The Golden Isles - A Story

[Imager36]

The one that got away:-



The bowling was poor, but with only 9 to get off the final over, I feel we should have won; especially with Gayle set and Pollard having already got 2 boundary fours.

Gayle and Chanderpaul performed very well, but everyone else crumbled once the 114 partnership was broken, with Sarwan, Currency and Barath falling to Hopes and Watson, and Pollard failing to finish the match off.

We can't afford this kind of thing against Sri Lanka, so Barath, Deonarine and Pascal are out and Richards, Juggernauth and Richardson in.

[Imager36]

And the changes worked for once:-



It all started badly with Gayle, almost the hero against Australia, whacking one straight back to Malinga first ball and leaving us in disarray, and Ramdin and Chanderpaul also fell cheaply.

Sarwan and Currency then began to rebuild the innings, and in a partnership of 56 (in which Currency got 25 off 26), Sarwan got going and never really stopped. His 79 off 55 was teriffic to watch, including 9 fours and a six, and a brilliant two-over spell in which he picked on Nuwar Kulasekara like he was a schoolboy.

He was ably assisted by Kieron Pollard, who managed 29 off 21 balls and was not out at the end. If he had disintegrated, he could have sparked a collapse.

It started equally badly for Sri Lanka, as Kumar Sangakkara nicked one through to Denesh Ramdin off Dwayne Bravo, an after this, Sri Lanka failed to ever make it look like victory, however they did manage to hit 39 in three overs, one each from Pollard, Richardson and Bernard, but Jaggernauth managed to get 4-26 at 6.5 an over which rather sealed Sri Lanka's fate.

We qualify in first place in our group, along with Sri Lanka, who must have given Australia a bit of a pasting! (They did, they got them all out for 81, and got the 82 needed after 12.2 overs!)

First we play India, then South Africa, then England in the Super 8 stages. One change for the India match, Deonarine in for Bernard on a wicket which should take spin.

[Imager36]

And I failed again



Unsurprisingly, really, considering the fact that the team I was playing was India, the masterful exponents of T20. The bowling was good, by T20 standards, except for Pollard who should only have had 2 overs really, and had Gayle have 2 as well.

The batting was average, and would have beaten most teams in the competition. Gayle, Ramdin, Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Currency all unsurpisingly failed, as did the usually reliable Pollard, but Richards (44) and Bravo (39*) made sure that our total was respectable and that I won't now get laughed at...

Not relishing the prospect of having to beat South Africa to stay in the competition, so one, rather risky change for that match, wicket-keeper Ramdin, who is failing with the bat has been replaced with Runako Morton, who will also take the gloves.

[samcarroll]

Two spinners on an English pitch? It'll be interesting to see how this works out.

[Imager36]

Seemed to work pretty nicely, thanks:-



Wow. Probably the best result of my tenure so far, Runako Morton keeps his place, 0 dropped catches, 1 bye, 58 runs and counting!

The bowling was great, with Richardson's 5-28 and Bravo's 3-12 being the main part of an outstanding performance to limit South Africa to 110-9 after 20. I thought things might be going our way after Graeme Smith was given out in a controversial LBW decision first ball.

Runako Morton was lucky in only the 4th over, when he was dropped, at leg slip of all places, before going on to get his half-century with Gayle doing something he does very rarely, supporting the main act. 5 boundaries for him and 8 for Morton saw us home, and made 56 of the runs.

No changes, unsurprisingly, for the England match.

[Imager36]

Did not expect this, even after South Africa:-



Even better stats for Morton this time, 0 dropped catches, 0 byes, 81 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 168.7% and 14 boundary fours.

His partnership with Chanderpaul was worth 102, and this and the late burst of Richards (19 off 9) and Pollard (14 off 5) added the runs that were to cause England problems.

Richardson's 3-20 off 4 overs was the stand-out bowling performance, as no-one else took more than 1 wicket. We constricted them, and we're through, to play New Zealand, who I fancy my chances against.

[Chasjs]

Even better stats for Morton this time, 0 dropped catches, 0 byes, 81 runs off 48 balls at a strike rate of 168.7% and 14 boundary fours.

I believe you have discovered a gem. Good luck in the knock-outs.

[Imager36]

I believe you have discovered a gem. Good luck in the knock-outs.

Thanks, I did think that, but his form has taken a turn for the worse...



Only 40 runs off 28 balls, and he conceded two byes!

Jaggernauth, Richardson and Bravo can really be credited with this outstanding win. Richardson tied the batsmen down, Bravo ran through them, and Jaggernauth did a best-of-both-worlds spell in the middle of the innings.

Only Taylor looked like scoring many, getting 43, before sticking his legs in front of the stumps to a Bravo ball.

The runs were knocked off easily by Gayle, Chanderpaul and Morton, in almost a carbon-copy of the South Africa game. In the final, we play Pakistan, who have just beaten England to meet us.

[Imager36]

As the wise men say, there has to be a loser in a final. I was that loser:-



Younis Khan will be remembered as the man who won this final, but Shiv Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle will be lost to history in their attempts in vain to save the game for the West Indies.

I felt like now was a good time to do a summary so far...

Test Matches against England:- 1-0 win
ODI's against England:- 3-0
T20 World Cup:- Losers in Final

Test Matches against England:- Awards

Best Batsman - Shiv Chanderpaul - 216 runs in 3 innings
Best Bowler - Andrew Richardson - 14 wickets at 19.14

ODIs against England:- Awards

Best Batsman - Denesh Ramdin - 182 runs at 60.67
Best Bowler - Nelon Pascal - 5 wickets at 28

Twenty:20 World Cup in England:- Awards

Best Batsman - Chris Gayle - 249 runs at 62.25
Best Bowler - Dwayne Bravo - 14 wickets at 11.64
Notable mention - Runako Morton - 190 runs at 63.33 in 4 innings, after Ramdin had had a torrid time, also took the gloves.

[Chasjs]

Thanks, I did think that, but his form has taken a turn for the worse...

Yeah 40 is terrible. And he didn't do too well in the final either.

[Imager36]

The squad for the one dayers against India (I struggled against England) follows.

C.Gayle (O)
R.Morton (O) (w/k?)
D.Ramdin (O?) (w/k)
S.Chanderpaul (bat)
R.Sarwan (bat)
R.Currency (bat)
A.Barath (bat)
K.Powell (bat)
K.Pollard (all)
D.Bravo (all)
N.Deonarine (asp)
K.Stoute (all)
A.Richardson (seam)
N.Pascal (seam)
K.Kantasingh (spin)

The only real surprises in this squad are Kantasingh, Powell and Stoute, but they now have a chance to prove their worth.

The team for the first ODI has been announced!

C.Gayle
R.Morton
D.Ramdin (wk)
S.Chanderpaul
R.Sarwan
R.Currency
K.Pollard
K.Stoute
D.Bravo
K.Kantasingh
N.Pascal

[Imager36]

Didn't think India were this bad:-



After they got 315, I thought I would really be struggling, but Morton (128 off 105), Chanderpaul (94* off 103) and Gayle (81 off 61) were simply brilliant. Between them they scored 44 fours and six sixes, worth 212 of the total on their own.

The bowling was relatively poor, Pascal was good but expensive and only Pollard and Kantasingh conceded less than 6 runs an over. West Indies 1-0 up with 3 to play.

Denesh Ramdin will be given one more chance after his golden duck in the first game, but he is living on past performances.

The one change is to the bowling, with Stoute out and Richardson in.

[Imager36]

Hmmm, maybe the first result was just a blip:-



Bad bowling by all except Kantasingh, Pascal and possibly Bravo. The batting, however, was almost pitiful.

Gayle (0), Ramdin (6), Chanderpaul (2), Sarwan (7) and Currency (3) all failed, and only Pollard (65), Morton (36), Richardson (30) and Kantasingh (18) really succeeded in making my total look respectable. Almost.

There are two changes, unsurprisingly in the batting. Ramdin is out for Powell and Currency out for Barath. Morton showed traces of brilliance again in the slips and takes the gloves for the next match.

[Imager36]

Slightly better. Not much:-



The problem of bowling needs to be adressed if we are to have any chance of taking a draw from this series.

The batting isn't quite good enough, either.

Only Barath, Sarwan and Morton impressed with the bat, and only Kantasingh with the ball.

Pascal is out and spinner Deonarine is in for the final match.

[TheDevil666]

Your Bowling. What the Hell is it?