heavily in this regard, with it become further un-clean every day, as businesses are having to shift to diesel-based generators as the oil is cheap domestically while green energy from abroad is taxed highly and is not competitive. Needless to say, it causes anybody using the greener energy from abroad (say the Nova Anglican Admin Zone of Esportiva) to be lesser and lesser competitive every day in their own commodity markets. Thus, it is a lose-lose situation for both the factor and commodity markets with a heavy externality on the environment.

The way forward is in lighter-sectors, according to some; in a Union of Esportivan nations according some others (including the likes of Prime-Ministerial favourite Sean Fullerton and Tumbran PM Kenneth Everett) and in a canal through SJG to cut shipping-costs to some further others. Until a resolution is reached, Grearia stares at a confusing blankness.

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 3

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ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Sylestone             1    1    2
Grearia               0    0    0
Ethane                0    0    0
The Licentian Isles   1    0    0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 2-0

1st ODI @ Stade Rose, Urdsall, (25,000)

Sylestone 210/6 (50 overs)
The Licentian Isles 184/6 (50 overs)
Sylestone win by 26 runs

Conditions: Cold (9 °C)

[Sylestone]

After two impressive T20 victories against a strong Grearish side, Sylestone’s national cricket team went into the ODIs with a positive, if slightly overconfident mindset. After all, they had just slaughtered Grearia by seven wickets in the first T20 before racking up a total of 214 en route to a 76-run win and a series victory. Now they were faced with The Licentian Isles, playing their first cricket match in aeons. They were up against the fourth best side in the multiverse, a side who recently finished fourth at the second GCF ODI World Trophy. It wasn’t looking good for them.
Yet, they nearly found a way to win. They restricted the Sylestoneans to only 210 runs in their first innings and came out with a positive mindset, opening with a 112-run partnership between openers Oscar Docherty and Joss Zwartjies. But their inexperience got to them, falling 26 runs short as Liam Afosha ran rampant, picking up his first-ever four-wicket-haul for the nation. But the Licentians had given it their best shot and had the makings of a champion team.

On a freezing day in Urdsall, Grearia, Alfie Cameron of the Licentian Isles opted to bowl first on a reasonably green deck, but showing signs that it might help spin. However, Licentian opening bowlers Miriam Boyle and Joseph King exploited the conditions perfectly, barely giving anything away. Luke Tiati, Sylestone’s highest-ever run scorer, was completely bamboozled. He played and missed at least a dozen times, taking up 21 balls to score only five runs. Four of those came from an edge off Boyle past second slip. King eventually got him, driving at a ball wide of off-stump which was subsequently edged straight to Oscar Docherty at first slip. The Licentian Isles had their first wicket, the dangerous Luke Tiati, for only five and their supporters were in raptures.
At the other end, Lachlan Edwards was faring much better. He didn’t seem fazed by the huge amount of swing both Boyle and King were producing, driving and flicking his way to 18 with a series of glorious strokes. But just when it seemed he was returning to the form he had produced in the first GCF ODI World Trophy two years ago in Liventia, left-arm spinner Alicia Stewart trapped him in front with a ball that skidded on. The Licentian Isles had made the perfect start, restricting the fourth-ranked side in the multiverse to just 2-26, still inside their first ten overs.
Zachary Charlton joined Daniel Fomleya at the crease and the pair began to rebuild the innings. Fomleya played slightly more aggressively, driving with much more freedom than his fellow left-hander, but the two of them both began to accelerate as the score passed the 50 mark in the 15th over. Fomleya was dropped off Derek Williamson by Ben Kleeven at fine-leg, a tough chance but still one that should have been taken and he set about making them pay. The very next ball, a bouncer right at the grille, was creamed over square-leg for a one-bounce four, possibly one of the best shots the veteran captain had played in his career. Maybe his form was returning, too.
Charlton was dismissed for a determined eighteen a few overs later when he wandered down the pitch in an attempt to hit Alicia Stewart over cover. He missed, if barely, but it was enough as Ruairi Burns completed the stumping and the Isles were back on top, restricting Sylestone to 3-65 in the 18th over of the innings.
Lachlan Cocrine entered at number five and with him came the ability to turn the match on its head. He had already played two rapid knocks in the T20 slam, a 60 from 27 balls in the first and a 29 off 17 in the second. But here he was careful, playing slowly to ensure he got used to the conditions of the pitch. At one point, he was just 10 off 27 balls, uncharacteristic for his nature. It didn’t help that, 20 balls or so in, he lost his captain to an outside-edge off Joseph King, who was somehow still swinging the ball despite it being 25 overs old. That brought Liam Afosha, Sylestone’s dedicated innings-finisher to the crease, to join Cocrine.
Cocrine began to expand his strokeplay, even audaciously lofting Stewart straight back over her head for six at one point in her final. But like many other Sylestonean batsmen, just as he was beginning to get going, he got out. Alicia Stewart deceived him with a ball that she tossed up at only 76 km/h, and all Cocrine could do was get a top edge to cover as he tried to take her over cow corner. Yet another start had been blown and the Sylestone were 5-147, their noses behind.
Still, Liam Afosha continued. Stewart bowled out her ten overs, as did Joseph King. Licentian captain Alfie Cameron bowled three while Miriam Boyle, Derek Williamson and Ben Kleeven came back for the death overs. Afosha was joined by Lenton, a strong strokeplayer who had made two consecutive fifties against the Grearish in ODIs last year, in the first East-West Cup. Recently, he had been out of form, though, and that continued into today. He struggled to find any sort of rhythm, chewing up 25 balls for only 12 runs. He didn’t middle a single ball, with his only boundary coming from a top edge over the keeper off Ben Kleeven. Afosha, not able to get the strike back, was getting increasingly frustrated. Eventually Kleeven got his man, with Lenton going for one big swing too many and losing his off peg. With only six overs left, Sylestone were 6-179 and well behind in the game.
However, there were signs of hope. Pistecial and Afosha finally began finding the boundary regularly, although many more balls were edged than middled during the final death overs. But it was enough - Pistecial made a handy 15 off 18 and Afosha passed 50, the only Sylestonean batsman to do so. They finished at 6-210, a sub-par total, but on a pitch like this, it could just be enough.
For the Licentians, Stewart and King were the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 3-38 and 2-29 off their respective 10 overs.



If Oscar Docherty and Joss Zwartjies thought that their side had a good chance of a victory first up, though, they were sorely mistaken. Just one Joshua Vilesti delivery saw their hopes burn out from a supernova to a faint spark in the distance. His first ball was delivered at 152 km/h and reared up, hitting Docherty on the glove. He tore it off, but continued after having it inspected. The second looked even quicker, grazing the Licentian batsman’s helmet before passing through harmlessly to Tiati behind the stumps, who took it above his head. Vilesti then unleashed the killer ball - a yorker, at 155 km/h, zoning in on middle stump like a missile. But Docherty was too good, keeping it out as his bat dug into the turf, rendering the ball harmless. It was truly unbelievable stuff.
To make matters worse, the quickest of the lot, at an eye-catching 157 km/h, took the outside edge of Docherty’s bat and raced down to the third-man boundary to record the Isles’ first runs. Vilesti rounded out the over with a scorching but harmless delivery outside the off-stump. It was the best he’d ever bowled, but no wickets were taken.
Pistecial backed Vilesti up at the other end with some supremely tidy swing bowling. Neither Docherty nor Zwartjies could get either bowler away, yet the run rate stayed at a decent rate. There was a surprisingly high number of runs from edges behind the wicket, but in the Isles’ case, it was enough. After ten overs, they were 0-33 and the amount of deliveries that had hit the middle of the bat were still in single figures.
With the ball not swinging as much anymore, Docherty and Zwartjies looked to expand their strokeplay. Jonjaakh was bowling well, but every now and again, would put a ball wide for the batsmen to hit. The partnership steadily increased, past fifty, then more.
At the other end, Broughton Hall was bowling tidily but unusually for him, without any real threat. Docherty and Zwartjies struggled to put him away and ended up just respecting him and trying to hit singles wherever they could. Afosha replaced Jonjaakh and the runs dried up even further, the required run rate slowly slipped up above four again.
The two openers passed fifty at around the same time, just one over apart. At the start of Liam Afosha’s very next over, the 27th of the innings, Docherty whacked him over mid-on for a one-bounce four and it seemed as though he was really going to take it to the Sylestoneans.
The next delivery was slightly short and Docherty, looking for runs, got in a good position to cut. However, Afosha had unleashed his undercutter, the ball that skidded on. Docherty did not pick it and edged it straight into Tiati’s gloves. Finally, Sylestone had their first, and the score was 1-112.
Like many other batsmen, Callie Muir also struggled. He had no clue what to do against Hall and even less against Afosha. Zwartjies, realising this, began to try and take a lot of the strike at the other end while slowly increasing his own strike rate in order to stay up with the required run rate. Muir inevitably fell for only four, LBW to another Liam Afosha undercutter and the Licentian Isles were 2-127. Sylestone were back in the game.
Zwartjies continued to up his own strike rate, but with an unfortunate lack of support from the other end. Dickson continued what Muir had started, chewing up balls without scoring any runs. The required run rate slowly began to increase. Above 4.2, above 4.5 and over five. An easy chase on a normal pitch, but not this one. Something had to break. And something did.
In the 38th over with the score on 147, Zwartjies drove at Afosha, who had been bowling maiden after maiden in recent overs. He got most of it as the ball soared through the air between cover and point. The commentators had already signalled four when Zangj Jonjaakh, fielding at cover, soared through the air to grab a screamer an inch or two from the ground. Before this match, Liam Afosha’s bowling average was in the hundreds. He’d just taken three wickets to change the course of the game.
The run rate continued to decline, and in the next three overs only five runs were added as captain Alfie Cameron arrived at the crease. Pistecial, re-entering the attack, grabbed the wicket of Dickson, who had faced 36 balls for eleven runs, and the Isles were 4-152, the asking rate around six an over.
Cameron could only take two runs from Afosha’s next over, continuing his miserly spell. Pistecial then returned and had Ruairi Burns stumped by his fellow wicketkeeper for a big fat egg. So Cameron took it upon himself. He hit six runs off Afosha’s final over, who finished with figures of 4-23 off his ten overs. He hit eight off Pistecial’s over but couldn’t really continue. Two overs later he was dismissed, caught at point by Lachlan Edwards as the asking rate crept above nine an over.
Joseph King entered and with Alicia Stewart, essentially gave up. Stewart drove Vilesti’s final delivery of the innings for four, but by then the game was over. The Licentian Isles finished with 6-184 off their fifty overs and Sylestone had somehow won, by 26 runs. Joss Zwartijes top-scored with 80 but it simply wasn’t enough. Sylestone were victorious and took a handy lead in the One-Day matches.
Next up is Ethane, who suck.



Player of the match: Liam Afosha
Result: Sylestone win by 26 runs

[Ethane]

Ethanian National Cricket Team - ODI Roster

1. Edmund Dammelhead
Batsman. Right-handed. 24 years old.
2. Damien Hannelten
Batsman. Left-handed. 28 years old.
3. Harry Rowell
Batsman. Left-handed. 22 years old.
4. Samuel Petersen
Batsman. Right-handed. 21 years old.
5. Adam Loughton
All-rounder. Right-arm leg spin. 31 years old.
6. Hannah Lassie
All-rounder. Left-arm medium. 24 years old.
7. Ali Farther
Wicketkeeper. Right-handed. 28 years old.
8. Jordan Lion
Bowler. Left-arm off-spin. 33 years old.
9. Curtis Pilton
Bowler. Right-arm fast. 26 years old.
10. Percy Keele
Bowler. Right-arm medium-fast. 30 years old.
11. James Hart
Bowler. Right-arm fast. 23 years old.

12. Jamie Harwich
Batsman. Right-handed. 26 years old.
13. Gary Umbridge
Batsman. Right-handed. 31 years old.
14. Richard Hollinger
Wicketkeeper. Left-handed. 27 years old.
15. David Hamilton
Bowler. Right-arm off-spin. 29 years old.
16. Luke Sihf
Bowler. Right-arm medium-fast. 22 years old.

The shirt is a orangey-red colour, with a yellow trim. The trousers are a very dark purple, almost blue. The caps if worn are also a slightly dark red.

[Ethane]

James Hart: Can he make a difference?

As Ethane prepares to participate in the second Esportivan East-West Cup, some interesting team selection decisions have been made. Some are rather controversial decisions, particularly the exclusion of Gary Umbridge from the first eleven. Considering his performance in previous Twenty20 and ODI tournaments, especially the most recent domestic campaign, it is rather a surprise that he has not been chosen.

However, it's clear that the decision has been made to experiment during this tournament, and give other players who don't always get a look in a chance to prove themselves on the international stage. This approach does give a certain imperative to producing individual displays of brilliance, which could help out the team's chances.

A few names that some people won't recognise are in the starting list of players in the announced roster. Samuel Petersen is someone who many international observers won't have heard of much. He's a young, up-and-coming player within the Ethanian domestic cricketing scene who has put in some impressive, controlled knocks including a couple of half-centuries and a century in recent fixtures. It's these impressive recent statistics that have given him the chance in this Cup. Hannah Lassie is another name people won't have necessarily heard of. Lassie has been close to participating in the international team on previous occasions, but had a slight drop in form following her year out on maternity leave. She's now fully recovered to full fitness and has fully committed herself to her work again, with recent performances catching the eye even where she has fallen short.

James Hart is also new to this team, and perhaps one of the more surprising additions to this team. Hart has had moments of brilliance on the domestic circuit, with some spectacular balls bowled and some really astonishing spells, including a twofer in his last game played. However, alongside these moments of brilliance have been some tragic performances. In a recent game, James Hart managed to bowl 2 no balls and a wide within one over, marking the last over for him of what was a very disappointing ODI performance - 40/0 of 5 overs. He also sometimes has an issue with temperament on the field, with two suspensions within the past 6 months due to violent language and 1 incidence of punching a teammate who dropped a clean catch. His decision here will therefore raise some eyebrows. But he has a real chance to prove himself and his cricketing ability under pressure in these games; it's very easy to redeem oneself with some solid and calm performances, especially in high-pressure situations where some players are prone to crack.

Getting much of a result from the Esportivan East-West Cup will be an achievement against these three teams they face off against. Out of the four teams participating in this invitational competition, Ethane is perhaps the team that has had the least institutional commitment to cricket internationally over the past few cycles of competition. And while the team are on the way to try to establish themselves as a mainstay of the international cricketing scene, such a position is yet to come for a this team. Yet a result here, however difficult, could set the team on the way to such a position in future cricketing competitions.

[The Grearish Union]

---

Dismal Showing at the Twenty20

---

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ATHEBURN: Two difficult defeats at Plibury and Colk have shaken the spirits of the Grearish Black Dolphins in the East-West Cup. Having entered the tournament in a a rather buoyant mood, the side finds itself presently in a quagmire of questions that need to be asked and answers that need uttering. The Liventian coach for the side, the experience former wicketkeeper, Garland Goudreau said to the Times, "It has been a harsh awakening for us, but we must not be disheartened." The spirits inside the dressing room under the leadership of skipper Osvaldo Cullison is also up to scratch according to Cricket Grearia reports.

Eyebrows have been raised in questioning the team selection for both of these encounters against Sylestone, with the same first XI being named for both matches. What was especially jarring to the critic's eye, was the fact that the Sylestoneans' 'A' side were defeated comfortably by Grearia 'A' led by the experienced Gita Teter when the national team was losing rather shamefully in the T20I series. After handing the T20I series on a platter, all eyes have now been turned towards the quadrangular ODI Challenge that would see the aforementioned sides in action along with The Licentian Isles and Ethane from the Esportivan reign. Sylestone have already continued on their impressive unbeaten run by rolling of the Licentians on a very bowling-friendly track in the Stade Rose at Urdsall, with the picturesque backdrop of the Antane mountains dominating the scenery.

Not too much of the picturesque mood may be captured, one fears, if a languishing Ethane side cannot be toppled at the Atheburn fortress. A defeat would mean more than a humbling, as dissatisfaction simmers in the backburner for every Grearish cricket fan.

---

'A' Game 1
Sylestone 'A' 155/5 (20 overs)
Grearia 'A' 156/4 (16.3 overs)
Grearia 'A' by 6 wickets with 3.3 overs to spare

'A' Game 2
Grearia 'A' 178/5 (20 overs)
Sylestone 'A' 166/7 (20 overs)
Grearia 'A' win by 12 runs

Martin 62* (60) & Mankira 3-34
Teter 86 (71) & Mineau 2-27
PoM: Gita Teter (GRU)


Pippin 77 (71) & Dilley 5-26
Polen 52 (43) & Stanton 3-34
PoM: Bambi Dilley (GRU)

---

First XI v Ethane
Cullison (c)
Pippin (Benedetto out)
Suprenant
Kincheloe
Byerley (wk)
Teter (Conry out)
Goolsby
Starkweather
Luque
Dilley (Merideth out)
Copes

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 4

---

ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Sylestone             1    1    2
Grearia               1    1    2
Ethane                1    0    0
The Licentian Isles   1    0    0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 2-0

2nd ODI @ Atheburn Oval, Atheburn, (72,000)

Grearia 292/8 (50 overs)
Ethane 229 (47.4 overs)
Grearia win by 63 runs

Conditions: Mild (19 °C)

[Ethane]

Start of Play:

A: "We're here in the commentary box for the start of play at the Atheburn Oval, for what should be an exciting day of cricket. Grearia plays Ethane in the first of three ODI games in the second edition of the Esportivan East-West Cup, with the other two games against Sylestone and The Licentian Isles coming up later in the month.

It's a beautiful morning out there today. With temperatures predicted to reach up to 19°C, it's going to be relatively mild though not overly so. The sun is bright in the sky today, lighting up the field as we get underway with the toss.

And it's Ethane who have won the toss today. We're just waiting upon their decision, and it appears they've decided to bowl."

B: "Yes, it's a brave decision by Loughton to put his team into bowl, but he'll certainly have taken a keen eye to the advice of the scouts and the statisticians, who have highlighted that this is a pitch that lends better support to pace bowlers in the morning but gets better for the batters as time goes on. He'll surely be hoping to bowl Grearia out for a low total and then chase their score down on an improved pitch later in the afternoon once the pitch has warmed up. It's certainly a brave decision."

A: "Certainly, and we'll be looking forward to see these two teams battle it out in this fixture, the first fixture in Ethane's Esportivan East-West Cup history. This is a competition only in it's second edition - the first was just a series of matches between Grearia and Sylestone. Only in this edition have they invited Ethane and The Licentian Isles to participate in an ODI tournament, and it's an invitation that the Ethanian cricketing board accepted graciously."

~~

The First Ball:

B: "And it'll be Pilton starting off the bowling to the captain, Cullison in this morning session. He's coming in, and he bowls a fairly solid first ball, just to the off-side of Cullison. He palms the ball straight back to Pilton, and it'll obviously be no run from the ball."

"A: It's an alright first ball by Pilton. Nothing special, nothing that's going to shake the confidence of Cullison in the slightest. But he's be setting himself, and I'm sure as he gets settled into this innings we'll be seeing some beauties from Pilton."

~~

End of the First Over:

A: "And it's four off the first over for Grearia, with two singles coming from a full-length ball down the legside which Cullison placed between two fielders, and a confident sweep by Pippin to the off-side which fortunately was stopped short of the boundary and thrown in, restricting them to one. Cullison picked up the double from a thick edge which went well wide of slip."

B: "A bit erratic from Pilton in that first over as he finds his feet in this game against Grearia. We've definitely seen better opening overs before from him, but I'm sure he'll grow into this match."

Ten Overs In:

A: "And we're one-fifth of the way through the Grearia batting lineup, and Cullison and Pippin have put in a solid partnership to get the Grearia team moving. It's perhaps a bit slower than they would have wanted to be going, but with tonnes of wickets in hand, they'll feel confident about the position they're in."

B: "Yeah they will, and Pippin looks quite confident out there, coming in for Benedetto for this game. Pippin will of course be trying to make a name for themselves, and they've done a good job so far in this partnership. It's been disappointing from Pilton though in this opening spell, who's not really managed to look comfortable in this game and definitely not provided any sort of breakthrough in this game. He's only really looked close to challenging the wickets a couple of times - he came closest with a beautiful yorker that skirted just past Cullison's bat and just missed the stumps - and other challenges have been comfortably read and defended by both Cullison and Pippin."

A: "He's already bowled 5 overs and you have to wonder whether that'll be all that he contributes this game. The likes of Keele and Hart will be keen to get some overs in themselves, and with Pilton failing to really make a breakthrough you'd think that Pilton will get switched out here. Lion may also be rested for a bit; he's proven more promising in restricting the run-rate, but also not really come close to a wicket."

Wicket 1:

B: "Speaking about needing something to change for the Ethanians to get a breakthrough, that's exactly what you have here!"

A: "Yes, what a ball there by Hart, who has come into this team with a lot of confidence. If he can keep up that discipline in bowling throughout his international career then we could have an absolute gem of a player here."

B: "Absolutely, it's a clean edge to Ali Farther who easily gathers that up. It's a beautiful ball in, looks like it's starting to drift wide to us but stays pretty straight, and then Pippin just misjudges the line, swings and edges it through to the keeper."

A: "Looking at this replay, it actually looks like it was swinging in a bit, which probably explains why it catches Pippin off-guard a bit. He fails to adjust and is caught out, with the ball catching the inside edge of the bat. It's a nice ball from Hart."

B: "It's the first wicket fallen for Grearia, but they've still got a distance to go to keep this run score down. There's a decent way to go in this match, and Ethane will need some wickets fast to stay in this game still."

After 4 wickets have fallen:

A: "We're a fair way into this game already, and there goes the fourth wicket! Kincheloe gets caught out, he swings and hits it to the leg-side going for a boundary, but it falls short and is taken cleanly by Lassie."

B: "It's a clean catch by Lassie, and the ball by Keele catches him out; it looks like the ball is going full, but it falls just short of where Kincheloe would have wanted it to fall, taking some of the momentum that would have been transferred into the boundary attempt."

A: "Kincheloe just doesn't need to be going for that there. The bowlers from Ethane are giving up plenty of balls to get decent runs off. And I know they still have plenty of wickets in the bank even at this stage, but that's another really decent batter down; it'll once again destabilise the order and force another batter from Grearia to settle into the crease."

B: "I actually think you go for that there, it's just a mistake that Kincheloe has made to misjudge the approach of the ball slightly, which has led to that caught-out. Cricket is a game of fine margins. And at this stage they'll want to be really ramping up their run-rate as we approach the end of their innings. From their position they'll be looking to set Ethane a run chase of mid- to high- 200s, which will be a real challenge for the batters to chase down. And Grearia still have some big-hitters to come. It is time for them to really go into the races."

250 runs for Grearia:

A: "Grearia have hit 250 runs as we come real close to the end of their batting innings. And it has been a good show, hasn't it?"

B: "Yes, it's a match that so far has looked like it could go either way, though Grearia have really taken control with their upping of the run rate in the last 5-10 overs. This is a steep hill for Ethane to climb now. Cullison and Pippin looked comfortable early on, the change-up certainly started to bring the game back in Ethane's favour, but even with the loss of a few wickets for Grearia they've managed to stay calm and collected while Ethane have been scrambling for wickets and to slow the run-rate."

A: "Yes, and there has been some really good shows from both teams - Cullison did well as an opener for Grearia, while Hart has certainly shown some spirit and probably been the best of the Ethanian bowlers this game. But unfortunately it appears that Grearia will still be able to put a few runs on to this total."

End of Grearia's innings:

B: "And Grearia finish off with 292 runs, a formidable total for Ethane to chase down."

A: "It's been a good showing by Grearia, who despite a few hiccoughs, have managed to assert their control over this match in this innings. It's not completely gone from Ethane, but they'll need to put up a mighty good fight against the Grearish bowlers to have a chance of winning this game."

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 5

---

ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Sylestone             2    2    4
Grearia               1    1    2
The Licentian Isles   1    0    0
Ethane                2    0    0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 2-0

3rd ODI @ Southgate Park, Plibury, (42,000)

Sylestone 223/9 (40 overs)
Ethane 221/6 (50 overs)
Sylestone win by 1 wicket

Conditions: Mild (17 °C)

[Sylestone]

Player of the Match: Liam Afosha
Result: Sylestone win by 1 wicket

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 6

---

ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Sylestone             2    2    4
Grearia               2    2    4
The Licentian Isles   2    0    0
Ethane                2    0    0

East-West Points
Sylestone lead 2-0

4th ODI @ Adam Garden, Forsho, (60,000)

Grearia 301 (49.2 overs)
The Licentian Isles 218/8 (50 overs)
Grearia win by 83 runs

Conditions: Mild (15 °C)

[The Grearish Union]

One large victory to face a larger adversary...

Sylestone have been in top form in the cool end of the rainy season in Grearia. The first few gusts of a cool winter breeze could be felt already when the cricket went up north to Adenham or Glomridge states. Yellow-billed kingfishers that abound the Lake of Eden area have alll moved south to the Forsho seaside to get warmer. What didn't stop, was the cricket, and the Grearish awe in the Sylestonean performances.

Very recently, the likes of Liam Afosha had been seen transforming the complexion of a match when Ethane faced off against Sylestone. A rather classy knock made sure that Sylestone were well and truly over the line in a match characterised by difficult batting circumstances, an underperformance from the Ethane batting lineup despite having wickets in hand, and a typical mild atumn day at the Southgate Park in Plibury.

The Black Dolphins themselves haven't been far off from winning ways either. After two humbling defeats back-to-back in teh T20 Slam stage of the tour, spirits were definitely running low in the dressing room. Remarkably, the Grearish have stood back up and turned the situation on its head with two successive victories against Ethane and The Licentian Isles. Albeit being much weaker sides, neither could be pushed over too easily. In both batting and bowling departments, the Black Dolhpins had to come up against considerable opposition but the relative inexperience of the opposition at the highest level probably played a huge part in the result of the encounters.

The most recent victory over the Licentian opposition has definitely brought back some joy into the Grearish dressing room, but they cannot afford to lose focus. The Sylestoneans are much higher ranked than the Black Dolphins in most forms of cricket played in most parts of the multiverse, and it cannot be overshadowed just by passion. Performances count, and both Grearia and Grearia 'A' will have to provide just that.

First XI v Sylestone
Cullison (c)
Pippin
Suprenant
Kincheloe
Byerley (wk)
Teter
Goolsby
Starkweather
Luque
Dilley
Copes

Grearia 'A' v Sylestone 'A'
Hershey
Benedetto
Dodds
Ernst
Corrie (wk)
Teter
Conry
Ponder
Mineau
Zylstra
Merideth

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 7

---

ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Grearia               3    3    6
Sylestone             3    2    4
The Licentian Isles   2    0    0
Ethane                2    0    0

East-West Points
Tied 2-2

5th ODI @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, (30,000)

Sylestone 258/5 (50 overs)
Grearia 259/6 (45.5 overs)
Grearia win by 4 wickets

Conditions: Warm (29 °C)

List A @ Auburn Hill, Edgenorth, (30,000)

Sylestone 'A' 258/8 (50 overs)
Grearia 'A' 247/6 (50 overs)
Sylestone 'A' win by 11 runs

Conditions: Warm (26 °C)

[Sylestone]

Player of the Match: Taylor Kincheloe
Result: Grearia win by four wickets

[The Licentian Isles]

Montfort Times

Do the Isles still have a place in Esportivan politics?
By Dale McMillan

Of all of the questions that have surrounded the return of the Licentian Isles from their strange isolation from the rest of the multiverse, the one that not many have raised is that of the place that our nation once held in Esportiva as a political powerhouse.

For many years, Licentians were at the forefront of international relations in Esportiva, with significant bargaining power when it came to economic dealings and other affairs. This was only buoyed by the positive relationship with many other nations in the region. The foremost of those, of course, was with our closest neighbours over the Channel in Apox. Many saw the two nations as if tied at the hip and leading Esportiva through various challenges and opportunities. There was no surprise after all when, at the end of the period where a Licentian represented the region at the World Assembly as delegate, it was the Apoxians who would step in to fill that role.

There were some within the Isles, especially those of a more nationalistic bent, that imagined that with the Isles separated from the rest of the region, the rest of Esportiva would fall into chaos. Of course, that’s not what happened. As we’ve seen on our return, even if there are different nations with prominent roles in Esportivan regional affairs, there is no anarchy sweeping the region. Esportiva survived perfectly well without Licentian influence and input.

That, of course, raises the question of whether the Isles still have a large role to play in the politics and affairs of the region. There may be those amongst us who wish to believe that Licentians will always be involved at the highest level when it comes to decision making, but they are likely to be disappointed. With 150 years having passed within the bubble, and Gods know how long outwith these Isles, the soft power and influence that we held may well have dissipated.

That was why it was incredibly surprising to see St Bart’s Councillor Annelise Boskamp in discussions with Grearish government officials at the most recent match of the East-West Cup, a cricket tournament being held in Grearia. The Licentian Isles were taking on their hosts in a T20 match in Forsho, but for those of us more interesting in politics than sport, that was not the major takeaway from what was otherwise a slow news day. We were, instead, focussed on the images of Councillor Boskamp seemingly in jovial discussion with the Grearish Minister of External Affairs, Glyn Ellsmore. The two politicians found themselves at the centre of many rumours in Montfort in the days after this match, perhaps unexpectedly.

The idea of an Esportivan Union was the one that was most prominent as Licentians pondered the meaning of this casual meeting. It is an idea which has seen some support across the region recently. The newly-elected Prime Minister of the Grearish Union, Sean Fullerton, expressed his support on the campaign trail, not long after Tumbra’s Prime Minister Kenneth Everett did the same. This also followed a poll of residents of Damukuni that showed overwhelming support for some sort of economic union between Esportivan nations.

Some have raised the question of whether the Licentian Isles would be involved in such a union, and if so what sort of influence the nation would hold. However, even before answering that, there is a major question over how exactly the Isles could go about joining such a union, and how that decision would be taken internally. It is not clear whether, as a foreign affairs decision, this would be affirmed or rejected by the Federal Council, currently dominated by the three Councillors from the Licentian Greens, including Councillor Boskamp. However, others, especially within the Licentian National Party, have suggested that each of the four parishes would have to approve this individually. If so, Colesham Parish, led by a National-Liberal coalition, would likely be the sticking point, no matter the feelings of those in Montfort, Abingdon, or St Bart’s.

As is clear, this raises many questions, none of which have an easy answer. For her part, Councillor Boskamp has refused to comment on what exactly was discussed at the cricket, saying simply that she had enjoyed her discussions with Ellsmore. While it is likely that the picture will remain unclear for some time to come, it is unlikely that these ideas will be far from the minds of Montfort politicos in the weeks and months to come.

[The Grearish Union]

Matchday 8

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ODI Challenge

                      PLD  WON  PTS
Grearia               3    3    6
Sylestone             3    2    4
The Licentian Isles   3    1    2
Ethane                3    0    0

East-West Points
Tied 2-2

6th ODI @ Stade Rose, Urdsall, (25,000)

The Licentian Isles 274/8 (50 overs)
Ethane 236/8 (50 overs)
The Licentian Isles win by 38 runs

Conditions: Cold (8 °C)

Grearia and Sylestone advance to the final of the ODI Challenge.