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Post by hhsussex on Jan 6, 2015 8:11:49 GMT
To add to the disappointment of Luke Wright's first baller, the winning streak of Craig Cachopa (and Auckland) came to an end against Canterbury yesterday. www.espncricinfo.com/ford-trophy-2014-15/engine/match/772837.htmlCachopa managed 7 balls but no run and Auckland, chasing 336 to win, reached 270. They're still at the top of the points table for the Ford Trophy though, and face the No 2 side, Central Districts, on Thursday. |
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 8, 2015 8:18:23 GMT
Craig Cachopa and Auckland both off the boil again in yesterday's Ford Trophy 50 over game against Central Districts www.espncricinfo.com/ford-trophy-2014-15/engine/match/772839.html. Auckland's 225 was very much below par and Central Districts got home with more than 4 overs to spair. Craig Cachopa scored 12. Next game is against Wellington on 12 January. Auckland are still second on points and hope to qualify for a preliminary finals series and possible Grand Finals tie. |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Jan 10, 2015 11:46:00 GMT
Another phenomenal finish to a Melbourne Stars BBL game. Needing one run off the last ball to beat the Melbourne Renegades after once more cruising to victory, yet choking at the last fence, a 3rd umpire review was required to confirm that the Renegades keeper, Matthew Wade, did not hit the stumps with the ball thus ruling out a run out. Some commentators are saying this was the most exciting finish to a T20 game yet and once more highlights the growing success and popularity of the BBL. Sadly, Luke Wright's light is quickly fading after another 4 run disappointment, yet KPs light is shining bright as his form continues to improve scoring 49 off 49 balls. Ben Stokes instant impact for the Renegades continues with 14 off 15 balls and 2 wickets for 22 runs. MS move on to 6 points and are now in touch with the leading league group. www.espncricinfo.com/big-bash-league-2014-15/engine/match/756777.html |
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 13, 2015 6:41:52 GMT
Craig Cachopa and Auckland both return to form in Auckland's 4 wicket win over Wellington, with CC scoring a comparatively sedate 44. www.espncricinfo.com/ford-trophy-2014-15/engine/match/772845.htmlThe win places Auckland 2nd to Central Districts with one more round (against Northern Districts on 18 Jan) to play before the Finals stage. As far as I can see from the competition rules and points system, both somewhat arcane, Auckland will play Central Districts in the First Preliminary Final (yes, really!) on Sat 24th Jan, with the winner of that match facing the winner of the 3rd/4th place in the league round on Sun Feb 1 in the Final, That's the final Final. Anyway, Cachopa has 287 runs from 6 innings so far, making him the 4th highest scorer in the tournament behind a clutch of Central Districts players. I can't help thinking that a semi-final tie between 1st and 2nd from a field of 6 is going to devalue the Final, but I hope that Craig and Auckland will prevail. |
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Post by jonfilby on Jan 13, 2015 9:39:23 GMT
Another phenomenal finish to a Melbourne Stars BBL game. Needing one run off the last ball to beat the Melbourne Renegades after once more cruising to victory, yet choking at the last fence, a 3rd umpire review was required to confirm that the Renegades keeper, Matthew Wade, did not hit the stumps with the ball thus ruling out a run out. Some commentators are saying this was the most exciting finish to a T20 game yet and once more highlights the growing success and popularity of the BBL. Sadly, Luke Wright's light is quickly fading after another 4 run disappointment, yet KPs light is shining bright as his form continues to improve scoring 49 off 49 balls. Ben Stokes instant impact for the Renegades continues with 14 off 15 balls and 2 wickets for 22 runs. MS move on to 6 points and are now in touch with the leading league group. www.espncricinfo.com/big-bash-league-2014-15/engine/match/756777.htmlA bit like Sussex T20 in 2014 really - four of our first six games went to the last ball. |
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 19, 2015 8:20:20 GMT
Craig Cachopa, 23 years old on the day before Auckland's final league game in the Ford Trophy, celebrated with 80 and helped Auckland to a 1 wicket victory against Northen Districts that keeps them 2nd. He has scored 367 runs at an average of 52.42 this year in 50 over games, with a strike-rate of 107.94. Let's hope he can keep that form going to bringback to Sussex in the Spring.
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 20, 2015 15:46:34 GMT
Amongst the numerous comings and goings to the A team and the England Performance Programme team members in South Africa , Matt Hobden will be joining the EPP as one of 6 young fast bowlers to spend three weeks working on strength, conditioning and bowling with a group of ECB coaches. www.ecb.co.uk/news/articles/wood-replaces-overton-one-day-squadGlad that bowling is included, even as an afterthought, because the ECB coaching programme has a knack of crucifying young fast bowlers. Dunn and Craig Overton have just been crocked this winter, and so in the past was his brother, Jamie Overton, who returns for more of the same in the same group as Hobden. Good luck, Matt! |
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 21, 2015 9:37:22 GMT
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 21, 2015 12:59:47 GMT
Luke Wright has long gone off the boil, and even Pietersen fluffed his lines, but Melbourne Stars surged on to another win today against Perth Scorchers or Scourers, or something like that www.espncricinfo.com/big-bash-league-2014-15/engine/match/756795.htmlWright now has 139 runs in the tournament at 17.37, crucially with a strike rate of 132.28, and 6 catches. Stars are now 4rd in the table and will compete in the semi-finals, to be held next weekend 24th and 25th January, with the final on the 28th (Wednesday). |
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Post by coverpoint on Jan 21, 2015 19:00:24 GMT
Amongst the numerous comings and goings to the A team and the England Performance Programme team members in South Africa , Matt Hobden will be joining the EPP as one of 6 young fast bowlers to spend three weeks working on strength, conditioning and bowling with a group of ECB coaches. www.ecb.co.uk/news/articles/wood-replaces-overton-one-day-squadGlad that bowling is included, even as an afterthought, because the ECB coaching programme has a knack of crucifying young fast bowlers. Dunn and Craig Overton have just been crocked this winter, and so in the past was his brother, Jamie Overton, who returns for more of the same in the same group as Hobden. Good luck, Matt! Matt isn't the only Sussex fast bowler named in a development squad as Paige Scholfield and Tara Norris have also been selected for a pace bowling programme. Paige is now at Loughborough university. Tara, a member of the under 17s is a surprise selection as I would have expected Freya Davies to have been selected instead. |
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 25, 2015 9:12:03 GMT
Only 6 for Craig Cachopa, and in fact the three brothers only got 8 between then, although Craig did hold 3 catches but Auckland beat Central Districts by 45 runs,and with 6 overs to spare to win the first preliminary final of the Ford Trophy www.espncricinfo.com/ford-trophy-2014-15/engine/match/772863.htmlAuckland will now play the winner of Central Districts v Otago on 1st February. Having elected to use his Portuguese passport to play first classcricket in England he is now unable to play first class cricket in the Plunket Shield in New Zealand as he is classed as an overseas player,bizarrely! Presumably that final 50 over game will be the last of his winter's cricket,but he's shown great form and confirmed the fine impression he made here last year. It is a great mystery why New Zealand did not want him for their A team last year. |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Jan 25, 2015 12:23:16 GMT
Melbourne Stars lose their third semi-final game in 3 years but both Wright and Pietersen hold their heads high with 31 runs a piece. Opponents Perth Scorchers scored 144 - a very gettable score - yet MS dismally fell short at 128 all out. Sadly, they are gaining a reputation of being semi-finalist chokers. Again, Yasir Arafat was strong for PS with figures of 22-2 when being on a hatrick ball in the previous contest after getting Wright and then KP (out for a golden). Arafat has taken 14 wickets at an average of 18.14, placing him third in the bowling team's stats. One wonders why Robinson let Arafat go to Hampshire? Having interviewed Yasir whilst playing for 'Lashings' against Newick CC in mid-summer, he was desperate to remain with Sussex for this impending T20 season. Perhaps, buying Mills and Shahzad left little money in the Club coffers. Although, the decision was made before the two signings occurred. Meanwhile, Luke Wright comes third in the MS batting averages, scoring 170 runs at an average of 18.89. Pietersen easily heads the team stats with 293 runs at 41.86. For Luke it has been an average tournament, whilst for KP he's back to his best. www.melbournestars.com.au/team/team-statswww.perthscorchers.com.au/team/team-stats |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Jan 26, 2015 11:57:53 GMT
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Jan 28, 2015 13:07:20 GMT
The 'Big Bash' final ended between the Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers in a similar dramatic fashion to the general tournament
with the winning run coming from the final ball.
Arafat bunts to the leg side and the batsmen take off. A throw comes bouncing in from mid-wicket but with Arafat
a mile short of his ground Moises Henriques fumbles his take at the stumps and the Scorchers are home! What a
sensational finish! The Scorchers are back-to-back Big Bash champions in dramatic circumstances. They’ve won this
one by 4 wickets from the final delivery of the game. They’re elated and swarm the ground to congratulate Arafat and
Carberry. What. A. Finish.
Great to see that our own Yasir had such an impact on the tournament. His bowling improved as the competition
progressed. Lucky old Hampshire which once more begs the question why did Sussex let him go when Yasir was
so keen to remain for the T20 2015 season. Was it just about money?
Delighted that a fair number of England batsmen did well in the Big Bash this year with even Flintoff having
his moment and Pietersen being viewed by many as the star of the tournament.
For how much longer will a potential EPL be discussed now the competition is over is anyone's guess, but no doubt the
polarisation of opinion will continue again next December-January like a hamster's treadwheel.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Jan 28, 2015 15:40:50 GMT
Here are the final Big Bash stats. BattingMichael Klinger headed the run total with 326 runs from 10 matches at an average of 36.22. Yet Pietersen, although coming second in the table, scored 293 runs but from 8 matches at an average of 41.86 and why many are saying KP was the star of the tournament. Michael Carberry comes 5th with 266 runs with Michael Lumb at 6th, one run behind him. Luke Wright hit 170 runs for the 'Melbourne Stars' from 9 games at an average of 18.89. BowlingJohn Hastings from the 'Melbourne Stars' was the outstanding bowler - 16 wickets from 9 games at an average of 15.38. Truly outstanding. And Sussex were so close to having him for the 2013 T20 season bar his ankle injury. Yasir comes third with a highly respectable 15 wickets from 10 games at an average of 19.47. While Brett Lee holds his head up high with 13 wickets and contributed to one of the most exciting finals - nay, last over - in Big Bash history. Another Aussie great who will be sorely missed by his retirement. While, it's fitting that Sean Abbot resides in the top 10 bowlers. Huge congratulations to 'Cricket Australia' and all the players involved for making this year's BBL the most exciting Franchise tournament to date and for attracting tens of thousands of new people to the sport. Onward to December and the next round of the pros and cons of holding an EPL (!) www.bigbash.com.au/match-centre/series-statsPS: The IPL auction is to be held on February 16th. As of yet, there is no final list of England players who are putting themselves forward as the deadline is not until February 4th. 'Cricinfo' state Eion Morgan and Ravi Bopara are two who already have. One imagines Kevin Pietersen, who was released from the Delhi Daredevils last year, is chomping at the bit along with those others who did well in the BBL. KP along with Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik and Hashim Amla have each attracted the highest base price of Rs20 crore. Fortunately, Luke has declined the IPL this year, so he can place his full focus on Sussex and his Benefit year. Hopefully, he has ended the BBL uninjured and no doubt is raring to go on April 12th. His opening Benefit lunch at the 'Brighton Grand Hotel' on March 6th where Andrew Strauss is an honorary guest is now fully booked. |
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