County Cricket 2007 Prediction League

[adamberry]

Originally Posted by Richard Jenkins

is this in any form of cricket, including tests? Rob Key

Erm... as it's a county cricket prediction league I think we'll leave it to domestic innings. Besides, how likely is it that Key will play a Test this year anyways?

[cantplaycantalk]

Can I just point out to all those predicting Durham to go down the Durham bowling attack is awesome this year, Harmison is retired from ODI's so will be available for a good part of the season, Plunkett should be available most of it and the backup to this is excellent.

Harmison England full international
Plunkett England full international
Onions England A (the guy who impressed in the MCC match)
Davies (missed last year through injury previous 2 years approx 50 wickets at <20 in the CC)
Otis Gibson
Callum Thorp (another who averaged around 20 per wicket last year)
Claydon (came across from Yorks not a bad 7th seamer.)
Neil Killeen (Mostly a one day bowler handy stop gap in an emergency.)

Bit weaker in the spin department but both Breese and Wiseman are ex internationals for West Indies and New Zealand respectively.

Effectively Durham will not be short of wickets this year, and as we all know it takes 20 wickets to win a match.

[Collyisamackem]

Durham are always written off, we're just not that fashionable yet. Our bowling looks quality this year, and our batting may actually scrub up at times too for once! This team isn't too shabby:

Di Venuto, Smith, Scott, Park, Ben Harmison, Benkenstein*, Mustard+, Plunkett, Onions, Steve Harmison, Davies.

With Will Smith coming in and Gary Scott proving a useful off spinner, I reckon we could use Breese as a reserve and enhance our batting.

[cantplaycantalk]

Yes Colly, I don't think anyone has actually noticed that Park and Ben Harmison who both came into the team late on last year were averaging more than respectively for the few matches they actually played, and at 2 and 3 points respectively they are very usefull players for the Telegraph fantasy league.

[Collyisamackem]

I just realised I forgot Collingwood there!! It seems however that he'll play very few games this year given his test performances and the impending awarding of the one-day captaincy/poisoned chalice, but if he does play some games I'd rather see him in than Muchall, who has been picked again today despite his complete lack of consistency.

[Vrock]

(i) Winner of the County Championship: Hampshire
(ii) Who will be relegated from CC1: Kent, Worcestershire
(iii) Who will be promoted from CC2: Notts, Middlesex
(iv) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in CC2: Glamorgan
(v) Who will win the National League (40-40): Essex
(vi) Who will be relegated from NL1 (40-40): Notts, Northants
(vii) Who will be promoted from NL2 (40-40): Yorkshire, Surrey
(viii) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in the National League: Derbyshire
(ix) Who will win the C&G Trophy: Sussex
(x) Who will win the 20:20: Lancashire
(xi) Who will have the highest County Championship batting average (qualification of over 10 innings): Mark Ramprakash
(xii) Who will make the highest individual score of the season: Justin Langer
(xiii) Who will score the quickest century in all competitions of the season: Cameron White
(xiv) Who will have the lowest bowling average (qualification of over 20 wickets):Mushtaq Ahmed
(xv) Who will take the most wickets across all competitions: Mushtaq Ahmed

Tie breaker, Most runs conceded by an individual bowler in an innings? 205

I'm aiming for a solid point, anything more is a bonus.

[adamberry]

Entries are now closed. Thanks to Collyisamackem, Aussie-Yank, cantplaycantalk, bellum_851, Notts Exile, Richard Jenkins and Vrock (and of course myself) for their entries; we'll see who's won at the end of the season!

[cantplaycantalk]

It is beginning to look like entries for the highest score of the season are about closed as well, Justin Langer with a not out triple century and no reason not to continue batting all through tomorrow.

Glad I picked him for the seasons high score, regretting I didn't pick him for the highest average already.
What is the fastest ever to 1000 runs?

[Aussie-Yank]

I am quite happy then - I have Langer for highest individual score plus highest average

[adamberry]

Okay - results time. Please bear in mind that if Middlesex beat Northamptonshire in the Pro40 play-off tomorrow then there will be a couple of changes. However, the answers are:

(i) Winner of the County Championship - Sussex
(ii) Who will be relegated from CC1 - Warwickshire and Worcestershire
(iii) Who will be promoted from CC2 - Somerset and Nottinghamshire
(iv) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in CC2 - Glamorgan
(v) Who will win the National League (40-40) - Worcestershire
(vi) Who will be relegated from NL1 (40-40) - Warwickshire and Essex
(vii) Who will be promoted from NL2 (40-40) - Durham and Somerset
(viii) Who will finish with the wooden spoon in the National League - Glamorgan
(ix) Who will win the C&G Trophy - Durham
(x) Who will win the 20:20 - Kent
(xi) Who will have the highest County Championship batting average (qualification of over 10 innings) - Mark Ramprakash (2,026 runs @ 101.30)
(xii) Who will make the highest individual score of the season - Justin Langer (315; Somerset v Middlesex)
(xiii) Who will score the quickest century in all competitions of the season - Marcus North (73 balls; Gloucestershire v Leicestershire)
(xiv) Who will have the lowest bowling average (qualification of over 20 wickets) - Muttiah Muralitharan (18.66)
(xv) Who will take the most wickets across all competitions - Ottis Gibson (Durham - 80 CC, 34 OD, 2 T20; total 116)

Tiebreaker - Most runs conceded by a bowler in a CC innings - 193 (Claude Henderson, Leicestershire v Gloucestershire; 48-5-193-0)

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Leaderboard as of tonight:-
(* means waiting on tomorrow's Pro40 playoff)

5 correct
*adamberry
Collyisamackem
Aussie-Yank
cantplaycantalk
bellum_851
*Vrock

4 correct
*Notts Exile

1 correct
Richard Jenkins

Sorry Richard.

The long and short of it is; if Middlesex win tomorrow, Vrock beats me on the tie-breaker; if Northamptonshire win, bellum_851 beats five others on the tie-breaker.