County Cricket 2005 Prediction League

[Andy Mellon]

Hello! It's the start of 2005, and I thought it would be a good time to kick off a prediction league for County Cricket 2005. There are several areas that I'm asking for you to predict

(i) Winner of the County Championship
(ii) Who will be relegated from CC1
(iii) Who will be promoted from CC2
(iv) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in CC2
(v) Who will win the National League
(vi) Who will be relegated from NL1
(vii) Who will be promoted from NL2
(viii) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in the National League
(ix) Who will win the C&G Cup
(x) Who will win the 20:20
(xi) Who will have the highest County Championship batting average (qualification of over 10 innings)
(xii) Who will make the highest individual score of the season
(xiii) Who will score the quickest century in all competitions of the season
(xiv) Who will have the lowest bowling average (qualification of over 20 wickets)
(xv) Who will take the most wickets across all competitions

Tie Breaker: Who will feature in the 20:20 Cup semi-finals and what will the highest team score in the 20:20 cup be?

Facts to Consider:

• There has been a high turnover of playing staff at Kent and Middlesex.
• Very few key changes have occurred at last year's winners Warks
• Lancashire and Yorkshire are so-called 'sleeping giants' now in CC2
• Derbyshire are still rubbish
• Leicestershire's victory in last years 20:20 cup final was considered a 'surprise'
• Gloucestershire always seem to win the C&G Cup

Please post your predictions in reply to this message. The closing date for entries is the end of March. Averages predictions apply only to the competitions listed and would not include performances against Universities, UCCEs, Board XIs or touring sides.

Feel free to post any other predictions (e.g. in which month you believe that Derbyshire will win a game, or how long it will be until Northants field a team with no England eligible players)

Happy predicting!!

[Zainub]

(i) Winner of the County Championship: Surrey , James Ormond will come good again, and Harbajjan Singh will also prove to be too good for everyone else, Warwickshire to come a distant 2nd and Worcestershire will be a surprise package 2nd runner ups, boasting of an exciting pace attack in the form of Shoaib and Lee (I reckon they'll get Lee).

(ii) Who will be relegated from CC1: Nottinghamshire - can't see 'em surviving without Pieterson

(iii) Who will be promoted from CC2: Essex - Kaneria will do a Mushie and pick up 100+ wickets in the season, Lancashire to follow 2nd, Yorkshire 3rd

(iv) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in CC2: Durham (they'll just have a shocker of a season, worse then even Derbyshire I reckon)

(v) Who will win the National League: Glamorgon

(vi) Who will be relegated from NL1: Northamptonshire

(vii) Who will be promoted from NL2: Yorkshire

(viii) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in the National League: Derbyshire

(ix) Who will win the C&G Cup: Surrey (Gloucs to be beaten in the finals)

(x) Who will win the 20:20: Lancashire Lightenning to beat Surrey Lions in the finals

(xi) Who will have the highest County Championship batting average (qualification of over 10 innings): Ed Smith 87 or whear abouts

(xii) Who will make the highest individual score of the season: Will Jefferson 289*

(xiii) Who will score the quickest century in all competitions of the season: Darren Maddy

(xiv) Who will have the lowest bowling average (qualification of over 20 wickets): Steve Kirby

(xv) Who will take the most wickets across all competitions: James Ormond

Tie Breaker 1: Who will feature in the 20:20 Cup semi-finals: Surrey Lions vs Yorkshire Phoenix (1st SF) Lancashire Lightenning vs Warwickshire Bears (2nd SF)

Tie Breaker 2: What will the highest team score in the 20:20 cup be? 201-6 by Leicestershire Foxes

[Andy Mellon]

Thanks for getting the ball rolling Zainub - and also for suggesting Essex might get promoted. However, it's 3 up 3 down in both the CC and the NL, so you may want to adjust your promotion/relegation predictions to reflect that it will be three teams for each!

[Zainub]

I have just realised I have made another mistake as well, my corrected predictions are as follows:

Winners CC D1: Surrey

1st Runners up CC D1: Warwickshire

2nd Runners up: Kent (I earlier said Worcestershire but I just realised since it was a 3 up 3 down system they'd be relegated too, and hence can't be in DV next season let along be 2nd runners up in)

Relegations from CC D1: Nottinghamshire (they'll finish last)
above them will be Glamorgon
and above the Dragons would be Sussex

Winners CC D2: Essex

Other two promotions: Lancashire(they'll finish 2nd) and Yorkshire (who will obviously be 3rd)

Who fill finish last: Durham

Winner NL D1: Glamorgon

1st Runners up NL D1: Middlesex

2nd Runners up NL D1: Lancashire

Relegations NL DI: Northamptonshire (they'll finish bottom)
Hampshire (they'll finish 8th)
Nottinghamshire (they'll finish 7th)

Winner NL 2: Yorkshire

Other two promotions: Somerset (they'll finish 2nd) & Surrey (they'll finish 3rd)

Who will finish last: Derbyshire

ps: you don't need to thank me for predicting Essex will get promoted, I really think it will happen. Kaneria is in excellent form and if the Eagles can put enough runs on the board everytime, you'll win most of your games. Good Luck! I really wish for the sake of Kaneria's developement and increase in self confidence that he guides you guys in to Division, so that the season after that, he can have a go at making you guys champion of all England!!!

[Andy Mellon]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

ps: you don't need to thank me for predicting Essex will get promoted, I really think it will happen. Kaneria is in excellent form and if the Eagles can put enough runs on the board everytime, you'll win most of your games. Good Luck! I really wish for the sake of Kaneria's developement and increase in self confidence that he guides you guys in to Division, so that the season after that, he can have a go at making you guys champion of all England!!!

I'm glad of your confidence. I'm also sure that Essex have the batting to get promoted, but the problem is the fast bowling. Gough can't bowl all the time, Irani cannot bowl any more, Napier's a decent one-day bowler, but easy to leave in the 4 day game and then the other bowlers Cowan and Clarke are injury prone and inconsistent. Also, Scott Brant has been released from his contract along with McCoubrey. This really leaves Essex lacking in new-ball penetration. They need to sign a top class fast bowler who is not prone to injury. Then, they'd have a very good side. I'm afraid, though, that we'll be relying far too much on Kaneria. Though this does give him the opportunity to get a very large haul of wickets. Good luck to him - I hope and believe that he'll do well!!

[Zainub]

I hope then, that you find a good fast bowler to support Goughie and Kaneria. Am I wrong or did you guys sign Andre Adams too by any chance?

[Andy Mellon]

Its in the pipeline, but nothing's signed at the moment. He played a couple of games for us at the tail end last season and did rather well

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

Its in the pipeline, but nothing's signed at the moment. He played a couple of games for us at the tail end last season and did rather well

I'm uncertain over how effective he can be with the new ball , especially in four day competetions...I think NZ used him in ODIs mostly. Anyway, good news for you , from now on I too will be supporting Essex , and will write that in my profile here too very soon.

So, here's hoping we get promotion. And everything turns out the way we are hoping it will.

[Andy Mellon]

Good stuff! I'm glad to hear there's some chance of gaining new fans to the cause through having overseas players! I agree with you on Andre Adams, he's not the destructive new ball bowler Essex need - just another useful all-rounder. There was talk of Essex signing Alex Tudor - but I don't think we need another crock! I'm not really sure who's available to answer Essex's requirement - especially as Essex keep reiterating that they cannot afford to lavish large amounts of money on a big name.

Anyway, to ensure there is a competition, he's my predictions:
(i) Middlesex
(ii) Kent (#9) Sussex (#8) Hants (#7)
(iii) Lancs (#1) Essex (#2 - blind faith) Somerset (#3)
(iv) Derbyshire
(v) Glamorgan
(vi) Northants (#9) Worcs (#8) Middx (#7)
(vii) Surrey (#1) Kent (#2) Leics (#3)
(viii) Scotland
(ix) Gloucestershire
(x) Surrey
(xi) Bell
(xii) Pietersen
(xiii) Mascarenhas
(xiv) Caddick
(xv) Kaneria

Tie Breaker 1: Surrey vs Notts (1st SF) Lancs vs Gloucestershire(2nd SF)

Tie Breaker 2: What will the highest team score in the 20:20 cup be? 227-3 by Lancs

[Notts Exile]

<Sulk>

Notts to get relegated in both CC and NL ?????

KP to average more than everyone else ? at the Rose Bowl ?? You is having a laugh my friend !!