Semi Finals!

No injuries for the semi and the final!

Welcome to the Aegis Bowl for this years T20 Finals Day

Semi Final 1

Middlesex Panthers vs Somerset CC

Pitch: A hard pitch that will offer some great bounce to the seamers, some spin
throughout as well. Could well be a case of who is on form as the pitch
could also lead to some high scores.

Semi Final 2

Nottinghamshire Outlaws vs Hampshire Royals

Pitch: Similar to the first one but starting to turn more and more. If a side can set a big total batting first they could look to squeeze out the opposition. However, bowling first may allow batsmen in the second innings to judge just how hard they have to go.

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Tactics due by Thursday Midnight

You've spelt Ageas wrong

Olly wrote:You've spelt Ageas wrong

Pedant

I'm torn between 3 variants of my prime playing XI for this week, based around a desire to bring in Irfan Pathan for Jack Brooks, which would mean dropping either McCullum or Yuvraj to keep within the foreign quota (Guptil's U25 and I need Watson's death bowling so they're safe from the axe)

Olly wrote:You've spelt Ageas wrong

Not if its a fantasy ground! I'll change it later

Hampshire Royals vs Nottinghamshire Outlaws
Injuries: Nobody

Starting XI:
1. Graeme Smith - Overseas/Captain
2. Jimmy Adams
3. Michael Clarke - Overseas
4. Umar Akmal - Overseas/U25/Wicket Keeper
5. Ravi Bopara
6. James Vince - U25
7. Dimitri Mascarenhas
8. Dwayne Bravo - Overseas
9. Zaheer Khan - Overseas
10. Danny Briggs - U25
11. Chris Wood - U25


Toss: We will bat first, build a big total, then defend with the extra help from the pitch. If we bowl first, we have the seamers to cause trouble

Bowling Tactics:
Zaheer - Overs 1,3,18,20.
Wood - Overs 2,4,6,8.
Briggs - Overs 5,7,9,11.
Bravo - Overs 10,12,14,16.
Mascarenhas - Overs 13,15,17,19.

Zaheer - Open the bowling and look to take wickets early on. At the death bowl yorkers and cutters, take advantage of the pitch.
Wood - Opening with you. Look to get early wickets. If you can pick up 2 or 3 early on we will be in a really strong position.
Briggs - This pitch is made for you. Look to bowl aggressively and pick up wickets. You can win us the game by yourself today.
Bravo - This is a wicket you bowl on all the time. Look to keep it tight and pick up a wicket or two.
Mascarenhas - Bowling at the death, look to bowl lots of cutters and slower balls. You are one of the best in the world at this.

Batting tactics:
Smith and Adams: Smith you play through the innings and look to score quickly. Adams get us off to that flying start we need to get ahead of the run rate.
Clarke and Akmal: You two are great players of spin, so look to win us the game today. Both take your time to get in, and when in cash in on a pitch that suits your style of batting.
Bopara and Vince: If you two get in, take a couple of ball to get your eye in, and then look to hit boundaries and keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Bravo and Mascarenhas: You two come in and hit the boundaries at the end of the innings. Finish with a real bang, hit those sixes we know you can.
Zaheer, Wood and Briggs: If you get in, just see ball hit ball. Simples.

Middlesex side to face Somerset

No	Player	Ave	SR	Bowling Ave	Econ
1	Martin Guptil (o,u25)	36.78	132.02	-	9.50
2	Shane Watson (o)	31.29	144.84	24.75	7.28
3	Brendon McCullum (o)	32.55	137.24	-	-
4	Dawid Malan (u25)	32.15	118.00	23.00	6.90
5	Eoin Morgan (u25)	26.33	130.64	-	-
6	Darren Maddy	30.18	132.97	23.84	7.95
7	Irfan Pathan (o,wk)	22.97	127.97	24.31	7.57
8	James Foster	21.56	132.90	-	-
9	Daniel Vettori (o,c)	19.40	122.87	21.16	6.25
10	Steven Finn (u25)	9.00	90.00	25.76	7.54
11	Boyd Rankin	8.00	84.21	16.25	5.41

Irfan Pathan's efforts for India, topping the wicket-taker charts in Sri Lanka over the past ODI series while scoring runs at #7 haven't gone unnoticed by the Middlesex selectors, who have opted for his left arm variety ahead of Jack Brooks. Yuvraj drops out to preserve the overseas quota, meaning that James Foster retains his spot and the keeping gloves after he deputised for the injured Darren Maddy in the quarters.

Toss
Bowl first, aim to peg Somerset right back, then rely on a deep batting lineup to get home

Batting
Guptil, Watson and McCullum have the job of getting the innings going at the top. The Australian-style bounce should suit Watson in particular, while McCullum also enjoys the short ball. The plan will be for at least one of the top 3 to get in and try to bat through managing the chase, with plenty of batting in the middle order as support, firstly from Malan, Morgan and Maddy, plus Pathan, Foster and Vettori are all more than handy.

If we have to bat first then the plan is to try to take advantage of the ball coming onto the bat, the top 3 given licence to attack in the powerplay once they've gauged the bounce. Once again the deep batting line-up should pay dividends as there's backup if someone takes a risk and it doesn't come off

Bowling
I have the luxury of an all-international bowling lineup here*, and Finn and Pathan open up the bowling with 2 overs each, offering a contrast between right arm pace, and left arm zip off the pitch. Rankin and Watson come in at the end of the powerplay, with Rankin's steepling bounce off a good length (accentuated by the pitch here) and accuracy likely to be a real handful.

After the powerplay Vettori replaces Watson to take advantage of the turn and bounce in the pitch. After Rankin's first couple of overs Finn bowls out, in an attempt to put pressure on by taking wickets early. Pathan and Watson have the responsibility at the death, a role they're both very used to.

Steven Finn (4 overs 1,3,9,11)
Irfan Pathan (4 overs 2,4,18,20)
Boyd Rankin (4 overs 5,7,13,15)
Shane Watson (4 overs 6,12,17,19)
Daniel Vettori (4 overs 8,10,14,16)


*Granted in Rankin's case it's for Ireland. But that's still World Cup experience

Somerset Vs Middlesex

Toss - bowl, look to limit a total and then chase it down as we will have plenty of batting on a good pitch

Batting line up

1) Trescothick (c)
2) Gayle (O)
3) Trott
4) Kieswetter (W/U25)
5) Buttler (U25)
6) Van Der Merwe (O)
7) A.Morkel
8) Gregory (U25)
9) Thomas
10) Tait (O)
11) Dockrell (U25)


Tres and Gayle can go hard till the loss of a wicket, at which point Trott will act as a stabalizer, unless of course we get off to a screamer where it would be beneficial to send Kieswetter in instead (if batting first) say over 7 and a half an over if after 8 overs, otherwise Trott goes in first. After Kieswetter we have Buttler who can act accordingly to the situation on whether to attack or go steady, after that we have potential fireworks from Morkel and VDM. If forced to bat first with the tail we have able to swing a bat 200 should be a minimum which gives us confidence if batting second of being able to chase big if required.

Bowling:

Thomas - 1, 6, 18, 20
Tait - 2, 4, 12, 14
Morkel - 3, 5, 7, 9
Dockrell - 8, 10, 19
Gregory - 11, 13
Van Der Merwe - 15, 17

If required Dockrell, Gregory and VDM can all bowl 4 if one or more of the first 3 are gotten after. With this mix of spin and seam we should stand a good chance of limiting Middlesex, as we have plenty of clubs in the bag, Thomas' variety, Tait's pace and bounce, Morkel's movement, Gregory and VDM's different styles of spin it should keep middlesex guessing, its also a good fielding side.

I'll get mine up tonight.

Nottinghamshire Vs Hampshire

Hales
Warmer
Lumb
AB de Villiers
James Taylor
Morne Van Wyk
Samit Patel
Stuart Broad
Graeme Swann
Pat Cummins
Lasith Malinga

Toss: Bat first, post a big total and squeeze.

Batting: Hales/Warner to play their natural games and go hard as they will both enjoy the extra pace and bounce of the new ball and quick bowlers. Lumb will play his natural game and look to keep blazing. ABDV can play ant innings needed so will tailor his game to the situation. He can build an innings or clear the ropes so he will look to bat through and get a big score. Taylor will rotate the strike and run hard and look to get the bigger hitter on strike, although he can clear the ropes himself. Van Wyk has a superb T20 record and will be my finisher at the end of the innings. Patel, Broad and Swann can all hit a long ball if required as well.

Bowling: Patel will bowl an over early on and try to get the first wicket before Malinga, Cummins and Broad bowl out the rest of the PP with their extra pace and bounce causing issues for batsmen. Swann will squeeze in the middle overs as he will love the turn and bounce, putting Hamps behind the game before my superb death bowlers (Malinga) return to finish the game well.

Patel - 1, 9, 11, 13
Malinga - 2, 16, 18, 20
Cummins - 3, 5, 7, 15
Broad - 4, 6, 17, 19
Swann - 8, 10, 12 14

So...