Pakistan Win the Cup!

and our little competition comes to an end. Pakistan played a great game. The bowled first and Razzak came straight out of the gates and got 3 early wickets. Then Sangakarra hung in there for a long time racking up 64 runs to give Pakistan 138 to chase. Pakistan wasted no time and no batsmen. Afridi sealed the deal with a half century and Pakistan won by 8 wickets with 8 balls remaining.

How did we do? well, Sandeeps Dream Team didn't wake up to all of the noise from Blair's Bombers, The smashing windows shattered glass onto Aussie rules footie, and Harts Gas let one fly right in the face of Lynda's Goggas. The Old Boggers were the ones who dusted the Dusters and Henry's Hobos put a hex on Bob's Chiloquin. Agnoman! the Flying Toasters beat them, Gonubie Chinas have Bubble gum on their shoes, and Arvinders Drag-ons left Team Jiminy off. Finally, The Great Gryllidae left Dr. Teeth nashing at their heels.

It's been another fun tournament. I hope you all have enjoyed yourselves. Take a break, do some research and we'll see you all back here in 2011 for the next World Cup!!

The final worm :-(

Worm, Actual Size, with Antioxidants

The Windies had a Gayle a blowing......

but Dilshan blew it out! The game was kinda boring except for two things. Dilshan was an opening batsman who went 98 not out! and then Matthews (anyone heard of him???) bowled 3 wickets in the first over of the West Indies inning! Other than that you just need to know that Sri Lanka will be playing in the finals against Pakistan. Plan and plot accordingly.

As for the worm? Don't know, Michael hasn't made one yet - he is afraid to see that I am still ahead of him. I do know that Anna didn't quite catch Arvinder despite Suliemanns great show and there was some movement in the middle - Catherine moved up I believe as did Katy Soucy and James. Last chance to knock out your rival on Sunday. I'm making eggs benedict so get here early!

Be Afridi, be very Afridi

Pakistan (or should I say Afridi) knocked South Africa out!! An unexpected outcome today as South Africa had been undefeated and was arguably the favorite to win the tournament. And Afridi was definately the man of the match performing both with his batting (51 runs) and his bowling (2 wickets). Kallis tried damn hard to catch up (64 runs) but after that a bunch of wickets fell and Pakistan's bowling wasn't giving up any boundaries leaving South Africa short 7 runs. This made me happy - only because I know a lot of you had South African captains and now you, like me, are without!

with everyone's teams pretty similar it came down to small differences and minor nudging in the worm. Arvinder has bumped Anna from 3rd - can she come back? there was much jostling in the 5-10 positions and Sandeep seems to have settled into last place. Two more games, make your moves, time is running out.

The worm strikes back

Who's Your Captain??

It looks like it just might come down to who your captain is. Looking over the teams there is not much difference between them expect for captains. Some unlucky folks like myself have a dead duck in the captain slot. Others with more foresight have big named SA's like G. Smith - seems like lots of Smith pickers. So we'll see what happens.

For those in the area Michael and I will be watching Fridays game after work. So avoid cric info for the day and come on by to watch the game. And of course we'll be up on Sunday for the Final match.

The son of the worm returns

Are you ready for the semis??

I didn't see either game today - baby stuff but looking at the results: South Africa beat India, not that they needed to and have claimed the E1 spot. This leaves West Indies in the E2 spot. Also, New Zealand came up short against Sri Lanka, apparently they have some crazy new bowling styles that no one can figure out. So, Sri Lanka move on in the F1 spot and Pakistan is F2. That means our first semi final match will be SA vs. Pak on Thursday, sorry no cricket tomorrow. This will give everyone some time to cool off, regroup, and gather their strength for the final push. Michael has suggested that with so many trades floating around everyone is going to end up with the same basic team......if so the standings won't change. Find someway to distinguish yourself people!! Pick that E bowler from Ireland, no wait that won't help. OK, an F batsman from the West Indies that you just know is going to peak someday. Or how about making a captaincy trade to capitalize on their double points, or you could do nothing and hope for the best. Just some suggestions to ponder on our day off.

Michael is working on the worm, looks like a few slight changes from yesterday. Study it carefully, determine who your biggest competition is and then taunt them mercilessly here in the comments section. Since there is no cricket tomorrow you all should have plenty of time to comment. Does anyone read this thing??? OK, enough of my babbling.....

A Fall From Grace

I must congratulate my dear husband on dethroning me. But....he should watch his back cause 2 points really ain't a comfortable lead and I have more trades than he does, Hah! Well, it has been an interesting day. Pakistan predictably beat Ireland knocking them out and insuring Pakistan moves on although I don't quite get how but that's what everyone says so I'll buy it. Then in the England West Indies game things got all wonky due to rain and the match ended up being shortened and taken over by Duckworth Lewis (if you don't know what this is don't worry even the experts are clueless but basically it tells you who won and they said West Indies) SO, West Indies it is along with South Africa moving on from Group E. Looks like SA will be E1 and WI will be E2. As for the other group it comes down to tomorrows game. Sri Lanka will play New Zealand and winner moves on loser goes home.

Looking at the worm you can just skip those top two lines - nothing to see there. But the battle for 3rd is getting hot, hot, hot. Anna has claimed the spot from Moira but now Arvinder is moving in on the action. Apparently he has been talking strategy with Michael. And speaking of Michael, he may be all high and mighty in 1st but privately he was fretting over Anna, seems Michael is scared of her smarts. And James has had a last minute surge out of the bottom and into the mix. I happen to know Missy has been hording trades getting ready to pounce, don't wait to long Mom. So, it is still really anyone's game.

The Worminator

England knocks out India

A bit of a shocker to see India go out at this stage but it helps us all, trust me. Michael had Doni as his captain and now faces the decision of trading for a new one or going without. What will he do??? As the tournament progresses flexibility in trades becomes more crucial just at a time when your number of trades is probably dwindling. This is of course unless you took Lynda's strategy: do nothing until now and then have 60 trades for the last 6 matches!! So, India may be out but England still has work to do to get themselves through. Tomorrow they take on the West Indies and whoever wins will advance along with South Africa.

In the other match today Sri Lanka beat Ireland to seal their move into the semis.

In our little competition we seem to have three main groups forming. but look out for folks looking to move on up. Michael is HOT on my heels, Arvinder just jumped from the bottom pack to the middle pack, Paul is looking to do the same. There is a seriously heated ado for 3rd between Moira, Anna, Kathy, and Henry - please no hair pulling. How will this all shake out?? I don't know but I can't wait to find out.

Worm day 10

The Curious Incident of the Henry Gone Missing

Oh Henry, oh Henry, where for art thou oh Henry? Ok, who made Henry so mad that he took his toys and went home? If it was you go ahead and admit it, its ok, we'll still love you. Did he miss out on Gul today the same way he missed out on Bravo yesterday? Did Catherine sabotage him? What could have happened? All I know is that we'd like him back.

As for the rest of us, if you picked Gul you did well today. He had a 5 wicket haul which is 25 bonus points on top of the 25 points for the wickets, plus he only conceded like 6 runs so he got 10 points for such a good econ rating. Unreal! I personally didn't have him, poor me. So good for you if you did. In addition to the Gullies, Moira did quite well for being AWOL. She loves her South Africans and they took care of her today.

My early prediction of New Zealand in the finals may have been premature. They aren't looking so hot and I am worried. I mean they actually embarrassed themselves today going 99 all out for Pakistan to chase. I mean get real, I was yelling, "AGNOMAN!" I think it might actually have been due to Missy. She snaked my McCullum as her captain and I think she jinxed the team, we'll see what happens but I have not accounted for making a captaincy trade - you all may catch up to me yet.

Well, we're half way through the super 8s and the only thing for sure is that South Africa will go through, as E1 or E2 we don't know. Tomorrow the India v. England match is huge. They have both lost one match in the super 8s so far and need this win. on the other side is Ireland vs. Sri Lanka. Ireland would really be the cinderellas of the tourney if they could pull a win out. My new prediction is Sri Lanka V. South Africa in the finals. What ever happens it should be fun so trade up and enjoy!

The Snake, no wait, The Worm

Halfway point worm

Katy is making me write this blog entry coz she is mean and likes to beat other people and stuff. Anyway, enough about me, howz y'all doin'?

We are at the halfway point and it seems that anyone could win at this point as long as your name is Katy Robinson. Everyone else is trying not to come last. There are many sad stories in the the big city. Henry claims Catherine kept him from getting to the computer to choose Bravo before the game began, Katy S missed out on 47 points due to missed trades, Moira claims to be out of town, Paul claims not to be able to watch the games and eden blames the Iranians.

So, to cheer everyone up here are some cricket jokes:

What do you get if you cross a tin opener, a vampire and a cricket team?
An opening bat.

Expectant Father
An expectant father rang the hospital to see how his wife was getting on.
By mistake he was connected to the Lord's cricket ground.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"Fine," came the answer, "We've got three out and hope to have the rest out before lunch. The last one was a duck."

Spelling Bee
In school, the teacher asked Johnny to spell "bowling".
Back came the answer : "B-o-e-l-i-n."
"That," said the teacher, "is the worst spell of bowling I've ever seen."

Q. What's the English version of a hat trick?
A. Three runs in three balls. --- For Catherine


Q. Why don't English fielders need pre tour travel injections?
A. Because they never catch anything. --- For Catherine again :-)


And finally a commentary quote:

It's been very slow and dull day, but it hasn't been boring. It's been a good, entertaining day's cricket.- Tony Benneworth, ABC Radio

Aaaaaaagh Loookout! Its the Worm!

Gone Fishing........

for a car.......but that's another story and the night is late. Michael says he'll do a worm in the morning. more tomorrow.

Well Done Katy! 28 Overall!

Worm Shmorm

Sean is cranky

and therefore this will be short. Two games that didn't matter other than to give us points. Sri Lanka had some great batting and beat the West Indies who played like poo. Then India took out a surprised Ireland. Ireland was surprised cause this was their first loss ever in a twenty 20 match - I don't think they've played many at this level. If you had Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Bravo, or Sharma then you got extra points for their half centuries. I had 3 of the 4.

As for the worm, some went up, some went down, but I'm on top.

Tomorrow starts the beginning of the Super Eights. This round is broken into two groups with the top 2 from each group moving on. Group E is England, South Africa, India, and the West Indies. Group F includes Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Each team plays 3 games, so 2 wins would guarantee a spot in the semis. Tomorrow we see England take on South Africa and New Zealand takes on Ireland. I think the England v. South Africa game should be interesting since SA hasn't been playing as well as they can but also haven't really been tested yet and England is probably on an upswing since their opening defeat. Should be good cricket.

Good Night

Bowling and Fielding, Bowling and Fielding

Bowling and Fielding were the hits of today. It began with some solid bowling and fielding on the Netherlands part to hold Pakistan to 175 runs and continued with Pakistan as their spin bowlers left the Dutch dumbfounded and 82 runs short. Pakistans three spin bowlers were the men that shined; Malik, Ajmal (3 wickets), and most especially Afridi who took 4 wickets, held them to 11 runs from 24 balls (an econ rate of 2.75).

Then New Zealand put in some great bowling and fielding holding South Africa to only 128 runs. But South Africa's bowling and fielding kept things tight all the way through and they came out 1 run ahead in the end. Performance of note: my main man Brendan McCullum not only fielded great, getting out Boucher and Kallis, but also went on to hit 57 runs! I love my captain - maybe some of you Ponting lovers should convert. But....New Zealand is facing a lot of injuries and it makes me wonder about their longevity in the tournament. Hmmmmmm.......so much to consider.

Now for a look our worm.... So much going on, lots of movement and general jockeying for position. Blair's Bombers rose up and bombed those at the bottom, Norm's Old Boggers have come out of the muck to capture 3rd place with Bob's Chiloquin peac pipe blowing smoke right up his backside. And don't forget James' Flying Toasters - their looking to soar even higher now that they have the top insight.

In other news, Michael has been copying off of his wife......but cheaters never prosper.

So tomorrow the final matches before the super 8. India take on Ireland, and the West Indies take on Sri Lanka. However neither game really means much as the super 8 are already set: India, Ireland, Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand, and South Africa - start plotting you super 8 strategy now.

The worm, Day 5

The worm

2 OBriens and a hat trick of hat tricks

2 OBriens and a hat trick of hat tricks ousted 2 teams today. Say goodbye to all your Australians and Bangladeshis. Ooh, Ponting's your captain? First a golden duck and now 7 trades to get rid of him. Sucks for you.

So, how did this all happen? Bangladesh began the day putting up 137 runs, nothing special there. But on the other side Ireland gave us the first hat trick as DT Johnson made 3 wickets. He also earned some extra points along with McCallan for low econ ratings. Then Ireland went in to bat and the 2 OBriens became the pride of Ireland putting up 40 and 39 runs. Kristy, James, Kathy, and Anna were all helped by at least 1 OBrien but no one (that I know of) was lucky enough to really grab ahold of the luck of the Irish. Ireland won by 6 wickets with 10 balls remaining knocking Bangladesh out and securing their spot in the super 8 round.

The Australian / Sri Lankan match opened with this bit of commentary:
Anthem watch: Sri Lanka are mostly mumbling. The crowd are in great voice - oh but wait a moment, Jayasuriya is singing his heart out. Terrific effort from the big man. Sangakkara's getting noisier, but ... well, I think Australia can win this one.

Anthem watch 2: The Husseys are in good voice, both smiling - points for them. Nothing from Hauritz, even less from Watson. This is a tight one - but Ponting's pulled it out of the bag with a superb rendition. I think Australia sneak home in that little contest.

I think the Australians should have walked after this small victory because it was to be their last. They batted first and put up 159 runs for Sri Lanka to chase but it took them 10 of their 11 players to do it and the Sri Lankan bowlers racked up major points. Our second and third hat tricks came from these guys. Both Malinga and Mendis earned 3 wickets a piece. and Udana was having a bad day with only 2 wickets to his credit. Kristy, Moira, Anna, and myself all capitalized on these guys. Then they went into bat.....2 half centuries from Sangakarra and Dilshan! Bob was lucky enough to get in on this rout along with Moira, Anna, and myself. So Sri Lanka knocked out Australia winning by 6 wicktes with only 6 balls remaining. With Australia going out the West Indies are now assured a super 8 spot along with Sri Lanka.

We'll have to wait for Michael to get home from work for the worm, so for now.......plan, trade, plan, curse, trade again, and put your hopes in tomorrows matches. Pakistan will tackle the Netherlands while New Zealand tussles South Africa. Enjoy!

de Villiers Anyone?

Things are starting to shake up as people begin to get their strategies inline. Anyone with AB DeVilliers really racked up the points today - anyone lucky enough to have him as their captain?? Henry's Hobos and the Flying Toasters both jumped way up in the standings while Team Jiminy took a hit despite huge marketing efforts on their behalf. And the Smashing Windows have smashed into the bottom. I am still in the lead and I credit the ardent support of Sean for my success. So, here's the worm:



Well, Sean and I didn't make it up to see South Africa put up their 211 runs but we did catch them shutting Scotland down after 81 runs! I read they beat them by the second highest margin for this format ever! I have to say I feel a little bad for Scotland as they really got themselves slaughtered. So Scotland is out of the tournament, time to trade your Scots - anyone have Scots?

Then England kept their dream alive by beating Pakistan by 48 runs. Even though England has only won one match they are through to the next round so it is up to Pakistan and Netherlands to slog it out for the other spot. We had a small crowd here at the Robinson home for a cricket tutorial. It was quite a good time with good food and good folk. By the end of the match everyone was saying things like, "Bopara's dropped a dolly at point! He's blaming the lights, but really... " and "He just planted his feet and flogged it for a flat six wide of long-on!". So now that everyone knows what a yorker is and where silly mid off is I think we'll see a lot more thoughtful strategies coming out of California.

Tomorrow we see two must win games. Australia must beat Sri Lanka while Bangladesh need to rout Ireland to make it through to the super 8. Stay tuned........now go make some trades already!

Ponting, the Golden Duck of Cricket!

Sorry to all you Ponting fanatics, I for one stay clear of the man. -10 points for the golden duck are bad enough but if he was your captain......OUCH! I know Katy S's Bubble Gum team had him but they also carried Gayle and he racked up 6 4's and 6 6's, so that helped soften the blow. You were also bummed if you were counting on Australia's Michael Clark who did nothing, or Brett Lee who conceded some insane number of runs (mostly to Gayle). Other players of note for the day: Yuvraj Singh had a huge strike rate (227.77) as he hit 41 runs from only 18 balls! And Yuvraj didn't do to bad in the field either. Hart's Gas is happy that he's their captain! Gambhir scored a half century and if you were lucky enough to have Ojha as a bowler (I know Norm did - well done Norm) he earned an econ rate of 5.25 and had a whopping 4 wickets! Not to be forgotten was the performance by Scotland's captain, Watson who had a strike rate of 270 hitting 6 4's.

So, to recap, India beat Bangladesh by 25 runs, The Windies ousted Australia by 7 wickets, and in a backyard 7 aside 7 over match New Zealand sent Scotland home early for dinner.

I am still in the lead with my husband and Mom hot on my heels, Team Jimminy and Hart's Gas are not far off the mark. Blair's Bombers made great strides as did the Flying Toasters. I guess you really don't have to know much to play this game.

Hang in there everyone, it is only the beginning with lots more cricket to be played. Tomorrow we will see if England can come back from their embarrassing start and beat Pakistan, while South Africa will make their first show against Scotland (I sure hope they took notes during the England/Netherladns game!)

Michael should be posting a worm soon. Enjoy!

We Need a Worm

Ok, so we are getting the worm going but we neglected to record the scores after Fridays matches. If you remember what your score was please let me know in the comments. Thanks.

Netherlands! Who Knew?

Well, Englands overthrow allowed the Dutch to overthrow England. What an upset. Catherine is certainly "Agnomaning" all over Cantebury. England batted first and put up 162 for 5. Wright was the big hitter for England putting up 71 of those runs. Bopara almost got bonus points but fell to a wicket by my man ten Doeschates after 46 runs. With Pieterson out I was a bit disappointed with England at this point. I mean, Shah, Morgan, and Collingwood (all on my team) collectively only scored 22 runs! no points from those folks. So then the Dutch went in. They played some good solid cricket and made for a most exciting final over - they needed 7 runs from 6 balls. Each ball they ran a single. Last ball they needed 2 to win. "Broad to Schiferli, 2 runs, goes for a club, Broad again fields - they run, and Broad has all three stumps as he collects it in his follow through. But he misses, and they run an overthrow. They're through and Netherlands have scored a brilliantly, outstanding upset here for the first match at Lord's!"

So, with one match down we await OUR scores. Will past favorites take an early lead or will The Netherlands win bring tidings of joy to someone new? Rumor has it that Paul has programmed a new and improved worm - I look forward to watching my line climb on the steepest of slopes.

Tomorrow: India V. Bangladesh, Australia V. West Indies, and New Zealand V. Scotland. So get to making your trades already.

As a side note to those folks joining Michael and I on Sunday: The game begins at 9:30 not 8:30 as previously mentioned. SO, come at 8:30 or 9:30 or whenever it suits you best. We will be watching the match LIVE! And, seriously, if you want to catch the earlier 5:30 match Sean and I will be up - feel free to join us.

Twas the Night Before Competition .........

and all through the world all the cricketers were stirring and finalizing their teams. Team Jiminy is chirping loudly, Blairs Bombers are aiming high, Gonubie Chinas are polishing up, the Hobos are hopping a train, the DRMTEAM is resting nicely, Hart's Gas is firing, The Flying Toasters are buttering both sides, Bubble Gum is blowing big, and the Chiloquins are having a pow wow. Arvinder/ is browsing for a new name, the Old Boggers are scraping muck off their shoes, The Smashing Windows are windexing their targets while Dr. Teeth is rinsing and spitting. Agnoman is praying hard and the Goggas are hoping not to get smashed. The dusters are dusting off their brooms and the Great Gryllidae are warming up their wings. It's GO time people. Tomorrow morning (or afternoon depending on where you are) it will all begin. With 17 teams I hope everyone is ready for a fun time!

Let the games begin!!

THIS JUST IN: We think we have found a way to watch the live match on Sunday!! We may all be crowded around Michaels computer but luckily he has an obscenely large screen! The game starts at 9:30am England vs. Pakistan. South Africa is also playing Scotland starting at 5:30 - Michael, Sean and I will be up for that one as well so anyone wanting to really get their cricket on is free to come for the early match, but you'll need to bring me a latte for early admission.

Its Party Time!

Who: anyone in the area that wants to come
What: an all you can learn cricket party
Where: Katy and Michael's Place
When: Sunday the 7th @ 8:30am
Why: Cause we want everyone to get the most out of this tournament!

England will be playing Pakistan. We probably won't be able to get the match but we can all stay in tune with the up to the minute score card and commentary on cric info. Also, Michael has the game of the century on DVD so we can all see what an actual cricket match looks like. Hopefully you'll leave a little more informed and able to read a scorecard so you can keep tabs on your team. Hope to see you all there.

Let it all hang out!

Ricky Ponting has been talkin' trash and says Australia is going for a hat trick but with Watson's groin strain they'll have to take it slowly, slowly. And Collingwood is hoping for the home ground advantage, while the betting sites give the best odds for Gambhir and deVilliers, but Michael has some secret Netherlands player that he's keeping close to the breast. So much to contemplate. As you guys create your teams there is one other thing to think about - to reveal or not to reveal. Paul is a classic hoarder, keeping his team secret even from himself. I like to let it all hang out which has come in handy while breastfeeding. Missy lets loose early but then reigns herself in at the last minute. Whatever your strategy remember there is a button at the bottom of your team: Public Viewable, yes or no?

Welcome Freshman!

As there are a number of people new to the sport who are planning to join us in this little romp I thought I would repost the rules of the game that Michael shared during our 1st foray into the land of fantasy cricket, enjoy!

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

And if that doesn't clear the sport up for you try the Cricket 101 link on the right for a slightly more technical look.

technical difficulties

OK, so there have been problems with some people getting the invite email from cricketweb and others not. If you want to join the competition but haven't gotten an invite from cricket web you can still do it with the following code: 1242413408

Just use the link on the right to get to the cricket web site and then register or sign in, create a team, and then go to "user comp - join" and enter the above code. Good Luck

On your marks........

Get set....things are shaping up with 5 teams in contention so far. A hardy welcome to James, a newbie to the game. He has promised to learn nothing of the sport and still kick our butts. May beginners luck be on your side. And Catherine - love the team name - sure hope it doesn't become a mantra for you as you watch them play. Bob and Missy are still on vay-cay but I suspect that Missy is already plotting her insurgency, I look forward to the challenge. And will Sampson's Horse rear his ugly head again or will Bob break out new guns....ooh the suspense. Finally I see Paul has chosen to keep his team secret - but Paul, no one wants to copy off a window licker, I mean smasher.

Advice

As the reigning Twenty 20 champion I feel compelled to offer some unsolicited advice. 1. Pick a good captain, this can make or break you. 2. New Zealand is almost certainly in the finals - look at the groups. So load up on the Kiwis. I realize Moira is unlikely to take this advice. 3. Paul - with a name like Smashing Windows you might want Gibbs as your captain - Michael and I did in fact witness him smash a window. But be careful cause you don't want to end the competition with a bunch of window lickers!

That's it for now. Anyone else have some advice? Or smack to talk?

Katy

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