Anza Champs Stats: Champs vs Phoenix

Just a quick note on the stats this week as I'm off to the airport shortly.

4 catches down put down in the first 8 overs. A certain stumping made uncertain by a certain umpire. It was also going to a tough day for the Champs.

It's never great to hear the batsman running down the wicket laughing at us and telling each other that we "are not catching anything today". I asked one of the batsman about this and he explained the comment away because he was "from Sydney.". As baffling as his batting.

Yes and that made me a little ticked off cause only we are allowed to laugh at ourselves. We don't need to outsource this particular pleasure.

Anyway as to the stats. An excellent 4 20 for for the Disco was only marred by his 6 over avoidance. Having our most productive and economical bowler bowl one short seems a little profligate on our part. The Disco pole vaults into the leading wicket taker this year after what was a very slow start. Anyway, enough praise in this direction because he can manage this chore well enough himself so suffice to end it on an upbeat note that the Disco still remains the wearer of the Dumbo cap into the next match.

The trunk on that cap went through more hands yesterday than Suzie's Phuket on a Saturday night.

With his two wickets the skip finally overtakes the Rev in second position on the leading wicket takers with 58 scalps now to the good. I was mistaken about MM bowling his 200th wide though and I apologise for that. It was of course his 300th.

I checked to see if Flynny was next in line on this score but let's just say, give the lad time.

There was very little of note on the batting side except to point out a fine Champs debut for Howie P who blazed his way to 32 off 60 balls which shot him straight to number 31 on the batting table in just one innings.

Ben Leonidas Dunn took a further 5 runs off his 300 run guarantee target for the season. Only 267 to go or, on current averages, in 33 matches time. The Spartan 300 may have had better odds.

Interesting to note just how much the skip has to do in bowler planning. Only 3 bowlers have bowled more than 26 overs this year with most bowling well below their quota. In fact only Gibby, Vishal and Lawrence have averaged 5 overs a game. It's hard work being a captain and having to juggle that many bowlers.

In fact this is by far the biggest transition year in Champs history with 11 new caps being handed out. The Skip had done an excellent job of keeping us competitive despite the need to gel the new team after losing several of our best performing players. Get behind him and as MM stressed, get to nets if you can. I certainly need to.

Kit packer this week went to Mark Wotif Flynn which I admit was a little tough given how outstanding he was in the field. Best on ground all day and jolly neat job on the kit as well.

Ashes Cup game next lads against the Brits on the 4th Sep so please try and make yourself available for this.