*Official* Cricket Web XI in Sri Lanka Discussion and Results

[chaminda_00]

Great debut from Smith, hopefully a sign of things to come. Fuller and Crampton saved us with the bat, need more from top order. Starting to become a common theme.

 

[NZTailender]

Great effort by Crampton and Fuller to save that one, after some impressive bowling by Smith and Pickup.

 

[The Baconator]

Whew, bit of a thriller that. Glad there was enough in our middle order to get us home.

 

[Travis_Teh]

Clearly Fuller should be opening the batting.

Well bowled Smith.

 

[Agent TBY]

Good win, that. Great stuff by Smith.

Really happy with the prized wicket of Kallis, too.

 

[Smudge]

First One-day International: Cricket Web XI vs South Africa
at Dambulla

Scorecard
Ball By Ball

Alex Crampton and Sean Fuller completed a rescue operation of heroic proportions, as Cricket Web XI snatched victory in a see-sawing game on a poor wicket. It made for entertaining cricket, as Smith took four wickets for 43 on debut for the eleven, while Pickup broke through the top order after they had made a solid start. For South Africa, Ntini was the bowling hero, but the lack of backup showed through as Cricket Web XI escaped by the skin of their teeth.

As in the warmup, the bowling from the Webheads was solid rather than spectacular, and indeed Smith and Gibbs found the going easy early on. 45 runs in nine overs - including four hapless wides from Gough, who finished a mediocre opening spell with five overs from 25 - was a poor return, but Smith bowled his namesake for 16 with the even slower ball, and Kallis was caught at point in the 15th over.

With the two dangermen out, South Africa proceeded cautiously, but still lost Gibbs to Pickup after a pull found its way to leg stump. Duminy played out dot balls to all and sundry, gifting maidens to Butler and Cloete, the latter finishing with remarkable figures of 4-2-8-0. However, Pickup was brought back, and was sufficiently threatening to take out both snails; Smith applied the pressure at the end, taking three more wickets - including the important one of Boucher - and Gough took the wicket of Ntini to end with slightly respectable figures. Crampton was a key man at the end, taking three importing catches as well as keenly stumping de Villiers.

Chasing 220, the Webheads got a horror start as Stedman launched himself to Albie Morkel first ball. Undeterred, Chaulk struck boundaries in successive overs, while Scott scratched around for five runs before he was bowled by Steyn. One run out, one catch and a brilliant ball from Morné Morkel later, and Cricket Web XI were 68 for five; well in control of the run rate, but with Smith padding up after the Fuller/Crampton pairing.

Fuller had settled in well at the crease, making 14, and after surviving the powerplay and a dropped catch by de Villiers, he took full advantage of vapid bowling, as the pair eased to runs without ever taking unnecessary risks. Ntini, who had taken two in his opening spell, was brought back in the 32nd over to liven up the match, and after bowling a maiden to Crampton he held a fine return catch from Fuller - out for 56.

With twelve overs remaining, Cricket Web required a modest 48 to win. However, with an unproven tail, it would still be a challenge. Smith, however, further stamped his claim for Man of the Match on debut as he stood tall for fifteen deliveries - striking one four plus eleven runs - before being trapped lbw by another Morkel yorker. A third followed to Gough, who feebly fended up in the air - a confused Gibbs floored the catch, and the target was 14 with three wickets in hand.

When Steyn then proceeded to toss another one down the leg side - with Mickey Arthur tearing his scalp in frustration - to leave things as a mere formality. Gough hogged the strike, but was eventually able to secure the winning runs, with eleven balls remaining. A fine recovery after a shocking start.

South Africa 219 for nine (50)
de Villiers 45, Gibbs 42, Duminy 33, Boucher 33; M Smith 4/43, Pickup 3/37

Cricket Web XI 220 for seven (48.1)
Crampton 69*, Fuller 56; Ntini 3/48, M Morkel 2/36

Cricket Web XI won by three wickets
Man of the Match: M. J. Smith (Cricket Web XI)

"Mikey Smith - **** yeah!!"

 

[Johnners]

(y) Well Done fellas.

 

[Mister Wright]

Great work fellas. Good all round effort.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Second One-day International: Sri Lanka vs South Africa
at Dambulla

Scorecard
Ball By Ball

Another day, another chase at Dambulla, and little less dramatic than yesterday's efforts. It seemed as though South Africa had done a decent effort by totalling 282 for five from their fifty overs, thanks to a hundred from Jacques Kallis, but another veteran hundred gave Sri Lanka the win.

South Africa were inserted as Sri Lanka hoped to take advantage of their bowling, but after Smith was caught at the wicket off Vaas, there was little. Gibbs provided another quickfire forty, in a stand of 74 for the second wicket, while Muralitharan was brutally taken apart by Kallis. Twenty-nine extras didn't help the Sri Lankan effort, with Kallis finishing with a solid 113, nearly triple that of anyone else in the squad.

In response, Sri Lanka lost Udawatte to Ntini early, as expected - beaten for pace. However, the veterans played off the opening onslaught - Steyn was left with five wicketless overs for 11 - before taking a leaf out of Cricket Web's book, hacking loose at the part timers. Another inexcusable effort from those helped Sri Lanka heave themselves to 175 for two; Ntini failed to provide the required pace at the end and a rampant Kandamby smashed out to reach 31 and the win with eight balls to spare.

South Africa 282 for five (50)
Kallis 113, Gibbs 41; Mendis 2/41, Vaas 2/50

Sri Lanka 284 for five (48.4)
Jayasuriya 108, Sangakkara 50, Jayawardene 40; Ntini 2/68 (9.4)

 

[cbuts]

whats happened to my form!

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Third One-day International: Sri Lanka vs Cricket Web XI
at Dambulla

Scorecard
Ball By Ball

A patient half-century from Andrew Cloete stabilised a wobbly chase to 198, as the Dambulla wicket had reverted to intractability following yesterday's rain. Cricket Web bowling still made the difference, with Clapham coming back into the side to reap the two big wickets of Sangakkara and Jayawardene.

Pickup chose to bowl first, but the seamers was unable to strike in the first ten overs, though they kept the rate down to 35. Pickup thus took the second powerplay, and was rewarded when Sangakkara snicked Clapham to Chaulk in the fourteenth over; Gough had already trapped Jayasuriya lbw. Patient bowling kept the rate down, and Sri Lanka were 85 for two at the halfway stage.

The second stage brought some more urgency. Udawatte and Jayawardene began to find the boundary, and threatened to take the game away, but Clapham's second spell brought another wicket, that of Jayawardene. With Udawatte slogging to long on in the next over, out for 73, and Pickup taking two wickets in his final over, Sri Lanka were limited to 197 for eight despite Kandamby's attempts of resistance.

The chase looked assured, with Chaulk and Stedman adding 65 in the first thirteen overs, with Chaulk particularly belligerent. Mendis was brought on in the fourteenth over, however, and foxed Stedman with a quicker ball - and then Scott dragged Maharoof behind, continuing a horror series. With Chaulk and Butler gone before the end of the powerplays, Cricket Web XI were reeling at 84 for four.

However, once again Fuller stood up to save the day. Taking assured care of the spinners, he raced to 27 off just 24 balls, and though Mendis got him in the second spell, the target to win had been cut in half - and Crampton was still there to support a solid Cloete. The veteran was dropped on 29 by Jayawardene, with fifty runs still required, and Muralitharan failed to find threat as Cloete and Crampton ran away with the game. Cloete eventually holed out to Kapugedera for 51, but the match was settled, and Cricket Web won with 29 deliveries remaining.

Sri Lanka 197 for eight (50)
Udawatte 73; Pickup 3/36, Clapham 2/33, Gough 2/38

Cricket Web XI 198 for six (45.1)
Cloete 51, Chaulk 47, Fuller 35, Crampton 32*; Mendis 3/35, Maharoof 2/36 (8.1)

Cricket Web XI won by four wickets
Man of the Match: K. R. Clapham (Cricket Web XI)

Table: Cricket Web XI 8pts (W2), Sri Lanka 5pts (W1 L1), South Africa 2pts (L2)

 

[NZTailender]

Solid win guys, good to see Clapham back in some form.

 

[Johnners]

That's my best performance for CW in a while (although, there may have been 1 match against Australia where I took 4?). Pleased to see it was a good allround team bowling effort though, everyone chipped in. Solid enough batting effort to get us across the line, although the top order does seem to still be struggling a little.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Very solid performance again. Certainly not perfect, but we're building up to something good.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Ouch, struggling. Still good to have a win but I'm on the chopping block.

 

[Goughy]

A good win in a tough game.

 

[Mister Wright]

Well done to the team. Hope to keep the winning streak going.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Top work. Very pleasing start in most of our departments - have faith in the upper order that they can come good, too.

 

[The Baconator]

Nice to make it 2 from 2. Good thing is it looks like we've still got some more in the tank too.

 

[Agent TBY]

Gutted to be dropped, but it seems I'm rather dispensible. Good win, boys.