International Cricket Captain General Thread of Miscellany

[Somerset]

This game can be so demoralising.

I've never won a Test series in India, but I thought the team I was taking there in my NZ game had the best chance of doing it.

I so nearly won the first Test. I had the upper hand throughout the match, set them 425 to win, and had them nine down for 310 at stumps on the fifth day. Dravid ended up 55* from 222 balls.

That was hugely disappointing, but I thought that since I went so close in the first match, surely I had a good chance of getting the job done in the second and final Test.

The match was even through the first three days, with India taking a small first innings lead. But then Tendulkar slammed 170*, and suddenly I was chasing over 300 to win. Their spinners tore me to shreds, and I was all out for 149.

I've had some heartbreakingly narrow defeats, but this thrashing hurts just as much. To go so close to taking an unassailable 1-0 series lead in the first Test, and then to lose the series...ugh. Might take a break from ICC for a while.

Beating any of the international sides with quality spinners and insanely good batsmen in ICC with a comparably weaker side in NZ is always such a challenge - SL and India in particular have always proven so difficult to beat in my games. I'll go one better with disappointing defeats though - I once set Australia 500 to win in a home test and they chased it down with a couple of wickets to spare (think I might once have posted the screenshot on the forum from memory).

 

[_Ed_]

That sounds awful!

I had another tough loss in the first ODI - I was chasing 281, and I collapsed to 62-5. But then Oram blasted a 90-ball 138*. In the end, I lost my last wicket to the last ball of the 50th over - all out for 277.

 

[Somerset]

I'll post a few of the screenshots I've been saving with my Somerset team over the next few days.

1 - The most expensive English player (i.e. non-contracted) I can remember seeing on any version, though Leicestershire were happy enough to pay $134,500 for him.

2 - 6 sixes in a FC innings for Kieswetter, a massive change from older versions of the game where you'd really struggle for sixes.

3 - 671 runs for James Taylor for one dismissal to begin a season, not exactly a bad way to begin the year.

 

[_Ed_]

1 - The most expensive English player (i.e. non-contracted) I can remember seeing on any version, though Leicestershire were happy enough to pay $134,500 for him.

His stats don't look that impressive.

A bizarre choice of international player by them, IMO - that team is struggling for bowling. Must have been some cheaper internationals with FC bowling averages >25.

 

[_Ed_]

Cutting it fine.

 

[Flem274*]

Cutting it fine.

McIntosh WAG

 

[Somerset]

His stats don't look that impressive.

A bizarre choice of international player by them, IMO - that team is struggling for bowling. Must have been some cheaper internationals with FC bowling averages >25.

If you think the contracts for Leicestershire were bizarre, Northamptonshire have just 2 allrounders (one of whom is England contracted) and 3 bowlers in their squad...I think in general the AI on ICC makes relatively good selections but theres the odd case like those which are so strange and would never take place in real life.

 

[morgieb]

If you think the contracts for Leicestershire were bizarre, Northamptonshire have just 2 allrounders (one of whom is England contracted) and 3 bowlers in their squad...I think in general the AI on ICC makes relatively good selections but theres the odd case like those which are so strange and would never take place in real life.

ICC 2010 never really produces good bowlers though - you have to patch it to 10.16 for it to happen.

 

[Jarquis]

NZ are ridiculous in my Bangladesh game, have a 8-10 of Oram, Franklin, Vettori.
Had my best chance of winning a Test against them though, bowled them out for ~220, made 250 myself. NZ then made ~260 so I needed 230 with just over a day left to play.
20/0 at Stumps on day 4. Lost an hour and a half on the morning of Day 5, so had a little over two sessions to make ~200.... I managed to collapse in typical Bangladeshi fashion and lose by 40 runs with half hour left of play.

 

[NZTailender]

Wasn't expecting to win this, since we were 8-158 in the first dig before Macca saved us with his 70 (batting at No.7).

 

[_Ed_]

Wow, very nice! Great win.

I was picking an ODI squad yesterday and I saw something NZ cricket hasn't often seen in real life - R Sherlock, RF, 'fit to play'. I couldn't resist. The results were disappointing.

 

[NZTailender]

Haha yeah. I don't think Sherlock has bowled well for me anytime I've picked him for Tests. Bowled a few decent ODI spells, though.

 

[Flem274*]

Sherlock always flops for me.

 

[Robertinho]

I'll post a screenshot later, but in ICC 2009, I just got a guy who averages 92 with the bat second team

 

[_Ed_]

That's amazing.

 

[Somerset]

I'll post a screenshot later, but in ICC 2009, I just got a guy who averages 92 with the bat second team

I'll do you one better, unfortunately it was Essex who were given this youth player with a second team average of 102!

 

[_Ed_]

Unbelievable!

 

[_Ed_]

My Test team is unimaginably terrible at the moment, so I really wanted to do well in the ODIs against South Africa. All locked up 1-1 going into the 3rd and final ODI...

Ryder WAFG.

My biggest chase to win an ODI ever.

 

[Somerset]

Fantastic chase, sounds like a brilliant innings from Ryder. How come you haven't tried him in test matches?

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

I love the fact they introduced the Australian domestic scene, but it is seriously frustrating. You can't choose your Twenty20 players, the squads are absurdly small and ****ing Suresh Raina who has wasted a spot as a T20 player all year has gone on international duty after one game. ****ing hell.