ICC 2005: Unstoppable Aussies

[darko21]

April 2021: The last series in the West Indies sealed domination over the cricket world for the Australian team. Coach Brad Darko had stated that the team was always in command of its destiny and this was inevitable from the Ashes whitewash back in the 2005/06 summer in Australia. Never has a side won every recent Test and ODI series against all opposition. Some stars have risen out of the side. Opener Dante Lever and slow left arm spinner Owen Hogg will go down as legends of the modern game. Specialist batsman Orson Williams-Singh topped the Test batting for the first time and other Australian players ranked high in all forms also. The 2021 Ashes campaign is looking like a whitewash. But before then is the triangular series with England and India

 

[darko21]

A mix of youth and experience

THE SQUAD (all players are right handed unless stated)​

Aaron Appleyard – Captain, ranked #5 in ODI Bowling
Off Spin Specialist Bowler
Age: 31
ODI Bowling: 296 wickets @ 21.69 in 174 matches

Shannon Twose – Vice-Captain, ranked #11 in ODI Batting
Specialist Batsman
Age: 28
ODI Batting: 4381 runs @ 43.81 in 122 matches

Dante Lever – ranked #2 in ODI Batting
Opening Batsman
Age: 36
ODI Batting: 11498 runs @ 49.14 in 258 matches

Franco Henriques – ranked # 53 in ODI Batting
Specialist Batsman
Age: 27
ODI Batting: 2449 runs @ 28.81 in 100 matches

Baden Tate – ranked #5 in ODI Batting
Specialist/Handy Opener
Age: 27
ODI Batting: 2557 runs @ 41.24 in 67 matches

Orson Williams-Singh – ranked #34 in ODI Batting
Specialist Batsman
Age: 28
ODI Batting: 1632 runs @ 27.66 in 88 matches

Oliver Kilburn – ranked #27 in ODI Batting
Specialist Batsman
Age: 26
ODI Batting: 1587 runs @ 49.59 in 53 matches

Jim Woolley – unranked
Opening Batsman
Age: 26
Yet to debut – ODD Batting: 2368 runs @ 32.44 in 79 matches

Flynn Dexter – ranked #57 in ODI Batting
Wicketkeeper/ Opening Batsman
Age: 25
ODI Batting: 216 runs @ 15.43 in 17 matches

Stefan Ikin - unranked
Left Hand Wicketkeeper
Age: 21
ODI Batting: 28 runs @ 28.00 in 6 matches

Colin Barrett - #79 in ODI Batting; #4 in ODI Bowling
Fast bowling All-Rounder
Age: 28
ODI Batting/Bowling: 1959 runs @ 24.80 / 175 wickets @ 28.70 in 135 matches

Kane Chipperfield – ranked #173 in ODI Batting
Fast Medium bowling All-Rounder
Age: 24
ODI Batting/Bowling Ave: 10 runs @ 5.00 / 3 wickets @ 24.00 in 3 matches

MacKenzie Byron - unranked
Fast Specialist Bowler
Age: 24
Yet to debut – ODD Bowling: 57 wickets @ 20.28 in 38 matches

Xavier Nilsson – ranked #27 in ODI Bowling
Fast Specialist Bowler
Age: 24
ODI Bowling: 59 wickets @ 25.68 in 37 matches

Victor Paynter - unranked
Fast Specialist Bowler
Age: 32
ODI Bowling: 203 wickets @ 24.30 in 129 matches

Dan Gannon - unranked
Fast Medium Specialist Bowler
Age: 29
ODI Bowling: 20 wickets @ 21.20 in 13 matches

Peter Fairfax – ranked #14 in ODI Bowling
Fast Specialist Bowler
Age: 26
ODI Bowling: 94 wickets @ 21.33 in 57 matches

Gavin Giles - unranked
Left Medium Fast Specialist Bowler
Age: 24
Yet to debut – ODD Bowling: 93 wickets @ 18.13 in 49 matches

The squad consists of youth and experience but most of the inexperience comes from the bowlers. Unfortunately Off-Spinning All-Rounder Jack Bradley missed the tour squad with a broken finger and veteran left arm spinner Owen Hogg was not selected due to poor form in the last few months. Even though Hogg has captured 338 wickets from 195 ODI matches, it was not enough for the selectors.

So on with the tour!

 

[darko21]

Tour Match: Australia v Leicestershire

Coach Brad Darko said in a pre-tour press conference, "We will use a rotation to continue the stability of the team. However if it doesn't work, there is always rigidity."

Australian line-up
Dante Lever
Jim Woolley
Franco Henriques
Colin Barrett
Orson Williams-Singh
Oliver Kilburn
Kane Chipperfield
+Stefan Ikin
MacKenzie Byron
*Aaron Appleyard
Gavin Giles

Leicestershire
Vernon Quaife
Crispin Hilditch
Jeffrey Downton
Al Flintoff
Fabian Connolly
Matthew Boyce
Ty Horton
Beau Prideaux
Scott Tate
Geraint Hendry
Barrington Reid

Leciestershire win toss and have a bowl.

The Aussies looked to be in trouble when Woolley, Henriques and Lever fell with 47 runs on the board. The promotion of Colin Barrett to No. 4 proved a good move as the all-rounder paced himself to 88 n.o. but partners only appeared down the bottom of the order with Chipperfield and Ikin assisting the score to 249.

With 250 to get, the Leicestershire openers started poorly with Chipperfield getting a wicket in the first over. Byron followed the lead and before long, it was looking bad. Nephew of former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, Al Flintoff, summoned the strength of his uncle only to get out just short of 50. The home side was bundled out for 94.

Australia Innings – 6 for 249
Barrett – 88*
Ikin – 44*

Flintoff – 2 for 53 (10 ov.)
Prideaux – 2 for 40 (10 ov.)

Leicestershire Innings – 94 all out
Flintoff – 48
Tate – 13

Byron – 3 for 18 (8 ov.)
Barrett – 3 for 21 (4.3 ov.)

Australia win by 155 runs
MOTM: C Barrett (88* / 3 for 21)

HEADLINE
Barrett shines in demolition job despire Flintoff heroics.​

 

[darko21]

Twenty20 International: England v Australia

Squad Changes
OUT: Woolley, Kilburn, Ikin, Byron, Giles.
IN: Tate, Dexter, Nilsson, Fairfax, Twose.

Australia
Dante Lever
Baden Tate
Shannon Twose
Franco Henriques
+Flynn Dexter
Orson Williams-Singh
Colin Barrett
Kane Chipperfield
Xavier Nilsson
*Aaron Appleyard
Peter Fairfax

England
Quin Ironmonger
Alex Coventry
Darren Butcher
Calvin Quaife
Kade Burge
Lindsay Poore
Fraser Iredale
Derrick Stoddart
Cal Ring
Spencer Matheson
Jon Compton

England win the toss and will bat first.

The English started poorly against a full-strength bowling line-up but Quaife and Burge amassed a 91-run stand in quick time to put the Poms in a commanding lead. The Aussie bowlers were hard-working but all-rounder Chipperfield bared the brunt of the English onslaught going at over 10 an over.

The Aussies started worse than the English with Lever and Tate falling quickly. Appleyard promoted Barrett to No. 4 again and he didn’t disappoint. 38 runs off 25 balls aided the cause but the exact 100-run partnership between Twose and Dexter helped Australia to victory and both batsmen scored half centuries.

England Innings – 4 for 164
Quaife – 70*
Burge – 42

Fairfax – 2 for 30 (4 ov.)
Appleyard – 1 for 25 (4 ov.)

Australia Innings – 3 for 172
Dexter – 60*
Twose – 58*

Compton – 1 for 22 (4 ov.)
Ring – 1 for 32 (4 ov.)

Australia win by 7 wickets

MOTM: Shannon Twose (58*)

HEADLINE
Twose and Dexter sink England bowlers in Twenty20 runfest.​

 

[darko21]

Tour Match: Australia v Somerset

Squad Changes
OUT: Appleyard, Chipperfield.
IN: Paynter, Gannon.

Australia
Dante Lever
+Flynn Dexter
Baden Tate
Colin Barrett
*Shannon Twose
Franco Henriques
Orson Williams-Singh
Victor Paynter
Xavier Nilsson
Dan Gannon
Peter Fairfax

Somerset
Jim Vine
Jonathan Ervine
D de Mel
Axel Vivian
Lincoln Lehmann
Clarence Ebeling
Emanuel Fairfax
Ray Kelleway
Ang Roberts
Cain Cresswell
Isaac Walters

Somerset won the toss and batted first.

Ervine and Vivian built a 110-run partnership after the loss of Vine and Sri Lankan batsman Denegamage de Mel early on. It was only the immense pace and accuracy of Nilsson that could get out the half-centurions and captured 4 wickets for 50 runs. Somerset’s lower order provided some resistance to set a reasonable target of 249.

The Aussie openers Lever and Dexter were able to breeze along before the run rate crept up and both fell to the leg spin of Kelleway, Dexter 4 short of a half century and Lever bowled out on 70. But the batting form of Barrett paired with Tate saw the score reached easily and both players notching up 50s.

Somerset Innings – 7 for 248
Ervine – 76
Vivian – 61

Nilsson – 4 for 50 (10 ov.)
Gannon – 1 for 39 (9 ov.)

Australia Innings – 3 for 249
Lever – 70
Barrett – 59*

Kelleway – 3 for 71 (10 ov.)

Australia win by 7 wickets

MOTM: Xavier Nilsson (4 for 50 [10 ov.])

HEADLINE
Aussie batsmen dominate Somerset paceman in one day thrashing.​

 

[darko21]

Preparation for Triangular Series

The Aussies took a day off from duties to relax after 3 successful victories on foreign soil. Captain Aaron Appleyard, however, saw a downside to the wins. "I mean, you look at the top order going well but our middle order are lacking form. But a win is a win... We enjoy winning." The comments were seen as arrogance from the English media who took time out from reporting on the private lives of the Aussies to focus on the sport proper.

The first assignment for the Australians is to face the other touring side India, who have shown promise with bat and ball. If the English don't lift their game, we could see another final with the two opponents.

 

[darko21]

2nd Triangular ODI Series match: Australia v India

OUT: Henriques, Paynter, Gannon.
IN: Kilburn, Chipperfield, Appleyard.

Australia
Dante Lever
+Flynn Dexter
Shannon Twose
Colin Barrett
Baden Tate
Oliver Kilburn
Orson Williams-Singh
Kane Chipperfield
Xavier Nilsson
*Aaron Appleyard
Peter Fairfax

India
Ezra Ghavri
Dane Banerjee
Rami Dahiya
Randy Gandotra
Sammy Sidhu
Sourav Raju
Cumaran Naik
Neil Sekhar
Jarman Parsana
Rojar Elahi
Tuvraj Bangar

Australia win the toss and decide to bat first.

The Aussies entered the game not losing a match all tour but the Indians had other plans. Jarman Parsana, who terrorised the entire batting line-up, walked away with 7 wickets for the innings, his best effort in ODIs. Only lower order resistance from Tate (39 off 89 balls) and Kilburn (49 off 40 balls) lifted the target over 200 but only to be bundled out for 214.

With a reasonable target to get, the opening pair of Ghavri and Banerjee coasted their way through several Aussie bowlers and not giving any chance away. The pair put on 167 in a moderate time to look like victors. But the introduction of Appleyard slowed the run rate and risks were taken. It wasn’t long until the runs required increased from 4 runs an over to 6 and out to 9 runs an over at one stage. The defensive bowling from Nilsson and Fairfax in the final overs secured an unlucky win.

Australia Innings – 214 all out
Kilburn – 49
Tate – 39

Parsana – 7 for 42 (9.2 ov.)
Sekhar – 2 for 45 (10 ov.)

India Innings – 2 for 198
Banerjee – 89
Ghavri – 74

Barrett – 1 for 31 (10 ov.)
Appleyard – 1 for 45 (10 ov.)

Australia win by 16 runs

MOTM: Jarman Parsana (7 for 42 (9.2 ov.)

HEADLINE
Parsana’s 7 not enough to halt Australian juggernaut.​

 

[darko21]

3rd Triangular ODI Series Match: England v Australia

OUT: Tate, Chipperfield.
IN: Henriques, Byron.

Australia
Dante Lever
+Flynn Dexter
Shannon Twose
Colin Barrett
Franco Henriques
Oliver Kilburn
Orson Williams-Singh
MacKenzie Byron
Xavier Nilsson
*Aaron Appleyard
Peter Fairfax

England
Quin Ironmonger
Kurt Read
Calvin Quaife
Darren Butcher
Kade Burge
Lindsay Poore
Derrick Stoddart
Chad Barrett
Cal Ring
Spencer Matheson
Jon Compton

ODI debuts: Byron (Aus).

England won the toss and will bat first.

England looked stable in the early stages of the match until debutant MacKenzie Byron came storming in with youthful exuberance and made the batsmen work for runs and defend to save their wicket. His figures of 5 wickets for 7 runs is the best bowling figures by any Australian on debut and was one of the most economical bowling efforts. The English struggled and No. 4 Darren Butcher showed no sign of fight as he crawled to 18 off 84 balls. The hapless English were out for 89.

The pitch played havoc on batting conditions. Never has two side been so defensive while batting. Any sign of aggression resulted in a lost wicket for the Aussies. Fast bowler Jon Compton also impressed with 9 runs taken from his 10 overs. The only difference in the Australian innings is that they hung in there and finished the job.

England Innings – 88 all out
Ironmonger – 28
Quafie – 24

Byron – 5 for 7 (10 ov.)
Fairfax – 2 for 22 (7 ov.)

Australia Innings – 3 for 89
Lever – 32
Dexter – 24

Matheson – 1 for 19 (7.2 ov.)
Ring – 1 for 26 (6 ov.)

Australia win by 7 wickets

MOTM: MacKenzie Byron (5 for 7 [10 ov.])

HEADLINE
Economical bowling destroys England in One Dayer.​

NB – This was a hard game. For some reason any aggression on this pitch was the wrong move. Don’t know why.

 

[darko21]

5th Triangular ODI Series Match: England v Australia

OUT: Nilsson.
IN: Gannon.

Australia
Dante Lever
+Flynn Dexter
Shannon Twose
Colin Barrett
Franco Henriques
Oliver Kilburn
Orson Williams-Singh
MacKenzie Byron
Dan Gannon
*Aaron Appleyard
Peter Fairfax

England
Quin Ironmonger
Kurt Read
Calvin Quaife
Darren Butcher
Kade Burge
Lindsay Poore
Fraser Iredale
Derrick Stoddart
Chad Barrett
Spencer Matheson
Jon Compton

England won the toss and are batting first again.

It seems that the only batsmen able to make scores for England are the ones at the top of the order. Ironmonger (59 off 62 balls) was the sideshow to the maiden ODI century for Quaife. Quaife’s 116 included 22 fours but it was a shame that no other batsman could hang in there with him. Byron’s second effort with the ball was more costly than his debut match but he still got wickets. 240 was set for the Aussies.

Lever was trapped infront on the 4th ball of the innings but that only brought Twose to the crease as he and Dexter put on 66 for the 2nd wicket. However the damage to the English attack was done when Barrett and Henriques arrived and aggressively went about getting the win. An unbroken stand of 167 finished off the innings and showed who was the dominant nation in world cricket.

England Innings – 9 for 240
Quaife – 116
Ironmonger – 59

Gannon – 3 for 34 (10 ov.)
Barrett – 2 for 41 (10 ov.)

Australia Innings – 3 for 241
Henriques – 92*
Barrett – 71*

Matheson – 1 for 33 (10 ov.)
Compton - 1 for 36 (10 ov.)

Australia win by 7 wickets.

MOTM: Calvin Quaife (116*)

HEADLINE
Quaife’s maiden century cannot stop Aussie Onslaught.​

 

[dmac]

i was just wonderin could u upload the saved game 4 me so i could play as that team as well.

 

[darko21]

I'm now past that series (won 5-0) and into season 2030. Some of those players have retired and it's becoming a struggle again. Why are you so desperate for a saved game? Lost passion for ICC 06?

 

[dmac]

na i just thinks its a really good saved game and any more if u hav any