Denly gets the nod for the Stanford Millions
(Denly is one of a few bold inclusions in England's Stanford squad.)
Joe Denly is one of 3 big inclusions with one surprise selection from the England Selectors. Joe Denly, Rob Key, Graham Napier are the 3 big name inclusions to be selected for the Stanford 20/20 Series. But the England selectors produced one shock surprise when they announced that Middlesex youngster Dawid Malan.
Middlesex youngster Dawid Malan has had a great Twenty20 campaign when he helped Middlesex to become Twenty20 champions. Malan scored 306 runs at an average of 61.20 to help create a solid middle order for Middlesex. Malan scored his runs at a strike rate of over a 100 and played in 12 of Middlesex's matches batting 10 times for them with 5 not outs. One of his most notable innings was that off when they played Lancashire across the Thames at the Oval. Malan came in with the score at 21/4 and was only one of 3 players to score in double figures. He scored 103 in 54 balls with 10 4's and 6 6's. He singlehandedly took them to a score of 176 for 7 off there 20 overs when at one stage it looked as if Middlesex would crumble and give Lancashire an easy win. Malan also came on and bowled the solitary over which went for 3 runs to continue his grip over Lancashire.
The 3 other big names inclusions were Kent's opening partnership of Robert Key and Joe Denly and the big hitting, fast bowling Essex played Graham Napier. It was one innings for Napier that kick started his season after playing most of the season up to that point in the 2nd XI he came into the Essex line up and hit 152* against Sussex while hitting a record 16 sixes in the process. His 152 came off 58 balls taking Essex to 242-3. Napier later admitted he had nearly walked away from the game when he didn't get a look in for the 1st team. Napier not only is a big hitter but bowls fast as well with Twenty20 best bowling figures of 4/10. He will look to provide some lusty lower/middle order hitting and getting bounce and pace out of the Stanford pitch.
Both Denly and Key had excellent 20/20 campaigns for the runners up Kent. Denly was the leading run scorer in the whole competition averaging 34 but amassing a total of over 450 runs. The next highest run scorer was 60 runs behind him. Key managed to get himself 345 runs at an average of 26 both having strike rates of over 100. They will be looking to take their form to the West Indies and help England claim the prize money and the bragging rights.
The rest of the squad is as you would expect with no other big name surprises. Harmison is included for his pace and bounce after his recent return to International cricket after new skipper Kevin Pietersen asked him to return. Ravi Bopara joins fellow Essex team mate Napier in the squad for the series. The main casualties for missing the squad are Ryan Sidebottom who is still struggling with some niggling injuries, Samit Patel is preferred to Graeme Swann and Alistair Cook is not included.
England's 15 Man Squad for the Stanford Super Series in the West Indies;
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire) (C), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Joe Denly (Kent), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Rob Key (Kent), Graham Napier (Essex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Matt Prior (Sussex) (WK), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Luke Wright (Sussex)
Stanford Squad for the Stanford Super Series;
Lionel Baker (Montserrat), Sulieman Benn (Barbados), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Guyana), Lennox Cush (Guyana), Travis Dowlin (Guyana) Replacement for Xavier Marshall, Rayad Emrit (Trinidad & Tobago), Andre Fletcher (Grenada) WK, Chris Gayle (Jamaica), Chad Hampson (Antigua and Barbuda), Lyndon James (St Vincent) WK, Sylvester Joseph (Antigua and Barbuda), Dave Mohammed (Trinidad & Tobago), Kieron Pollard (Trinidad & Tobago), Darren Powell (Jamaica), Darren Sammy (St Lucia) Replacement for Dwayne Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan (Guyana), Jerome Taylor (Jamaica). Dwayne Bravo and Xavier Marshall both withdrawn.
Schedule for the Stanford Super Series;
Stanford Superstars v Trinidad and Tobago
England v Middlesex
Trinidad and Tobago v Middlesex
England v Trinidad and Tobago
Stanford Superstars v Middlesex
Stanford Superstars v England
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