I'm ruling the Twenty20!
6 matches, 6 wins (Stading at 12 points to the next highest of 8), NRR of like 4. Brilliant
With the ball: All Afridi. He's been fantastic. Always under 7 an over, 3/17 in one game, 4/22 in another, 4/27 in yet another, just brilliant. Botha has been very tight too. Hunter and Dean have kept the RR below 9, picking up the odd wicket. Vs. Nottinghamshire, Hunter took 2 wickets in his first over, 2 play and misses to start the second, followed by another 3rd ball. 2-0-7-3 and finished with 4/33. Dean's been ok. North took 3 wickets in one game to single-handedly turn it around. TThe first 3 or so wins in the T20 were squeakers, one was were they needed 7 off the last over, like 6 wickets in hand. They were cruising at one point, but North took his 3 wickets and there was a new allrounder at one end and Sayers on 70 odd on the other. Moss had bowled one over for 6. So, with no one else, I took the risk and gave him the ball. First ball was a dot, second a single to Sayers (Who moved on to 79). Then the allrounder. 4 balls, 6 needed. A dot ball, then a two. 4 in two. He swings and misses. 4 needed off the last ball, and...
Hit straight to the fielder! Dot ball and a 3 run victory!
Batting: North and Bassano have 2 fifties each. Moss has some useful innings, slow ones but handy since he comes in late and tries to prevent collapses. Afridi has a lot of 20+ scores, but only one fifty off 30 balls, which featured an opening over which read 4 4 4 4 2 4!! (Screenie below)! But hasn't gone on to build any big knocks. Hewson has some decent knocks, Goddard hasn't done much in limited chances, Botha has clubbed a few fours when needed. French did OK, a suprising 39 off 27 in one match, but not much in other innings. But bowling-allrounder Ford (Youth) has been a suprise. I gave him a few FC games a while back, two 40+ scores (One which included 2 sixes and 5 fours, at one stage in that he was 35 off 22), a 30+ and a low score. So he suprised me since he didn't score much in OD games, and only took 1/175 combined in like 30-40 overs in both games total. So, I had him at three. He's been expensive in the T20, but bowled the odd useful over or taken the useful wicket, but his batting has been suprising. No fifties, highest of 46, but some useful scores nonetheless.
So, looks like I am improving. Season drawing closer to an end, I am hoping to win the T20 championship.
Next season, I'm dumping Spendlove, Sutton and maybe French. French has been...unsusual. When I least expect him to do well, he scores very useful and crucial innings (One was a 75 at 3 on a difficult pitch with very overcast conditions against a strong bowling attack -forget which county but it had RSA player J.Louw in it- coming in at 3), but when the pressure is on him or when he is facing bowling he is usually comfortable against (Spin) he fails. Has been averaging 35+ in FC, 3 fifties, need to see how well he does in the remainder of the season before dropping him.
Paget hasn't played much this season, bar a game vs. Sri Lanka. 50 over friendly, took 2/52 off his quota but had a dropped catch on the boundary by Dean which went for four, so should have beem 3/48. Not bad though, promise is there. At the end of this season I have to renew his contract, so depending on his wage Botha will stay or go. He's done well Paget this season, avg. 27 in Second Team, economy rate of 3.5-3.6. Not bad.
Havell, Lungley, Walker, maybe even hunter will all leave too.
EDIT: make it 7 in 7
I'm on fire!!
