NationStates Jolt Archive

Cricket Schiavonia have been preparing their best pitches (OK, scorinator) across the Forty-Six Islands in preparation for a domestic cricket league. Then they thought, hey, why not invite teams from around the world to our country?

So that's what they decided to do. After seeing various levels of success with cricket tournaments in the past, they set their sights at being one of the minority of Cricket World Cups that have actually been completed. By our reckoning, there have been about seven attempts before, so this one we will be calling World Cup VIII.

The format is simple. You sign up, and your team plays. No need to submit players with different skill levels or anything like that as in cups gone by. Of course, without any official rankings, RPing will help, what with the bonus from it being the only seperating factor between the quality of the teams.

At present, there is just this One Day International (games of 50 overs maximum per side) tournament planned by Cricket Schiavonia, although a growth in popularity would encourage them to set up a new NationStates Cricket Council (NSCC), in which teams would play at first only ODIs and later also Test Matches (two innings of unlimited overs lasting five days maximum) and Twenty20 (games of 20 overs maximum per side).

Group 1
Patrico
Bazalonia
Milchama
Quakmybush
Vilita
Del Riso

Group 2
Krytenia
Anastasiania
The Islands of Qutar
Yafor 2
Myppl
Schiavonia


Fixtures


Matchday 1

Patrico v Bazalonia (KJCG, Kingsbury)
Milchama v Quakmybush (Hyde Park, Chea)
Vilita v Del Riso (Hillshade, Welkay)
Krytenia v Anastasiania (Backstreets, Melston)
The Islands of Qutar v Yafor 2 (Gatenby Park, Sedgefield)
Myppl v Schaivonia (The Launch Pad, Spacewill)


Matchday 2

Patrico v Milchama (Hocke Park, Threlo)
Quakmybush v Del Riso (The Beach, Mirkwell)
Bazalonia v Vilita (Gatenby Park, Sedgefield)
Krytenia v The Islands of Qutar (Backstreets, Melston)
Yafor 2 v Schiavonia (KJCG, Kingsbury)
Anastasiania v Myppl (Hillshade, Welkay)


Matchday 3

Bazalonia v Milchama (The Launch Pad, Spacewill)
Quakmybush v Vilita (Hyde Park, Chea)
Patrico v Del Riso (Hocke Park, Threlo)
Anastasiania v The Islands of Qutar (Gatenby Park, Sedgefield)
Yafor 2 v Myppl (The Beach, Mirkwell)
Krytenia v Schiavonia (Hillshade, Welkay)


Matchday 4

Patrico v Vilita (The Launch Pad, Spacewill)
Bazalonia v Quakmybush (KJCG, Kingsbury)
Milchama v Del Riso (Backstreets, Melston)
Krytenia v Myppl (The Beach, Mirkwell)
Anastasiania v Yafor 2 (Hyde Park, Chea)
The Islands of Qutar v Schiavonia (Hocke Park, Threlo)


Matchday 5

Patrico v Quakmybush (The Beach, Mirkwell)
Bazalonia v Del Riso (The Launch Pad, Spacewill)
Milchama v Vilita (Hyde Park, Chea)
The Mushroom Kingship v Yafor 2 (Hocke Park, Threlo)
Anastasiania v Krytenia (Backstreets, Melston)
The Islands of Qutar v Myppl (Hillshade, Welkay)


The top three from each group will then go onto the "Super Six", a second group stage where results against other qualifiers from the previous group count towards the standings.

Matchday 6

Winner 1 v Second 2 (KJCG, Kingsbury)
Second 1 v Winner 2 (Gatenby Park, Sedgefield)
Third 1 v Third 2 (Backstreets, Melston)


Matchday 7

Winner 1 v Third 2 (Hocke Park, Threlo)
Winner 2 v Third 1 (Hillshade, Welkay)
Second 1 v Second 2 (Gatenby Park, Sedgfield)


Matchday 8

Winner 1 v Winner 2 (KJCG, Kingsbury)
Second 1 v Third 2 (The Launch Pad, Spacewill)
Second 2 v Third 3 (Hyde Park, Chea)


Matchday 9 (semi-finals)

SS1 v SS4 (KJCG, Kingsbury)
SS2 v SS3 (Gatenby Park, Sedgefield)


Matchday 10 (final)

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (King Francesco Stadium, Kingsbury)

Vee eye elle aye tea eh?

I hereby sign up for this

Yes, please. :)

i don't remember a 1 thru 7 but whatever i sign up

wow sounds good, but noobish here would like to know how to play if thats ok...?

Basically, all that happens is I put the teams into the scorinator, it produces a result, then people write about it. Quite a simple concept, really. A bit like most of the sports RP threads that are around on NS. Just look through the forums and you'll see examples of cycling, surfing, ice hockey, football... just about any sport you can think of has probably been RPed at some point.

Sign me up, Schia'.

although i dont understand this game at all (I find it intersting to watch though)

we sign up

We'll play but we most likely won't RP

Cricket Schiavonia Announce Stadia

King Francesco Stadium, Kingsbury
Capacity - 63,000
http://www.tdv.at/photos/prater_sta/astadion2k.jpg

The King Francesco Stadium is the centre of the Schiavone sports scene. What with it being the national stadium and what have you. It isn't usually home to cricket, but the ground staff have had time to prepare a special pitch that will be brought into the centre of the stadium for the final.


King James Cricket Ground, Kingsbury
Capacity - 37,750
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Kingsbury.gif

The home of Schiavone Cricket, the KJCG is on Kingsbury Rock, and so is in an ideal location for either a peaceful day's cricket with a lovely view, or a party to celebrate the game. Whatever floats your boat.



Gatenby Park, Sedgefield
Capacity - 30,400
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Sedgefield.jpg

Sedgefield is in the sports-mad South East of Schiavonia and has one of the most diverse communities in the country. So any sport is well catered for here. It's usually more sunny than in this picture, though.



Hocke Park, Threlo
Capacity - 22,130
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/threlo.jpg

Threlo is the centre of Schiavonia's not-that-big celtic community. This is their cricket ground, not far from their other general purpose sports stadium Shamrock Park.



Backstreets, Melston
Capacity - 18,900
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Melston.jpg

Backstreets started out exactly how it sounds - as a patch of grass amongst Melston's backstreets. As the sport's popularity has grown, so has the ground. Well, as far as it can. There's houses all around, and windows nearby are regularly broken.



The Launch Pad, Spacewill
Capacity - 27,908
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Spacewill.jpg

In Spacewill, Schiavonia's little known fourth biggest city, cricket is the major sport. So The Launch Pad is an integral part of life in this area of the country. This place is cared for deeply, despite it's slightly ramshackle appearance.


Hillshade, Welkay
Capacity - 21,200
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Welkay.jpg

Welkay is famous for both it's lake to the south, where football is the main sport, and the hills to north, where it isn't. Cricket is just one of a number of sports to prevail here, although the costs of flattening a bit of land to build this ground on were pretty high be Schiavone standards.


The Beach, Mirkwell
Capacity - 10,000
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Mirkwell.jpg

Well, what an original name this place has. It's by the beach, so what do the call it? The Beach. Needless to say, Mirkwell isn't Schiavonia's intellectual capital.


Hyde Park, Chea
Capacity - 22,100
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/Chea.jpg

Hyde Park in Chea is right next to the football ground, Green Park, home of Chea Greens. It is one of Schiavonia's oldest cricket grounds. Which you can tell just by going there.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/SCG/cricketmap.jpg

Ahhh Hocke Parke, A.K.A The Rosebowl, I think I was there when that photo was taken, at least I remember the Cherry Picker....

Anyone else here a die hard Hampshire fan?
Anywho I sign up.

The Dominion of Del Riso accept the invitation, and hope to not get slaughtered in the country's first ever foray into international sports.

If there's no more signups, we'll conduct the draw at about 17:30 BST (in around seven hours time.)

Oh, and I'm more of a Durham kinda guy myself. Hence the KJCG a.k.a. the Riverside being our main specialist cricket ground.

Signups are closed, draw and fixtures will appear shortly, feel free to RP away, post rosters/squads/teams/whatever else you might want to call them and just have a general mess around. :)

Captain has (c) listed on their name
|--------------------------------------------------|
|Bat Pos| Name | Speciality |
|--------------------------------------------------|
| 1 | Ross Read | Opening Batter |
| 2 | Frank Opperton | Opening Batter |
| 3 | Trevor Eents | Batter |
| 4 | Shane Gilchrist(c) | All-rounder |
| 5 | Mark Warne | Batter/Keeper |
| 6 | Andrew Lilley | Batter |
| 7 | Roger Bradman | Leg Swing Bowler |
| 8 | Steve Bradman | Medium\Fast Bowler |
| 9 | Everton Invincible | Fielder |
| 10 | John Markus | Leg Spin Bowler |
| 11 | Lukas Trents | Ultra Fast Bowler |
|--------------------------------------------------|
| 12th | Bradley Jones |
|--------------------------------------------------|

ooc: This will be a joint Vilita & Turori effort, my apologies in retrospect!

Hillshade Home for Cricket Cats


The Vilita & Turori Cricket squad will feel right at home for the first match of their Cricket World Cup VIII campaign, after being drawn against Del Riso in the Hillshade in Welkay, Schiavonia. The Hillshade is a perfect location for the squad to experience their first taste of Internationstatal cricket, as both the pitch and the surroundings resemble those at the Vilitan fields in the Morata Valley region.

Despite being a member of the NationStates Cricket Council, InternationStatal cricket has taken a back seat in Vilita for many years due to the lack of a competitive internationstatal competition. However, the rejuvination of the competition, for this the 8th edition in Schiavonia, will be a chance for the Vilitan Cove entry to prove that it has not lost a step during the time off.

The Vilita & Turori Cricket Council will be sending a full squad to the competition, led by head coach Akamoari Ibafauka.

The star of the Vilita & Turori squad is undoubtedbly 21 year old batter Ledley Crowther. Crowther, despite being a poor bowler, is a destructive opener capable of putting the points on the board and keeping up the pace for long spells without getting out. Crowther is likely to be joined by opening partner Dom Garvey, a 23 year old defensive minded All-rounder, also from Vilita. Perhaps the most exciting young player to watch for Vilita & Turori will be 19 year old All-rounder Nigel Mabaso. The spinner, who has been criticized early in his career for a lack of consistency, has really been developing back home and is now looking to be a real threat both protecting and gunning for the wickets during this cup.

The Vilita & Turori Roster:

Batters:

Ledley Crowther (21)
Left-Handed, Destructive, Great Stamina & Concentration, Decent Fielding

Geoff Thorpe (21) Wicket Keeper
Left-Handed, Steady, Good Concentration & Consistency

Danny Greaves (22) Wicket Keeper
Right-Handed, Attacking, Good Concentration & Consistency

Zatiah Bentley (21)
Left-Handed, Attacking, Good Concentration & Fielding

Owen Mistry (24)
Right-Handed, Destructive, Good Concentration & Fielding

William Pollock (20)
Left-Handed, Attacking, Good Concentration & Fielding

Luther Kampa (17)
Left-Handed, Defensive, Good Concentration, Fielding & Leadership

Bowlers:

Richard McDonnell (22) Medium
Right-Handed, Defensive, Good Consistency, Stamina & Fielding

Bernard Wharton (20) Spinner
Right-Handed, Defensive, Great Consistency, Good Batting, Fielding & Stamina

Brendan Donovan (21) Fast
Right-Handed, Destructive, Good Consistency, Fielding, Leadership & Stamina

Waqas Rahimuddin (21) Medium
Left-Handed, Defensive, Great Leadership, Good Consistency & Stamina

Frankie Forster (23) Medium
Right-Handed, Defensive, Good Batting & Consistency


All-Rounders:

Dom Garvey (23) Fast
Right-Handed, Defensive, Great Concentration, Good Consistency & Stamina

Nigel Mabaso (19) Spinner
Right-Handed, Attacking, Good Fielding, Stamina & Keeping

BO Jackson 50 No Bowling
TJ Martin 50 No Bowling
Middle Order: (7)
CAL Klooton 50
TOM Taylor 40 20 LF
PIE Kichnin 50 40 (parttime spinner) LS
All Rounders: (9)
AJ Guyton 35 25 (fast) RF
MAT Techens 35 25 (spinner) SLC
Wicket Keeper: (4)
YON Horovitz 40 No Bowling
Lower Order Batsman: (5)
DAN Kong 25 20 RF
TY Mickens 15 20 (spinner) OS
KEN Thomas 10 30 RMF


Copied straight off the thread from the Donald Bradman Cricket Cup.

**Cricket World Cup VIII (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Cricket_World_Cup_VIII) on NSwiki.**

The Council of Del Risian Cricket has just released the following line-up for the Cricket World Cup VII in Schiavonia:

Openers:
Luke Vittori (lhb) Right Arm Medium
Kevin Innes (rhb) Right Arm Medium

Middle Order:
Charles Edward (rhb)
Adrian Grayson (rhb) Left Arm Slow
Alexi McLean (lhb) Right Arm Fast

Wicket Keepers:
Kevin Warren (rhb)
Theo Craftener (rhb)

All Rounder:
Nixon McNamara (rhb) Right Arm Spinner

Lower Order:
David Alan (rhb) Left Arm Medium Fast
Drew Simons (rhb) Right Arm Medium
John Bradley (rhb)
Simon Andrews (lhb)

((ps, if this makes no sense forgive me, I'm totally new to Cricket and trying to learn, but not entirely sure what I'm doing))

Batting Order Name Speciality
------------- ---- ----------
1. Andrew Ronin Batter
2. Kevin Latouf (c) All-Rounder (Fast Bowler)*
3. James Ball Batter
4. David Jones Batter
5. Harry Smith Batter & Fielder
6. Jack Davenport All-Rounder (Fast Bowler)*
7. Chris Valentine (wk) Batter
8. Thomas Shaw Leg-Spin Bowler
9. Lucas Nevin Fast Bowler
10. Jeremy Hammond Leg-Spin Bowler
11. Timothy Lewis Fast Bowler
* - Opening bowling attack

The Schiavone Scribe
Schiavonia Gears Up For World Cup

Schiavonia's first ever participation in the Cricket World Cup, an event that they are also hosting, has caused tremors of excitement around the country. In some areas, the excitement levels are even exceeding those reached during World Cup xXx.

The main centre of attention is Schiavonia's star fast bowler Derek Ochonga. Ochonga will be playing for Chea-based team Ekychko when the Schiavone domestic league gets under way, but he is seen by most Schiavone supporters as the main threat to opposition batsmen.

"I can't wait to get going!" Ochonga told us, "Cricket in Schiavonia has always been a local thing up until now. Teams would only play others from their own or nearby islands, because the funding wasn't there. The World Cup is going to change all that, with a united team from all over the forty-six islands, as will island representative teams playing each other in a domestic league structure."

Meanwhile, cities such as Spacewill, Melston and Chea, all of which missed out on hosting games during World Cup xXx, are now preparing for their moments in the sporting spotlight.

"Chea is positively buzzing!" Ochonga says of his home town, "And I can only imagine that the feeling across the country is pretty much the same. The squad can't wait to get started."

Oh yeah, the squad. Here's who Schiavonia will have representing them.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y2/NEWI/cricketschiavonia.jpg
Cricket Schiavonia's CWCVIII Squad

TEAM COACH/SELECTOR

Ben Michaels ([Age 49], Hometown: Kingsbury)
One of the top players around the local scenes for many a year, Michaels is thought to have the best knowledge of the sport in the country.

PLAYERS

Peter Hueva (Opening LH batsman, [27], Sedgefield)
Not a quick scorer by any means, but is useful to keep the innings stuck together when things start falling apart.

Eric Mull (Opening RH batsman, [25], Spacewill)
Mull is a good player to get your innings off to a good start. If he gets his eye in, there's absolutely no stopping him!

Frankie Fields (Opening RH batsman, [29], Ramsview)
Fields, quite ironically, is an awful fielder. He can bat up with the best of them, but usually misses out on a starting place due to his poor fielding.

Kirk Smith (RH Batsman, [24], Melston)
Smith is just the cool head needed to come in if an early wicket falls. Can turn up the pace when needed, but is also careful too.

James Young (RH Batsman/Part-time medium bowler, [25], Spacewill)
Young is a hard man to get out, and is good at attacking the right balls and defending at the correct times, too. Can also bowl a bit, but only usually if something needs to be done to mix things up.

Harry Teller (RH Batsman/Pace bowler, [26], Applethorst)
Teller is Schiavonia's big hitter in the middle order, regularly scoring a lot of runs very quickly to give the team a boost. Almost as regularly gets out for a single figure amount. Uses his power to great effect when bowling, too, but can prove to be wayward.

Richard Pench (LH Batsman/Part-time off spin, [32], Welkay)
Pench is an experienced player who can usually see what his team is in need off. Is also their star fielder, often seen taking acrobatic catches at quite close range.

Pete Redson (RH Batsman, [21], Kingsbury)
One for the future, Redson is being prepared as a possible replacement for Pench. Lack of experience counts againt him for now, though.

Vic Ford (RH Batsman/RH Fast Medium bowler, [23], Queensbury)
Is an OK batsman and an OK bowler. If the team needs a small boost in a certain area, expect him to come into the side.

Marco Grezia (LH Batsman/Wicketkeeper, [30], Unimo)
Being from Unimo, cricket was not Grezia's first choice sport growing up. He used to be a goalkeeper for Atletico Unimo's reserve team until the local cricket team realised his potential. Can also chip in with a rapid fire score to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Ellie Turner (RH Batswoman/Wicketkeeper, [22], Kingsbury)
Young Ellie, the only female on the team, is another reformed player from another sport - she used to be a gymnast. Uses all of her athleticism and stretchiness in her role behind the stumps, but can't bat to save her life.

Graham Jenkins (RH Batsman/RH Leg spin, [24], Kingsbury)
Jenkins is not the most popular character for the way that he intimidates opponents, but he is a great bowler who gets unbelievable amounts of spin. Can bat a bit, too.

Phil Underforest (LH Batsman/LH Fast Medium bowler, [35], Heartellpool)
Underforest is getting on a bit, but has great accuracy with his bowling, knows how to put hte ball in the right areas and make life tough for the opposing side.

Stuart Evans (RH Batsman/RH Fast Medium bowler, [26], Charles)
Evans is a strike bowler who tries to get a batsman out every ball, a tactic that can sometimes prove expensive. Supplies vital runs in the lower order, though.

Derek Ochonga (RH Batsman/RH Fast bowler, [20], Chea)
Accurate and fast, Ochonga knows how to keep a batsman on their toes. Loves to hit a few big shots, but often misses.

Colin Herring (LH Batsman/LH Off spin, [27], Melston)
Herring is the best finger spinner in Schiavonia, but will often find his place in the team taken by the more effective wrist spin of Jenkins. A crowd favourite when he does play, though.

Wesley King (RH Batsman/RH Fast medium, [28], Mirkwell)
If he could bat well, he might be a first choice bowler, but with one really bad batsman in the team in Ochonga already, King finds that his chances are limited.


Our first choice line-up is as follows...


P Hueva LH Bat
E Mull RH Bat
K Smith RH Bat
J Young RH Bat RH Medium
H Teller RH Bat RH Fast
R Pench (c) LH Bat LH Off spin
M Grezia (w) LH Bat
G Jenkins RH Bat RH Leg Spin
P Underforest LH Bat LH Fast Medium
S Evans RH Bat RH Fast Medium
D Ochonga RH Bat RH Fast

One quick question.. when does the competition begin?

We'll play but we most likely won't RP

As the only surviving NSCC member, and likely to RP, we insist we replace the Mushroom Kingship!

Anastasianian Test Trials has recently ben held in front of large crowds in the capital Allenby. The tournament was a five-round, three-week round robin of three-day, two-innings maches between the six major regional teams in Anastasianian cricket, held in the capital Allenby, which usually works well as a neutral ground. The tournament had heavy influence on the selection of squads for the World Cup, and the squad was announced at a press conference after the final day of the Lynnytyn v Heino clash in the final round of games.

Round one:

Lynnytyn (302/6d & 145/6) drew with Tey (116 & 371)

Tey escaped with a draw after a poor first-innings showing, with murky skies allowing seamer Petri Lehto to snare six wickets in a scintialling opening spell which sent Tey reeling to 45 for six. Tey totalled 116, which Lynnytyn matched on their 38 overs on the first day, before upping the rate. However, lengthy delays allowed only 11 overs of play after lunch on the second day, and despite more wickets from Lehto, Tey recovered from a tricky position of 114 for 5 after a ton from Richard Douglas in a sixth-wicket partnership of 223. Lehto wrecked havoc with the new ball again, ending with 14 wickets in the match, but 187 in 27 overs was too steep an ask and the game ended in a draw.

Points: Lynnytyn 16 (5 bat, 7 bowl, 4 draw), Tey 4 (4 draw)

Heino (305 & 133/3) bt Svealand (139 & 297 f/o) by seven wickets

Heino eliminated any hope of a Svealand victory with a fine bowling and fielding performance in their first innings, bowling them out for 139 and enforcing the follow on. Svealand fought back, with the lower order chipping in with useful runs, but despite two lengthy rain delays on the final day Heino made their way home in an unspectacular batting performance.

Points: Heino 26 (5 bat, 7 bowl, 14 win), Svealand 2 (2 bowl)

Wickshire (222 & 208/4d) bt Östermanland (74 & 152) by 204 runs

No.s 9 and 11 Matthew Dawson and Richard Wright rivalled each other for Man of the Match honours after Wickshire's comprehensive victory over Östermanland, both shining on the first day. Dawson contributed a massive half-century boosting his side from 105 for eight to 222 all out, while Wright shared the last-wicket stand of 71. Exploiting fine bowling conditions in the night, they whittled Östermanland down to 48 for seven, with Wright taking five of the wickets; change bowlers Allen and Reeves cleaned up. Wickshire batted through the second day, openers Morgan and Jackson adding 126 for the first wicket, before declaring early on the third morning. Östermanland did not put up much of a resistance, and were easily bowled out for 204.

Points: Wickshire 23 (2 bat, 7 bowl, 14 win), Östermanland 4 (4 bowl)

Round two:

Svealand (325 & 17/1) bt Lynnytyn (154 & 183 f/o) by nine wickets

Svealand needed a win after getting routed by Heino, and started by compiling the highest total of the tournament thus far, on the back of solid batting through the order after opener Gustav Ek was bowled for 7. Björn Berglund and Håkan Säfström were dominant before lunch, as Svealand made 126 in the first 30 overs, and solid partnerships throughout made it 325 all out. Lynnytyn started well, making 60 in the first 17 overs, but crumbled to 154 and were forced to follow on - and spinner Anders Arvidsson induced another collapse, from 110 for 1 to 125 for 6, then 140 for 7. Once again Ek disappointed, but Svealand won by nine wickets nevertheless.

Points: Svealand 25 (5 bat, 6 bowl, 14 win), Lynnytyn 2 (1 bat, 1 bowl)

Heino v Wickshire

Heino (138 & 223) lost to Wickshire (263 & 102/4) by six wickets

The top-of-the-table clash saw Heino struggle to 138 in murky conditions, allowing only 54 overs of play on the first day. Once again, Wickshire's lower order contributed healthily, as a fairly even position at 111 for 7 was turned into 263, and though Korhonen and Puputti made half-centuries for Heino, they could only muster 223 in their second innings, as Wright smashed the tail with the new ball. Boundaries then flowed easily, particularly from the bat of Michael Barton, who made an unbeaten 46 in the slightly jittery chase to 102 for four.

Points: Wickshire 25 (4 bat, 7 bowl, 14 win), Heino 3 (3 bowl)

Tey (332) bt Östermanland (154 & 142) by an innings and 36 runs

Östermanland's batsmen showed serious weakness, while Tey's eighth-wicket stand of 130 proved crucial as Tey moved off last place and remained unbeaten. Östermanland lost 16 wickets in a day to fiery Tey bowlers, with Lee Harrison doing the brunt of the damage, taking match figures of seven for 91.

Points: Tey 26 (6 bat, 6 bowl, 14 win), Östermanland 2 (1 bat, 1 bowl)

Round three:

Lynnytyn (404 & 149/3) drew with Wickshire (352/9d)

Lynnytyn's top order batsmen Vesa Salonen and Antti Leppänen impressed local selectors with smashing performances, and Lynnytyn amassed 404 as they aimed to bat only once in the clash with Wickshire. However, Wickshire responded in kind, with Tom Morgan and Andy Jackson adding 159 for the first wicket, and Jackson going on to make 137. Wickshire tried a sporting declaration, but with rain ruining most of the afternoon, Lynnytyn chose to secure the points for the draw.

Points: Lynnytyn 11 (7 bat, 4 draw), Wickshire 10 (6 bat, 4 draw)

Heino (322 & 234) drew with Östermanland (340 & 2/0)

Östermanland's batting woes looked to be solved after big scores from Lars Höglund (84) and Mattias Svensson (51) helped them take a first-innings lead in a game pretty much consigned to a draw after rain ruined the first day and Östermanland batted through to gain confidence. Heino survived 76 overs on the third day to avoid defeat, despite good bowling from first-change allrounder Marcus Blom.

Points: Östermanland 11 (6 bat, 1 bowl, 4 draw), Heino 10 (5 bat, 1 bowl, 4 draw)

Tey (204 & 181) lost to Svealand (233 & 154/3) by seven wickets

Svealand spinner Anders Arvidsson continued to stake his claim for a World Cup spot as Tey were tied down by a professional Svealand side. Never particularly dominant, they did exactly what was required of them to win, though letting Tey slip from 59 for 5 to 181 all out in the second innings after overusing their seamers. Arvidsson took three wickets as Tey collapsed after lunch on the second day, and Svealand eased to victory with Björn Berglund batting through the innings to make 74.

Points: Svealand 21 (3 bat, 4 bowl, 14 win), Tey 6 (2 bat, 4 bowl)

Round four

Svealand v Wickshire

Wickshire (384 & 152) beat Svealand (305 & 117) by 114 runs

Wickshire dominated the first innings, though steady bowling from Arvidsson reaped rewards with five wickets in 34 overs. He was the only one to threaten the league leaders overly, however, though several chances were floored on the first day as Wickshire eased to 178 for one, Michael Barton doing significant damage. However, rain, good Svealand batting, and an Arvidsson six-wicket-haul from 11 overs after lunch on the final day, poised the match intriguingly. Svealand were set 232 to win in 46 overs, and were looking okay before the final session, rain forcing an early tea with Svealand on 40 for 1. However, two spells from Richard Wright ended all hopes, and Svealand folded for a meagre 114 to almost ensure a league title to Wickshire.

Points: Wickshire 23 (7 bat, 2 bowl, 14 win), Svealand 5 (5 bat)

Tey (339 & 89) drew with Heino (232 & 157/6)

Tey got off to a poor start in the rain on their first day of cricket, but improved thanks to fine innings from David Webster and Mark Mills, and eventually closed on 339. Heino got behind immediately, but fought back with good spells from all their bowlers, Ojala, Virtanen and Aaltonen all taking two wickets as Tey slipped to 37 for six in their second innings. Mills stood up again, with an unbeaten 30, but the rest were whittled out by the spinner Juha Vuorinen, and Heino set a likely 197 to win in two sessions. However, poor weather denied them the chance of chasing down the victory, as only 42 overs of play were possible and Heino never got into any kind of rhythm. Tey eked out the draw and passed Heino in the table by virtue of their good first innings performance.

Points: Tey 14 (6 bat, 4 bowl, 4 draw), Heino 8 (3 bat, 1 bowl, 4 draw)

Östermanland (292 & 154) drew with Lynnytyn (281/8d)

Östermanland's batting resurgence continued, though in bad weather on the third day Lynnytyn's brave declaration nearly paid off. The openers once again batted well, as did allrounder Marcus Blom, who came off with 62; Lynnytyn ground out runs after slipping to 111 for four, with Janne Virtanen and Ville Savolainen both passing 50. Mika Hyvärinen took three wickets as first-change in the third innings, but Östermanland survived through the day, time running out after Lynnytyn's final delivery.

Points: Östermanland 9 (4 bat, 1 bowl, 4 draw), Lynnytyn 10 (4 bat, 2 bowl, 4 draw)

Lynnytyn (177 & 227) lost to Heino (301 & 104/3) by seven wickets

A rather threatless bowling performance from Lynnytyn meant they looked likely to complete their campaign without a single win, as their batsmen also went missing in this clash. Late acceleration from wicket-keeper Marko Valtonen and spinning allrounder Juha Vuorinen helped Heino to 301, and Vuorinen cleaned up the Lynnytyn tail in their second innings, taking four wickets in the final session of the second day. Despite a short rain delay, Heino got home safely, Timo Puputti bringing up the win with a cover drive just after lunch.

Points: Heino 24 (5 bat, 5 bowl, 14 win), Lynnytyn 3 (1 bat, 2 bowl)

Östermanland v Svealand

Östermanland (130 & 198) lost Svealand (130 & 200/6) by six wickets

Svealand had a theoretical chance of winning the league, and started well, Anders Arvidsson whittling through the brittle lower order of Östermanland to take four wickets and bowl Östermanland out for 130 for full bowling bonus points. Nevertheless, they needed to make 360 to win...and promptly crashed to 15 for five, David Hamberg making his mark for the first time in the competition with four wickets. In the end, Svealand matched Östermanland's score exactly, but Arvidsson went missing somewhat in the second dig and Marcus Blom helped Östermanland to 198. However, in the end, batting wasn't as difficult as it had looked, and despite occasional wickets, 59 from Håkan Säfström took Svealand over the line.

Points: Svealand 21 (7 bowl, 14 win), Östermanland 7 (7 bowl)

Tey v Wickshire

Tey (162 & 197) beat Wickshire (128 & 190) by 41 runs

Richard Wright confirmed his place in the World Cup squad after taking four wickets in his new-ball spell, and a total of six, as Tey folded for 162 in their first innings, which also put the title beyond a doubt even before Svealand had collapsed against Östermanland. However, Wickshire never got going either, Lee Harrison and Chris Ford grabbing three wickets each as they were bowled out for 128, 34 short. Wright failed to replicate his first-innings performance in the second, but did take four wickets as Tey lost six for 26, and cautious batting could have taken Wickshire over the line. However, instead Wickshire yielded six catches and for 78 - yet came within 41 runs of a win when Wright was bowled for two by Tey seamer Chris Ford. Tey lacked three bonus points to overtake Svealand for silver.

Points: Tey 22 (1 bat, 7 bowl, 14 win), Wickshire 6 (6 bowl)


Wickshire 3-1-1 (19-22) 87
Svealand 3-2-0 (13-19) 74
Tey 2-1-2 (15-21) 72
Heino 2-1-2 (18-17) 71
Lynnytyn 0-2-3 (18-12) 42
Östermanland 0-3-2 (11-14) 33

After the tournament, the World Cup squad was announced:

Opening batsmen:
Andy Jackson (Wickshire)
Björn Berglund (Svealand)

Specialist batsmen:
Timo Puputti (Heino)
Antti Leppänen (Lynnytyn)
Michael Barton (Wickshire)
Håkan Säfström (Svealand)
Richard Douglas (Tey)

Wicketkeepers:
Janne Virtanen (Lynnytyn)
Paul Robson (Tey, also opens the batting if necessary)

Allrounders:
Marcus Blom (Östermanland, right arm medium fast)
Mark Mills (Tey, right arm fast medium)

Specialist bowlers (in order of batting prowess):
Juha Vuorinen (Heino, right arm leg break)
Anders Arvidsson (Svealand, slow left arm)
Matthew Dawson (Wickshire, right arm medium fast)
Richard Wright (Wickshire, right arm fast medium)
Petri Lehto (Lynnytyn, right arm fast)

First XI: Jackson, Berglund, Barton, Puputti, Säfström, Blom, +Virtanen, Vuorinen, Arvidsson, Dawson, Wright

One quick question.. when does the competition begin?

It'll get under way as soon as I sort out the situation with Krytenia and The Mushroom Kingship. And get some sleep.

As the only surviving NSCC member, and likely to RP, we insist we replace the Mushroom Kingship!

Actually, there's Vil, who is already in. Plus a couple who haven't signed up (I think). And a few others in different guises (myself included).

We're onto it, though.

After telegramming The Mushroom Kingship, the idea of a qualifying game to see who would take part was put forward. The game finished like so.

The Mushroom Kingship 138 all out (34 overs)
Krytenia 139/4 (31 overs)

Of course, TMK did say to make sure Kry won...

Opening games tomorrow.

Krytenia National Cricket Squad

Specialist Batsmen
Andrew VALLI (Hauxea Hawks)
Morton GREENHAUGH (Buchinia Stags)
Stephen LE ROI (Milthenia Sabres)
Michael VANDERBILD (Solunia Suns)
Oscar FELGATE (Notegia Knights)
Leroy JENKINS (Ouverdia Vikings)
Simon PENEDIA (Abbia Mersa Inquisitors)
Ryan NESMITH (Twain Valley Twins)
Liam ANGELIS (Notonia Jets)

Wicketkeepers
Arnie KALEPH (Milthenia Sabres)
Peter KING (Salopia Warriors)

All-Rounders
Fred ASHTON (Buchinia Stags)
Matt HERSHAW (Twain Valley Twins)
John SYLVAN (Hauxea Hawks)

Specialist Seam Bowlers
Jack SKELLIE (Vestelia Tigers)
Ben SMITH (Notonia Jets)
Kenneth MIYOZAKI (Vestelia Tigers)
Jordan LE GUEN (Invectia Flames)
George SWANN (Northwood Lions)

Specialist Spin Bowlers
Daniel XOUSA (Hauxea Hawks)
Robert ABRAHAMS (Monteste Cockerels)
Ashley COMPIESTE (Invectia Flames)


First XI: Valli, Greenhaugh, Le Roi, Vanderbild, Felgate, Kaleph, Ashton, Skellie, Smith, Miyozaki, Xousa

Matchday One

Patrico 184/4 (50 overs)
Bazalonia 185/2 (27.5 overs)
Bazalonia win by 8 wickets

Quakmybush 202/7 (50 overs)
Milchama 202/9 (50 overs)
Match tied

Del Riso 168/5 (50 overs)
Vilita 170/2 (28.3 overs)
Vilita win by 8 wickets

Group 1 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Bazalonia 1 1 0 0 4 2.97
Vilita 1 1 0 0 4 2.60
Milchama 1 0 0 1 2 0.00
Quakmybush 1 0 0 1 2 0.00
Del Riso 1 0 1 0 0 -2.60
Patrico 1 0 1 0 0 -2.97

Krytenia 200/1 (50 overs)
Anastasiania 201/4 (39.1 overs)
Anastasiania win by 6 wickets

The Islands of Qutar 335/6 (50 overs)
Yafor 2 131/6 (50 overs)
The Islands of Qutar win by 204 runs

Myppl 132/6 (50 overs)
Schiavonia 134/1 (13.2 overs)
Schiavonia win by 9 wickets

Group 2 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Schiavonia 1 1 0 0 4 7.41
Qutar 1 1 0 0 4 4.08
Anastasiania 1 1 0 1 4 1.13
Krytenia 1 0 1 0 0 -1.13
Yafor 2 1 0 1 0 0 -4.08
Myppl 1 0 1 0 0 -7.41

"And Welcome to Cricket Tonight, Today saw the Charging Bazalopes utterly demolishing their opponent Patrico in Kingsbury. The Charging Bazalopes Bowled first and the 5 bowlers including all-rounder and captain Shane Gilchrist took 4 wickets and restricted the flow of runs down to 184 thoughout the 50 overs." Video was shown of the 4 wickets taken by the Bazalonians and the various slow-mo angles and views that where shown.

"Here are the statistics for the Bazalonian Bowlers"

|------------------------------------------------------------|
|Name | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | Wide | R/O |
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|John Markus | 10 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 2 | 4.1 |
|Lukas Trents | 10 | 2 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 3.7 |
|Roger Bradman | 10 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 2.6 |
|Steve Bradman | 10 | 4 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 3.2 |
|Shane Gilchrist | 10 | 1 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 4.8 |
|------------------------------------------------------------|
|Total | 50 | 11 | 176 | 4 | 8 | 3.7 |
|------------------------------------------------------------|


"The Bazalonian Batsmen released a Fury of hell upon the their opponents in, the in the 4th ball of the 6th over the score had just reached 51, Frank Opperton mis-timed a power shot aimed at sending it into the stands and gaining another six for his total the ball clipped the edge of the bat and went flying up into the air. It in the end was a relatively easy catch for the fielder from Patrico.

Trevor Eents came up next for the Charging Bazalopes, he scored 21 runs before being taken out by an LBW, he challenged the umpire's decision but the umpire did not back down and Trevor walked from the field bringing the Captain out. His Follow On Wicket was 104/2. This was in the last ball of the 11th over and the Captain Came out helping steady the ship. The runs kept comming and nothing that the Patrico team tried could slow down an impressive run rate. In the 27th over the penultimate ball of that over. Opening Batsmen Ross Read, took the ball to the boundary for a 4 getting the target of 185 in under 28 overs and also getting his 100 runs, first century scored in international cricket. If the runrate kept up for an entire 50 overs they would have expected to score around 330 runs"

|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Batter | Balls | Runs | Out |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Ross Read | 97 | 102 | Not Out. |
| Frank Opperton | 21 | 18 | c. field b. bowler |
| Trevor Eents | 20 | 21 | LBW bowler 2 |
| Shane Gilchrist | 29 | 31 | Not Out. |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Balls: 167 Sundries: 13 Runs: 185 |
|-----------------------------------------------------|



The Charging Bazalopes certainly displayed dominance and the only question is will this dominance continue throughout the remaining matches. The next of which Bazalonia will face Vilita in Gatenby Park, Sedgefield. This is Cricket Tonight and now onto domestic cricket, the....."

The Daily Quak
We Tied In Cricket

The Quakmybush National Cricket Team, comprised of the only people in the nation that understand cricket, tied their opponents Milchama. The team had 202/7 (50 overs), whatever the hell that means, while Milchama had 202/9 (50 overs), again, whatever that means. The tie put Quakmybush into a tie with Milchama, with 2 points, As well as a NRR of 0.00, whatever that means.

The Island of Qutar Innings
Runs 4s 6s
A Ronin lbw b Bowler #1 76 12 3
K Latouf not out 108 16 2
J Ball c Player #7 b Bowler #2 29 3 0
D Jones b Bowler #3 18 2 0
H Smith lbw b Bowler #1 7 0 1
J Davenport c Player #4 b Bowler #2 84 10 7
C Valentine b Bowler #3 0 0 0
T Shaw not out 11 1 0
------------------------------------------------------------------
Extras 1nb 1w 2
------------------------------------------------------------------
Total for 6 335 (50.0 ovs)

Yafor 2 Innings
Runs 4s 6s
Player #1 b K Latouf 24 3 0
Player #2 c C Valentine b Davenport 20 1 0
Player #3 lbw b Davenport 7 0 0
Player #4 c A Ronin b Davenport 5 0 0
Player #5 b K Latouf 12 0 0
Player #6 b L Nevin 1 0 0
Player #7 not out 34 3 0
Player #8 not out 27 4 0
------------------------------------------------------------------
Extras 1w 1
------------------------------------------------------------------
Total for 6 131 (50.0 ovs)

Got a lecture to go to now, so will fill in the story when i get back

<cut from the Allenby Times>

Michael Barton was the hero in the Backstreets at Melston, slashing a brutal 74 as Krytenia's meagre total of 200 was easily overcome. Nevertheless, it was a somewhat disappointing performance by the Anastasianian bowlers and fielders, who could only take one Krytenian wicket. Anastasiania go into the tournament defending their title from the Tyrellian Ylompic Games, where they won eight One-day Internationals.

Scorecard:

Krytenia innings: A Valli c Virtanen b Wright 11, M Greenhaugh not out 101, S Le Roi 74. Extras (w6, lb6, b2) 14. FOW: 32. Total 200 for 1. Bowling: Wright 10-1-36-1, Dawson 10-0-47-0, Mills 7-0-35-0, Arvidsson 10-2-28-0, Vuorinen 10-1-33-0, Puputti 3-0-13-0.
Anastasiania innings: A Jackson lbw b Skellie 4, B Berglund c Kaleph b Skellie 6, M Barton not out 74, T Puputti b Miyozaki 19, H Säfström st Kaleph b Xousa 33, M Blom not out 44. Extras 21 (nb5, w3, lb9, b4). FOW: 9, 14, 60, 129. Total 201 for 4. Bowling: Skellie 9-1-28-2, Smith 6.1-0-37-0, Miyozaki 8-0-27-1, Xousa 8-1-52-1, Ashton 8-0-44-0.

</cut>

From the Anastasianian training ground:

"Well DONE, lads. Didn't let that pesky umpire get you down, either. I've never seen anyone as plumb as that Greenhaugh bloke was on 33."

"Thanks, coach," was the murmur of assent around the team. They knew what would happen after a <i>well done</i> from Olli Petrinen, one of the harshest sports coaches in the country. He'd been recruited from ice hockey, where his team had consistently won the league despite - or maybe because of - recording more penalties than any other side.

"Well, no room for girls here;" (this was indeed true. Marianne Roberts had played solidly at number five for Wickshire, averaging 35 in the Test Trials, but the technically inferior, according to the Wickshire fans anyway, Säfström and Douglas had been picked for the side) "and no time for sitting around either. Chop chop. Rugby game!"

Mark Mills nearly thought of protesting - it was the sixth time they'd played rugby since arriving in Schiavonia - but then realised the futility of it. With the bowlers performing poorly, he might get a shout at playing against Myppl - especially considering their weak showing against Schiavonia - so therefore it was important to rub Petrinen the right way. Not that he was that way inclined, of course. Blasphemy to even suggest it.

Vilita & Turori Brush Del Riso Aside


The Vilita & Turori Cricket squad easily took care of business on the first matchday of their Cricket World Cup VIII campaign, needing less than 30 overs to catch Del Riso in their match at the Hillshade in Welkay, Schiavonia.

Del Risan opener Luke Vittori had given the Vilita & Turori bowlers trouble, putting 52 runs on the board, partnered by 32 from Kevin Innes, before young All-Rounder Nigel Mabaso finally stepped in for the Eel-Cat things to take care of business. Mabaso dispatched of Vittori with his first ball, completely catching the left hander off guard after he had been facing normal bowlers for the entire opening innings. Mabaso's ball looked to be going well wide of target, but as it met the pitch it kicked back in perfect trajectory to move the wickets and Vittori could only stand in disbelief as he'd been bowled out cleanly. Mabaso would record a further two wickets on the day, sending Charles Edward and Adrian Grayson back to the showers early, while the always reliable Richard McDonnell was up to the challenge presented by Innes, dispatching of the opener just moments after his partner Vittori had taken the walk. It appeared that Del Riso were heading for a clean 175/4 before Vilita & Turori team captain Waqas Rahimuddin stepped in for the final over and blanked Del Riso with five dot balls before a stumping sent Alexi McLean back to the locker room in shame on the final ball of Del Riso's innings.

Looking at a relatively small target of 168, Vilita & Turori returned after the break a confident side, and star batsmen Ledley Crowther wasted no time getting the crowd into the match, blasting a pair of sixes in the first over. Things would calm down a bit, however, and All-Rounder Dom Garvey was left in shock as he was called out leg before wicket on a ball in from McLean. Garvey left the pitch on 30 as Zatiah Bentley stepped in as Crowthers new partner. Bentley was less than effective, not producing at the same rate as Crowther, who smashed his 80th on a boundary in the 20th over as Vilita & Turori approached 130 of a required 168. Bentley hit a bit of a slump in the 21st, before swinging at an ambitious looking ball that David Alan easily collected to record the second wicket against the Eel-Cat Things, and leaving Bentley on a dissapointing total of 17 for the day. Crowther, now on 83, was just 17 runs shy of the century, but his own team was against him at this point, just 29 runs shy of victory at 140. Danny Greaves stepped up and hit a safe single, pushing Vilita to 141 before a strong stand by Crowther saw him improve to 89 and Vilita to 147 after 22. Del Risan All-Rounder Nixon McNamara had ideas of his own, however, nearly putting a maiden over on Greaves who finally tore out his second single of the match on the 6th ball of the 23rd over, inching Vilita to 148, and then to 149 in the 24th over, as the rotation switched back to Crowther.

It was the 4th ball of the 24th over and Crowther got all of it, bouncing just shy of the boundary and rolling cleanly for four, before a dot ball left Crowther on 93 and Vilita & Turori on 153 headed into the 25th over. Greaves returned and a no ball went for an unthinkable three as Vilita & Turori inched ever closer to their target of 168, now just 12 runs shy, before a pair of dot balls and a single by Greaves moved the Eels Cat Things to 157 heading into the 26th over, but once again it was Greaves at bat. A pair of safely placed balls resulted in no runs before Greaves was once again able to push for a single, returning the bat to the hands of Crowther, needing just 7 runs for the century. Crowther wasted no time to the delight of the crowd, hitting a clean 6 over the stands and into the queue that had built for historical Druidan Pies. With himself on 97 and his nation on 162, Crowther swung big but whiffed at the ball which proceeded to bounce agonizingly close, but just missing the wickets. With his chance at the century nearly wasted, Crowther wisely played the safe single, a feat duplicated on the very next ball by Greaves, moving the Eel Cat Things to 164 entering the 29th over.

Danny greaves opened the 29th with a Single, moving Vilita to 165 as Crowther stepped up on 98. It looked as if they could have stretched it safely, but the runners did not press the issue as Crowther moved to 99 and Vilita still 2 runs shy of the target. With Greaves having hit no more than a single on the day, It was looking as if Crowthers 99 would become a century within just minutes. But then, out of no where, Danny Greaves found a bit of strength and tore a monstrous shot away to his left, a clean one hop and into the bushes for 4, clinching the win for Vilita on 170/2; but leaving teammate Ledley Crowther hanging agonizingly on 99 runs for the day.

Vilita & Turori will now face group leaders Bazalonia on Matchday 2, after the Bazalonia's put in a similar Matchday 1 performance that saw them complete the job in 27.5 over Patrico. Many anticipate a hard fought match, and Vilita & Turorian's will be looking for batsmen Ledley Crowther to literally one-up his performance from Matchday One, and record his first InternationStatal Century in the important matchday against the Bazalonians.


Del Riso 168/5 (50 overs)
Vilita 170/2 (28.3 overs)
Vilita win by 8 wickets

Runs (Vilita & Turori)
Crowther :: 99
Garvey :: 30
Bentley :: 17
Greaves :: 11

Wickets (Vilita & Turori)
Mabaso :: 3
McDonnell :: 1
Rahimudden :: 1

The Schiavone Scribe
Myppl Whckd
Schiavonia beat Myppl by 9 wickets

After winning both the Men's and Women's Olympic gold medals in the Olympics and Casari, Schiavonia showed how they should be held in similar esteem here against unknowns Myppl.

Blasting their total in 80 balls against a team who seemed more intent on staying for the duration than scoring any runs, the score was never in any doubt from the moment Derek Ochonga took the wickets of both Myppl openers within the first five overs. After that, their opponents gameplan changed. Staying in was they key. Their innings became remarkable for the complete lack of a single boundary. Not good.

In the end, Ochonga took three wickets for just thirteen runs, while Graham Jenkins, Henry Teller and James Young shared the other three amongst themselves.

As for the batting performance, it was a case of trying to get it over with as quickly as possible. 134 from 80 balls is pretty damn quick! The only downpoint was that Eric Mull was caught on the boundary trying to hit one too many sixes. The five he managed to hit were testimony to the poor bowling from their opponents.

Peter Hueva and Kirk Smith finished things off, another six from Smith finishing the helpless minnows off.

Not much more opposition is expected from Yafor 2 in Schiavonia's next game, either. A crashing defeat at the hands of The Islands of Qutar showed that they might well be the next team to feel the force of the Schiavone batting line-up.


Pnr b Ochonga 2 (9)
Frstn b Ochonga 7 (12)
Nmbrthr c Grezia b Teller 14 (25)
Btsmn c Grezia b Young 35 (58)
Llrndr b Jenkins 21 (78)
Wcktkpr not out 25 (61)
Fldr lbw b Ochonga 20 (55)
Spnnr not out 1 (2)
Extras 7
Total for 6 wickets 132

O M R W
D Ochonga 10 3 13 3
H Teller 6 1 18 1
S Evans 9 0 27 0
P Underforest 8 0 30 0
G Jenkins 8 1 21 1
J Young 5 2 9 1
R Pench 4 0 14 0


P Hueva not out 30 (26)
E Mull c Bndryfldr b Fstbwlr 56 (34)
K Smith not out 41 (20)
Extras 7
Total for 1 wicket 134

Patrico 241/4 (50 overs)
Milchama 164 all out (45.1 overs)
Patrico win by 77 runs

Quakmybush 287/5 (50 overs)
Del Riso 271/3 (50 overs)
Quakmybush win by 16 runs

Vilita 293/8 (50 overs)
Bazalonia 177/5 (50 overs)
Vilita win by 116 runs

Group 1 Pl W L D Pts NRR
Vilita 2 2 0 0 8 2.44
Quakmybush 2 1 0 1 6 0.16
Bazalonia 2 1 1 0 4 -0.12
Patrico 2 1 1 0 4 -0.23
Milchama 2 0 1 1 2 -0.77
Del Riso 2 0 2 0 0 -1.43


The Islands of Qutar 280/5 (50 overs)
Krytenia 275/3 (50 overs)
The Islands of Qutar win by 5 runs

Yafor 2 203/6 (50 overs)
Schiavonia 204/3 (32.3 overs)
Schiavonia win by 7 wickets

Myppl 195/8 (50 overs)
Anastasiania 196/4 (43.3 overs)
Anastasiania win by 4 wickets

Table to follow

As we're going along, I'm seeing a drawback with the number of wickets falling in games. We'll work on it for any future cups, though.

Confident Vilita & Turori cruise past Bazalonia


Ledley Crowther stared up at the sky. What had he done? The Vilita & Turori opener had just been stumped. He saw a juicy ball and he put his weight into, and he completely whiffed, completely unlike Ledley Crowther. He let himself stray from the box, completely unlike Ledley Crowther. Just 3 runs shy of the century, Ledley was going for it all in one pitch. Instead, for the second straight match, he was denied. But this time, it was his own mistake that kept him from triple digits. Removing himself from the moment, at the urging of the umpire, Crowther began his walk towards the locker room. It was the third wicket of the day for Vilita & Turori, after Garvey and Bentley had both been caught out earlier in the innings. Danny Greaves had come in just 2 overs prior, and it looked as if the pair would continue on, but it was not to be. Crowther made way for Geoff Thorpe, and it was Vilita & Turori's wicket keepers paired up in a rare partnership.

Sitting on 185, it looked very much like Vilita & Turori were on cruise control for 300... that is, until Crowther went out. But Thorpe didn't dissapoint in his first ball, striking it well for two runs out of the box. He would only last three overs, however, before being bowled straight up by the Ultra Fast Lukas Trents. With four players out, the Eel-Cat things were looking at entering the second half of their lineup for the first time in the competition. It was 19 year old Nigel Mabaso, the All-round Spinner who stepped up, and Mabaso was a bit more useful than Thorpe, recording 30 runs off the Bazalonian bowlers as the match approached its final overs. Sitting on 265, there was still an outside chance for 300, but the dismissal of the last remaining true batter, Greaves, was the end of that goal, as youngster Luther Kampa was uncerimoniously caught out on his first pitch, while bowlers Bernard Wharton and Brendan Donovan had little impact, both finding there way to the locker rooms before Mabaso and Rahimudden finished out the 50th over strong, posting 12 late runs to park the Eel-Cat things on 293/8 at the end of their innings, the second highest total put up by any Nation, only beaten by the Islands of Qutar's 335/6 against Yafor 2 on matchday one.

Any worried about being caught by the Bazalonian batsmen quickly went by the wayside, however, as McDonnell and Wharton combined for 4 maidens in the opening 10, including a wicket on Opperton for Wharton as Bazalonia could muster only 27 runs in its first 10 overs. The run rate would pick up for Bazalonia in the middle innings, but just as it looked like the partnership of Read and Eents was about to open up the score, Mabaso took Read straight up, and Eents soon followed after a catch from Pollock. Gilchrist and Warne combined for 90 in the best Bazalonian pairing of the day, but it was broken up in the 43rd by Donovan who was able to catch Warne wrong footed for the wicket, with McDonnell coming in for the final inning to close the deal, taking Lilley out in the process. Bazalonia had lasted the full 50, but never came close to touching Vilita & Turori's 293, and the Eel-Cat things recorded the 116 run victory to move 2 points clear at the top of the table.

Vilita & Turori will participate in a top of the table clash for the second consecutive matchday as they take on Quakmybush on Matchday 3. The Sharks have moved into second place as the only other unbeaten team in the group, after an opening draw with Milchama they barely held on for a slim 16 run victory over Del Riso, Vilita & Turori's matchday 1 opposition. The match will be held at Hyde Park in Chea, one of the oldest grounds in Schiavonia


Vilita 293/8 (50 overs)
Bazalonia 177/5 (50 overs)
Vilita win by 116 runs

Runs (Vilita & Turori)
Crowther :: 97
Garvey :: 18
Bentley :: 22
Greaves :: 82
Thorpe :: 13
Mabaso :: 30
Kampa :: 0
Wharton :: 6
Donovan :: 4
Rahimudden :: 9

Wickets (Vilita & Turori)
Mabaso :: 2
Donovan :: 1
McDonnell :: 1
Wharton :: 1

OOC: Goddammit how did I not see this! Oh well...we'll register interest for any future cricket RPs.

Matchday Three

Bazalonia 261/5 (50 overs)
Milchama 222/4 (50 overs)
Bazalonia won by 39 runs

Quakmybush 200/9 (50 overs)
Vilita 201/5 (43.3 overs)
Vilita won by 5 wickets

Patrico 229/3 (50 overs)
Del Riso 166/9 (50 overs)
Patrico won by 63 runs

The Islands of Qutar 228/4 (50 overs)
Anastasiania 199/7 (50 overs)
The islands of Qutar won by 29 runs

Myppl 243/8 (50 overs)
Yafor 2 159/6 (50 overs)
Myppl won by 84 runs

Schiavonia 314/7 (50 overs)
Krytenia 167 all out (48.3 overs)
Schiavonia won by 147 runs


Group 1 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 3 3 0 0 12 1.81
Patrico 3 2 1 0 8 0.33
Bazalonia 3 2 1 0 8 0.21
Quakmybush 3 1 1 1 6 -0.10
Milchama 3 0 2 1 2 -0.77
Del Riso 3 0 3 0 0 -1.31


Group 2 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Schiavonia 3 3 0 0 12 3.46
The Islands of Qutar 3 3 0 0 12 1.59
Anastasiania 3 2 1 0 8 0.34
Myppl 3 1 2 0 4 -0.78
Krytenia 3 0 3 0 0 -1.43
Yafor 2 3 0 3 0 0 -2.62

"Hello," said John Andrews, correspondent from the Allenby Times to Schiavonia.

"Morning," came the grumpy voice from the clerk.

"Er...I have come to the," John drew a quick breath, "Cricket World Cup Organisational Committee, haven't I?"

"We prefer CW-COC, yes."

"Not CWC-OC?"

"No."

"Oh." There was an awkward silence. "Well. Anyway, I have a question. Why was there such a long delay before the third match of the group stages?"

"Rain. This is Schiavonia, after all."

"But it rained during the second innings of our game!"

"Yes. So?"

"Look, if you were going to make it fair, you could at least have delayed our innings to the day after. It was sogging wet, the ball stopped in the grass twenty yards short of the boundary, the pitch was a total shooter..."

"Yes. But once we've started the game, we have an obligation to sponsors and spectators to continue it."

"That's ridiculous. Surely it's got to be the players who are important here?"

"Players? Who cares about those? They're just a bunch of amateurs anyway. Nah, we need the money, son."

"Why on earth did you host a cricket world cup, then?"

"Long ad breaks. And the football world cup is so much work. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll have to go to sleep..."

---

As mentioned, Anastasiania lost due to a poor second-innings batting performance, though Qutar captain Kevin Latouf was outstanding with a hundred and three wickets. Anastasiania still have a chance to make the Super Sixes, but desperately need to beat Yafor 2 in Hyde Park tomorrow.

Matchday Four

Vilita 324/9 (50 overs)
Patrico 135 all out (48.4 overs)
Vilita wom by 189 runs

Bazalonia 271/7 (50 overs)
Quakmybush 168 all out (47 overs)
Bazalonia won by 103 runs

Del Riso 151 all out (42.5 overs)
Milchama 152/1 (30 overs)
Milchama won by 9 wickets


Group 1 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 4 4 0 0 16 2.34
Bazalonia 4 3 1 0 12 0.69
Patrico 4 2 2 0 8 -0.77
Milchama 4 1 2 1 6 -0.16
Quakmybush 4 1 2 1 6 -0.60
Del Riso 4 0 4 0 0 -1.51

Myppl 215/6 (50 overs)
Krytenia 218/2 (37 overs)
Krytenia won by 8 wickets

Yafor 2 93 all out (31.3 overs)
Anastasiania 94/0 (16.3 overs)
Anastasiania won by 10 wickets

The Islands of Qutar 266/5 (50 overs)
Schiavonia 267/1 (41.1 overs)
Schiavonia won by 9 wickets

Group 2 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Schiavonia 4 4 0 0 16 2.87
Anastasiania 4 3 1 0 12 1.05
The Islands of Qutar 4 3 1 0 12 0.98
Krytenia 4 1 3 0 4 -0.74
Myppl 4 1 3 0 4 -0.99
Yafor 2 4 0 4 0 0 -2.95

Damn.
I'll just express my interest for the next World Cup.

Sorry that the whole thing is taking a bit of a while to complete, but I thought I'd give people as much time as possible to RP. And I missed my usual Wednesday scorination time last week for some reason. Will be trying to press on with two games a week now.

Matchday Five

Quakmybush 247/5 (50 overs)
Patrico 249/7 (46.1 overs)
Patrico won by 5 wickets

Del Riso 240/5 (50 overs)
Bazalonia 215 all out (40.2 overs)
Del Riso won by 25 runs

Milchama 163 all out (34.4 overs)
Vilita 164/4 (29.2 overs)
Vilita won by 6 wickets

Group 1 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 5 5 0 0 20 2.35
Bazalonia 5 3 2 0 12 0.44
Patrico 5 3 2 0 12 -0.55
Milchama 5 1 3 1 6 -0.54
Quakmybush 5 1 3 1 6 -0.57
Del Riso 5 1 4 0 4 -1.07


Yafor 2 226/5 (50 overs)
Krytenia 227/5 (41.5 overs)
Krytenia won by 5 wickets

Schiavonia 258/4 (50 overs)
Anastasiania 259/5 (45.4 overs)
Anastasiania won by 5 wickets

Myppl 271/5 (50 overs)
TIo Qutar 176 all out (41 overs)
Myppl won by 95 runs

Group 2 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Schiavonia 5 4 1 0 16 2.11
Anastasiania 5 4 1 0 16 0.97
The Islands of Qutar 5 3 2 0 12 0.40
Myppl 5 2 3 0 8 -0.33
Krytenia 5 2 3 0 8 -0.42
Yafor 2 5 0 5 0 0 -2.53

The top three from each group go through to the 'Super 6', with results against fellow qualifiers being carried forward.

Super 6 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 2 2 0 0 8 3.05
Schiavonia 2 1 1 0 4 0.27
Anastasiania 2 1 1 0 4 -0.07
Bazalonia 2 1 1 0 4 -0.12
The Islands of Qutar 2 1 1 0 4 -0.17
Patrico 2 0 2 0 0 -3.35

Matchday Six

Anastasiania 174 all out (32.3 overs)
Vilita 175/3 (34.4 overs)
Vilita won by 7 wickets

Bazalonia 242/7 (50 overs)
Schiavonia 76 all out (20.5 overs)
Bazalonia won by 166 runs

The Islands of Qutar 290/5 (50 overs)
Patrico 238/7 (50 overs)
The Islands of Qutar won by 52 runs

Super 6 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 3 3 0 0 12 2.64
Bazalonia 3 2 1 0 8 1.04
The Islands of Qutar 3 2 1 0 8 0.24
Anastasiania 3 1 2 0 4 -0.57
Schiavonia 3 1 2 0 4 -1.01
Patrico 3 0 3 0 0 -2.54

Anastasiania Crash To Humiliating Defeat
League Dominance of World Cup Dwindling

After the loss to Vilita in the Cricket World Cup Super Sixes, where Anastasiania's batsmen smashed big slog shots and were bowled out for 174 in just 32.3 of the allotted fifty overs, it is doubtful whether Anastasiania will reach the semi-final of the tournament. An elongated affair, and currently shifted to the back pages of the newspapers following the nation's successes in Keto, the Cricket World Cup would now increase in importance as it draws to a conclusion.

There are four spots in the semi-finals available, and Anastasiania are currently holding one of them; however, Schiavonia will be relied on to bounce back from their shocking total of 76 against Bazalonia, which would mean that Anastasiania needs wins against both Patrico and Bazalonia to be assured of a semi-final spot. It could well be that five teams manage to end on 12 points each; Patrico look like the whipping boys of the group, falling by 52 runs to a weak Qutar side and only just eking out a three-wicket win over Quakmybush.

Matchday Seven

The Islands of Qutar 217/6 (50 overs)
Vilita 169 all out (26.4 overs)
The Islands of Qutar won by 48 runs

Schiavonia 282/5 (50 overs)
Patrico 146 all out (38.2 overs)
Schiavonia won by 136 runs

Bazalonia 205/7 (50 overs)
Anastasiania 207/4 (38.5 overs)
Anastasiania won by 6 wickets

Super 6 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 4 3 1 0 12 1.69
The Islands of Qutar 4 3 1 0 12 0.44
Bazalonia 4 2 2 0 8 0.52
Schiavonia 4 2 2 0 8 -0.05
Anastasiania 4 2 2 0 8 -0.14
Patrico 4 0 4 0 0 -2.56

Apologies for the delay, but I havent made it onto NS much recently. But now I should be back a lot more, firstly to finish this cup off, then to RP more. Anyway...

Matchday Eight

Schiavonia 193 all out 45.1 overs
Vilita 194/3 37.2 overs
Vilita won by 7 wickets

The Islands Of Qutar 124 all out 32.1 overs
Bazalonia 127/2 25.4 overs
Bazalonia won by 8 wickets

Anastasiania 301/3 50 overs
Patrico 45 all out 16.1 overs
Anastasiania wom by 256 runs

Super 6 Pl W L T Pts NRR
Vilita 5 4 1 0 16 1.619
Anastasiania 5 3 2 0 12 0.979
Bazalonia 5 3 2 0 12 0.898
The Islands of Qutar 5 3 2 0 12 -0.112
Schiavonia 5 2 3 0 8 -0.289
Patrico 5 0 5 0 0 -3.074

Semi-Finals
(Saturday night GMT)

Vilita v The Islands of Qutar
Anastasiania v Bazalonia

Semi-Finals

Vilita 183 all out 34.5 overs
The Islands of Qutar 137 all out 33.5 overs
Vilita won by 46 runs

Anastasiania 298/4 50 overs
Bazalonia 241/7 50 overs
Anastasiania won by 57 runs

Cricket Cats avenge Lone Defeat


The Vilita & Turori Cricket squad got their chance to make up for their only defeat so far in the competition by being drawn against The Islands of Qutar in the World Cup Semi Finals. After a perfect 5-0-0 record in qualifying, the Cricket Cats went 2-1 against the remaining teams in the Super 6, losing on Matchday 7 after an impressive bowling effort by The Islands of Qutar.

Vilita & Turori had thought they had done enough, holding the Islands to just 217 runs for their 50 overs. It looked like it would be enough too as the Cricket Cats raced out to 100 runs in their first 12 overs. But the alarming thing for Vilita & Turori was the three wickets they dropped in those 12, and it would only get worse as they found themselves all out on 169 just 26.4 overs into their session, falling for the first time in the tournament.

Despite the defeat, however, Vilita & Turori would rebound against Schiavonia to clinch the top spot in the Super 6, and number one seed in the Semi Finals, which would ironically pair them once again with The Islands of Qutar. This time, they would make no mistake. They put in a similar performance, lasting 34.5 overs this time for 183 in a true bowlers duel, and the Cricket Cats came out fighting, shutting the Islands of Qutar down for just 137 all out, ensuring they got the wickets that would lead them to the final matchup.

The other semi-final was of an entirely different sort, with Anastasiania nearly topping the run total of both Vilita & Qutar combined with their 298/4, beating Bazalonia by 57 runs to set up a rematch of Matchday 6 in the World Cup Final. It was easy pickings for Vilita & Turori in the only known meeting between the two sides, bowling Anastasiania out for 174 in the 33rd and staying on the field to win by 7 wickets. Despite losing earlier in the competition, however, Anastasiania has been the form team ever since the loss to the Cricket Cats, winning every game, setting up a cracking final at the King Francesco Stadium in Kingsbury.

Cricket World Cup VIII Final

Anastasiania 256/5 50 overs
Vilita 257/3 46.4 overs

Vilita won by seven wickets, and are crowned as only the second ever Cricket World Champions! Well done to the Vilita & Turori Cricket Team!

Now, if anyone else wants to do a Cricket tournament, please feel free. It couldn't get much worse than this (although this was the second most successful CWC ever!)