Slogfest Round One
By Grockle
June 13 2003
New games - new rules - same old problems. Even though Cox and Dutch look immense, we still can't put together a win - even in the new 20/20 scheme. Were we impressed? It's very quick but I'm not sure it's for me yet!
WARWICKSHIRE 20/20 - 13 June 2003
Well here we are, the future is upon
us. Strange rules let's see how it goes.
The team;
Gazzard - Cox - Blackwell - Burns -
Parsons - Dutch - Durston - Turner - Laraman - Francis - Jones
Knight
opens with 10 off first with 6 to River end off Burns. Trott goes to Laraman for 2 in 1.5
overs - 12 for 1. Ostler sprinting to wicket
(you've only got 90 secs to get there). Over
3 is from Frankie, Burnsy is varyin it a bit then!. After 4.3 overs Knight is caught by
Blacky and Warwickshire are 33 for 2. 37 after 5 and the fielding restrictions go at end
of next which sees Jonah on at Old Pavilion. 16 off the over brings the 50 up in
5th. But a brilliant catch from KP sends Ostler on his way at 66 in 7.5 for 23.
Wes
Durston gets a go next at the Old Pavilion and gets a wicket from first ball - 66
for 4 - straight down Burns throat. Then worryingly, Keith Parsons twists his knee
going for a ball but seems OK. There is actually 2 off Wes's over but Keith has gone off
by the end of it and Gareth Andrew in on for him and remains for the rest of the Bears'
innings.
Dutchy now comes on at the River end, he is the 7th bowler used in first 10. Warwickshire reach 74 for 4 at halfway point and at 76 another one goes down as Ian Bell is out but they still manage to bring the 100 up in 13.3overs.. 127 for 3 at 15 - Burns is varying his bowlers regularly so batsmen don't get settled but his side are still going for a lot.
Trevor
Penney moves to 50 at 150 for 5 in the 16th. But Wes gets another in the shape of Penney
for 52 at 155 for 6 - caught Cox. The batsmen will take the fielder on and Wagg does and
fails to Cox - 170 for 7 with 1 over to go.
Wes is
given the last over and they take 18 - 187 at the end - 9 an over.
So we
come to the Somerset reply. Cox and Gazzard start 9 off 1st. This is quickly
followed by 14 off 3 balls for Cox in 2nd and a score of 24 for 0 after 2. He then takes
10 off 2 balls in 3rd leading to 34 off 3 - well above the required rate and it is
all looking remarkably rosey!. Wagg finally gets Gazzard at 49 and Blackwell first ball -
oh dear 49 for 2. That fair takes the wind out of our sails. Our great
allrounder is not there to steer us majestically to victory - it all seems to fall apart
from here on in!
50
comes up at 4.4 as Dutchy gets off the mark. It has moved to 60 at 6 and the fielders get
to go where they like. 73 for 2 at 7overs - tootling along nicely. Duchy is catching Cox fast but only one batsman
seems to be scoring!
Dutchy
hits 50 at 13.1 and it is great to see him doing this one day stuff the way we know he can
- 119 for 4. Wes puts a 6 through the fielder's hands but that is followed by
immediate LBW to Smith - we are running out of batsmen and it's getting hairy. Keith
Parsons arrives with a runner (Cox) - the knee must be bad. and although he puts up a
fight, he is out to a brilliant C&B off Wagg. We're slowing and are only on 133
for 6 at 15. Laraman returns to the fray and sticks his first ball straight up in the air
- 133 for 7.
145 at 16.1 Dutchy flat bats six to the Old Pavilion he is still fighting but he's running out of mates to help and we are 148 with 3 overs to go. Back comes Unis on 41 off 18. Noddy is still on 1 and doesn't look anything like the stroke playing one dayer he was last year.. He manages to trebles his score to take us to 151 but it is all becoming academic.
We need 34 off 2 - and we have no chance. Oboya colmes back on for 19th and we now need 31 off 8 as Rob goes home scoring 6 - 158 for 8. Jonah's in but it's almost all over when he's LBW with last ball of 19th.
30 off
6
29 off 5 which in turn leads to...
25 off
4
25 off
3
21 off
2
20 off
1
Dutch
caught for 70 off last ball and we lose by 19!!
What
do we think? It was OK. You need to keep the
press on all the time. No batsman can be
allowed to get in. No bowler can stay on if they go for some and the fielding has to be
excrement hot. Is it worth seeing? It's over a bit quick but it is fun for those
who've never seen the game before.
Will it catch on? No but it was an experience and it did allow three hours of relaxation after the drudge of work. Pity they've put it on during the exam period for most older school kids but let's see how it progresses.
Will we progress in it? Not on today's showing, although we did post the second highest score of the day in losing and would have won every other match had we been playing in them!
On to Scotland on Saturday - can't wait for the 'real thing'!