Glamorgan Huge Challenge Ahead.........?

[sammy22]

Just as Simon Jones finds his best form and he;s selected by England. This is a major blow to a very small squad, and in fact I haven;t got another bowler who I could justify playing in the first team.

Therefore I have had to alter things somewhat and Goddard the new signing so close to playing at the start of the season comes in for a long awaited debut. There has also been a reshuffle regarding the batting order with Harrison's great form seeing him move up the batting order.

Powell remains at number 3 despite a very dissapointing season, and a huge improvement will be both expected and needed from him if he is to kepp his place in the side.

 

[sammy22]

tied

A game in which I didn;t bat well, and felt i;d lost in embarrasing fashion. Then i got a few wickets but they appeared to have held out for the win. with 1 over remaining they had already tied the game as Marshall prepared for the last over. He took the remaining wicket leaving the scores tied and we had escaped with a point.

One thing I have noticed about my team is that we score very very slowly even when batting aggresively. This has been reflected in having trouble winning 1 day matches.

It also dosen;t look good for the 20/20 games.

 

[sammy22]

Thrashed by sussex, and Goddard injured as well. A game that defines the limitations of the squad. Couldn;t even bowl sussex out.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Thrashed by sussex, and Goddard injured as well. A game that defines the limitations of the squad. Couldn;t even bowl sussex out.

Looks like most of Glamorgan's games this year...

 

[sammy22]

Agreed Samuel not been the best year for Glamorgan in real life.

Next game just scraped a win against Notts but I got lucky.

Here is the table as well now as it stands.

 

[sammy22]

I had this game won and played quite superbly, yet you just can't legistrate for the bad luck we#ve had with weather. This is the 3rd game this season i felt we could have won if so much time hadn't been lost.

I need to calm down a bit before i write any more

 

[sammy22]

The current county table, I thought i would probably be relegated so i;ve done really well but it could have been even better.

 

[sammy22]

Next up title challengers Middlesex, and a big performance needed. A truly memorable opening stand between Ganguly and Elliot has set me up nicely 297 they put on for the 1st wicket.

Amazingly this included only a couple of chances, which were both played and missed. Then when one went so did the other, towards the end of the day. Just to bring an air of inevitiability to the proceedings it then rained losing me an hours play.

 

[sammy22]

and completed a victory over them. Batted tremendously and then had to hope I would have time to bowl them out twice and that it wouldn;t rain again

Going into the last session needing 70 to win and with rain forecast I felt sure I would be cheated of victory again, but justice prevailed and Middlesex got the stuffing they deserved

 

[sammy22]

Playing some great cricket at the moment, and that dreadful defeat to Sussex has been confined to a distant memory...............for now at least.

Bowled really well, particuarly pleased for Marshall and Simon Jones producing his best bowling display of an otherwise slightly dissapointing season for him personally.

With a low total to chase I made sure by simply not losing wickets.

 

[sammy22]

A break now as the dreaded 20/20 cup is about to start, and i'm not looking forward to it as my team just can't score runs quickly.

However in the 1 day league i've moved up nicely, although it would seem Gloucesteshire have an invincible look about them, which has rarely been said in any capacity for many years

 

[sammy22]

Defeat in 20/20 wouldn;t you know it. I think my batting total was pretty good so not sure if my tactics were terrible or if it;s just a bad side. I had to change my team round alot and i just haven;t got the players this season.

Used the same/similar tactics which won me the 20/20 cup 4 years in a row with Lancashire but perhaps different tactics work with different teams/types of players.

 

[sammy22]

Really annoying lost another 1 day game, and then amazingly managed to win my next one.

It really is frustrating working with average bowlers in 20/20 cricket, as my opponents always look likely to get well beyond 150.

Anyway the biggest acheivment of the season to date a simply incredible victory in a 20/20 game when you consider that the squad i;ve got couldn;t be more weak in terms of this kind of cricket.

A win :

 

[sammy22]

2nd 20/20 win in a row.I've discovered a formula which works for my team now which is completely different to the one I used at Lancashire.

Basically my bowlers are so bad I need to bowl first when given the opportunity and prepare to get blasted all round the ground. However as long as I have a chasable target i.e less than 180 then I can give it a go.

In the latest game my openers made short work of a formidable target inside 15 overs.

 

[sammy22]

Sad defeat. I shouldn't have lost this game

 

[sammy22]

THEM AGAIN..............

The 2 openers back in business in perfect harmony.

I've already decided i;m not retaining either of them though for next season

 

[sammy22]

Close game won with an over to spare. Really made a meal of it, yet since I had convinced myself I would lose every 20/20 game I am now aware if I win my next game I get through.

Robert Croft has been bowling really well at the death, perhaps it's an advantage to bowl spinners towards the end of an innings, as otherwise he has been somewhat expensive.

 

[sammy22]

I've qualified for the 20/20 cup.

However another bizzare result in the county championship. Thrashed completely by Notts. That's a couple of times this season I have been destroyed by pretty average teams in the county championship.

I'm still joint top though, with a side that really shouldn;t be in the top 8. Can't wait til the end of the season so I can try and sort out the squad. Hopfully will be bringing in at least 6 new players, with more than that on there way too.

 

[sammy22]

Revenge for the humiliation of the defeat against Notts, as I knock them out of the challenge cup at the quarter final stage.

 

[sammy22]

Here are the tables as they currently stand.

I should meet my target of avoiding finishing bottom in both leagues. Realistically now I would be slightly dissapointed not to come in the top 4 of the county championship and top 6 at least in the 1 day league