[Draft 2] The Playoffs -- Season Two

[foreignfield]

It seems a bit of a shame to lay our carefully drafted post 2010 ODI sides to rest after what was for some a too brief outing in the first edition of the playoffs, expertly orchestrated by Kriterion_BD, yet still waiting for an official result from the final.

I had a lot of fun with the alternative simulations I ran, even more so with the one random match format I used for the last two games. A round robin or league format seems a stretch too far at this point, but I'm keen do have another tournament with straight knock-out matches, using my slightly improved previous model.

Rules:
One random post-2010 match per player (using a random number generator); if a proper batsman is not out way below his average or a bowler who needs to bat didn't bat in the match chosen, I will throw the dice again and choose a random battings innings.
Runs and balls faced are tallied up for batters in the given batting order until 300 balls are reached. If a Manager wants to change his batting order for the entire tournament drop me a line below.
All bowling counts. If your bowlers and all-rounders bowl more than 50 overs between them, the extra overs are deducted from the bowling analysis of your worst bowler on the day. If you bowl less than 50, the missing overs are added to the tally of your best frontline bowlers who have overs remaining. Bonus for wickets taken, i.e. deduction from the RR conceded: 8-10 (0.1 deduction each), 11+ (0.2 deduction each), 4 or less (+ 0.1)
Wicketkeeping: byes are counted against the bowling side; 5 run penalty to the bowling side if the designated keeper (or a possible stand-in) didn't keep in his random match; bonus for dismissals >2 (0.1 deduction from the RR conceded)

[foreignfield]

Random Draw
see revised draw below

[foreignfield]

Changes to the batting order for the first match are possible within the next 24 hours; for the other squads within the next 48 hours.

[foreignfield]

Revised batting order foreignfield

Tendulkar
Hafeez
Dravid
Misbah
Shakib
Oram
Chanderpaul
Taibu (wk)
Bond
Ngidi
Tait

Quick runs from the middle order have eluded me in the first edition, and therefore Shakib, who has been in fine form with the bat, gets promoted to his more natural no. 5 slot, with Oram also more comfortable at no. 6. With Dravid and Misbah I still have enough slowish stickability up top, so 300 still looks far off.

I would ask the managers to use common sense should they revise their batting orders, i.e. no fantasy pinch-hitters please; the Spirit of Simulation Cricket & Rules Committee (SRC) will keep an eye on proceedings.

[eugene]

I wonder if it would ever make sense to reverse the batting orders? Leave all the batsmen for the final 30 over acceleration?

[jaybro]

Can I make Rohit captain?

Can I make Mahela bowl ?

[CrimsonAvenger]

Can we include my best of the rest side too?

[foreignfield]

Can I make Rohit captain?

Can I make Mahela bowl ?

There's no bonus for captains in my model, so it doesn't really matter who you chose.

Yes, Mahela bowls if he bowled in the match chosen with the use of the random number generator. In your case it's more likely that Duminy gets a bowl, though. So whoever in your side bowled in "his" match will have his bowling counted for the simulation.

Having more bowling options could be a bonus, same as in real life cricket. If a side relies on five bowlers only, all five will have their bowling analysis scaled to 10 overs each; if one bowled two overs of crap it could become ugly = 10 overs of crap. On the other hand the extra bowlers could of course also go for plenty, but one dreadful over by JP Duminy will, in all probability, only cost you that one over because you should have enough better bowling options to fill the full 50 overs.

Btw, I will use the same discretion for bowlers as for not-out batsmen. If a frontline bowler, due to the match situation, only bowled one ball for four runs in "his" match, I will look at a different bowling innings rather than, in the worst possible scenario, counting 240 runs against his name from his 10 overs.

[foreignfield]

Can we include my best of the rest side too?

Ah, yes, sure, I forgot. I will do a new draw. Could you post your line-up here again?

[CrimsonAvenger]

Here it is!

Gautam Gambhir (bat)
Virender Sehwag (bat)
Ian Bell (bat)
Shreyas Iyer (bat)
George Bailey (C, bat)
Alex Carey (WK, bat)
Dwayne Bravo (bowl)
Chris Woakes (bowl)
Amit Mishra (bowl)
Lockie Fergusson (bowl)
Anrich Nortje (bowl)