As we are all aware at this time the sporting landscape is clogged with events such as State of Origin, the AFL season and the impending Rugby Championship. Although these are the major events on our shores my interest is in events going on in the British Isles and in the Caribbean.
Australia’s Ashes defence has got off to a relatively good start with a win over Kent and the upcoming fixture against Essex. Yet many of us may not know that the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament is in full swing with the next few games being played in St Kitts and Nevis.
The tournament is very much like the Big Bash League in Australia with six franchises – the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Jamaica Tallawahs, Barbados Tridents, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel Gayana Amazon Warriors and the St Lucia Zouks – vying for the title.
Players such as Chris Gayle, Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen and Shahid Afridi are playing in this competition which makes for some great matches such as the one this morning between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with the Tallawahs taking the win seven wickets down with five balls left.
The match was headlined by a surprisingly patient innings from Chris Gayle with 72 off 54 balls and Chris Lynn the Queenslander making 52 off 33. Little know bowler Krishmar Santokie snared 4-37 (4).
For the Patriots the highlights were Martin Guptill and Marlon Samuels each making 50. The game came down to the last over with Gayle and Andre Russell guiding the Tallawahs home. The competition is extremely competitive and refreshing to watch so I highly recommend giving it a look if you have the time.
Back to England and the Ashes campaign, I see that there may be selection dilemmas afoot for the panel. Shane Watson or Mitch Marsh?
Marsh should play in Cardiff over Watson. He guarantees the team both a batsman and a bowler whereas Watson is very shaky as to what he brings to the table. In the contest on a wicket that will be the most abrasive that they will encounter this series they must have a fifth bowler who can bowl at least 15 overs.
I feel that Watson can not bring this to the table.
Another question is what three fast bowlers should be selected. I feel that Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc will get the nod. Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle I feel are line and length bowlers and along with Harris are competing for that position.
Harris has the runs on the board in terms of playing in England and what he brings in terms of his ability to swing the ball.
My Test XI is as follows: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Adam Voges, Marsh, Brad Haddin, Harris, Johnson, Starc, Nathan Lyon.
Looking forward to watching the Barbados Tridants taking on the St Lucia Zouks and talking about it tomorrow.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
With Rajasthan needing 25 off 17, both batsmen ended up at the same end but the bowler dropped the throw from his teammate -…
A six-laden, 27-ball 84 from Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his outrageous debut IPL!
Johnny Bairstow has hit his way back into form with a 45-ball century as he steered his side to a record-breaking win, easily chasing…
It seems franchise cricket has forgotten about the great battle between bat and ball. In fact, this season in the IPL there is no battle at all.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
