Very important match today. I'm up against probably the last really strong team in my league (they finished 1st on the div III promotion table last season), though they've only won 2 from 4 so far. If I win this I have two relatively easy league fixtures (though both are away), so I should be able to be 7-0 up at halfway, possibly a two-match lead if Banagher Knight lose another (unlikely). If I lose I will drop back to 2nd or 3rd on NRR.
I think they'll probably have the edge over me due to fitness, as they had an easy TIE game against a bot in the cup; my fitness is still on Low and I definitely can't afford to GFI. At least it means that they probably won't GFI since they're still in the cup, possibly they might even TIE. They've got three very good bowlers and a couple of average ones, and a solid batting lineup without any real stars. They got bowled out for 185 last week but still won easily, so I'm taking a fairly defensive approach and stacking up my batting lineup so I shouldn't get bowled out.
Top nine batsmen are: quality, respectable, strong, proficient, competent, competent, competent, respectable, mediocre, with two abysmal at the end. Means I have to play three allrounders, but my other specialist bowlers aren't particularly good anyway so it's no great loss. Sticking with Badley ahead of Street for no apparent reason, other than that he's supposedly in better form after going up two levels last training update. Yet to put in a good performance this season so he needs one now, opening the bowling as well. Malik debuts at no. 9 and bowling third. Testing out the 'sets of 5' bowling orders, should be better as all my bowlers bar one have poor stamina. Supposed to be overcast which will hopefully favour my seamers; they've got two spinners.
Just won the toss and will bat first, Cuss off the mark straight away. Looking for 260-270 to be fairly confident, can't realistically expect too much more against this bowling lineup at this stage.
