Live update Drinks -- 25th over -- projected target 238
grant 140/4 needs another 98 runs with six wickets and 155 balls remaining.
Near the halfway stage the match is interestingly poised. Team grant has the run rate required well under control but has to be vary of a possible collapse, CA's bowlers asking all sorts of questions, adding nine runs to the projected target.
In the first fifteen overs it had been all plain sailing for grant, though. Bairstow (51 off 45) and Strauss (57 off 54) started with a fluent century partnership before Woakes (3/71), who had been expensive early on, removed both. Andrich Nortje (3/36) then bounced out Virat Kohli for a three-ball duck. And just before drinks Amit Mishra trapped Rassie van der Dussen (32 off 43) lbw. The leggie is again starting to find the turn he so enjoyed in Bulawayo back in 2013 and looks dangerous. On the other hand Nicholas Pooran has settled in well and Jos Buttler walks out like a man on a mission ...
As for my team, unless the roll of the dice brought up one of those Zimbabwe 2013 innings or his final series vs NZ in India for Amit Mishra, it is curtains. The fat lady is preparing herself...
grant 229/8 beats CrimsonAvenger 228/8 by two wickets with 28 balls remaining
Set 238 in their batting innings to win, team grant slumped to a perilous 178/6 when Amit Mishra (4/29) removed Pooran (34 off 35) and Jos Buttler (4) in quick succession. Faulkner and Brett Lee, new at the crease, went about the task in hand in contrasting styles. While Faulkner started with utmost watchfulness, Lee (11 off 6) decided to go after Lockie Ferguson (2/64) who soon had his revanche when Lee skied a clever slower ball. Faulkner was finally run out run out for 25 off 49 balls off the bowling of DJ Bravo (0/54), but Rashid Khan (24*) took his side home and ensured a memorable win for grant in this second edition of the ZCF Simulation Cricket Playoffs. CrimsonAvengers bowlers gave their all as they tried defend the lowish target set by their batsmen, taking twelve wickets for 254 runs, i.e. 219 runs conceded.
MOM
Rashid Khan
Last edited by foreignfield on Fri Jun 12, 2020 7:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Congrats grant! We tried our best. Amit Mishra came good exactly when he needed to. But the expensive initial spell of Chris Woakes was the death knell in the end. Still, Woakes and Gambhir were the pick among our batsmen and bowlers through the tournament.
Congrats grant! We tried our best. Amit Mishra came good exactly when he needed to. But the expensive initial spell of Chris Woakes was the death knell in the end. Still, Woakes and Gambhir were the pick among our batsmen and bowlers through the tournament.
Hahah, thanks CrimsonAvenger! I'm surprised I managed to win the tournament despite Virat Kohli and Rashid Khan not producing any of the match winning performances they are known for. At the halfway mark, I was like 80 percent certain that Amit Mishra was gonna spin your side to victory somehow.
That was intense. The match reports were a great read, foreignfield!