KFC Big Bash - Aussie T20 League

[Desi Cartman]

Thanks .. it was an awesome game

[ESPN]

Victoria edge past Blues in thriller Victoria edge past Blues in thriller West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo starred with bat and ball as the Victorian Bushrangers won a last-over thriller against the New South Wales Blues at the MCG. Bravo picked up three wickets and plundered 18 off eight balls to help the Bushrangers to a dramatic six-wicket win in front of packed house. Chasing 179, thanks to solid opening stand between Blues’ David Warner (40) and Phil Jacques (33), Bushrangers openers Brad Hodge and Matthew Wade started well with a quick first wicket stand of 69. The pair gave the innings the much needed thrust but their stand was broken by fast bowler Aaron Bird, when he removed Wade for 41 in the seventh over. With Hodge still at the crease, captain Cameron White tried to steady the innings but perished to a brilliant catch by Dwayne Smith at long on off the bowling of leg-spinner Steven Smith. The two smiths, Steven and Dwayne kept up the pressure when the latter snapped up an increasingly dangerous David Hussey in the 18th over. It’s all about numbers Hussey, who was looking to hit a six, struck the ball hard but Steven plucked a blinder out of thin air at the boundary to hand Dwayne his only wicket. The Bushrangers looked in a tight position with 22 required off 12 balls and that was when Bravo came to the party. The flamboyant Caribbean struck Bird for 11 runs in the next over and three from Andrew McDonald at the other end took the match to the last over with eight run still required. Dwayne Smith came on to bowl the last over but his West Indian mate heaved a huge six into the stands to level the score and nudged the next ball to the leg side and ran with a fist pumped in the air to celebrate a sensational victory. The Bushrangers did not have everything going their way as the Blues started off well with openers Warner and Jacques scoring at over 11 an over. However, Bravo, who had a quiet start to the KFC Twenty20 BigBash announced his arrival, picking up Warner, Usman Khawaja (13) and Blues skipper Moises Henriques (21) to round up a brilliant spell. Top Performer: Dwayne Bravo Regular Blues opener Philip Hughes, who had to rush to Sydney to stand by for Simon Katich was sorely missed after Phil Jacques, promoted to the top and Khawaja, in to replace Hughes, flopped. Hussey chipped in with his off-spinners to see off Jacques and Dominic Thornely. At 128 for five, the Blues looked out of steam but late fireworks from Steven Smith (35) and Dwayne Smith (25) helped them reach a respectable total. Fast bowler Dirk Nannes at a bad time in the middle as his four overs went for 46 runs without a wicket. The six wicket win against the defending champions has propelled the Bushrangers to the top of the table.

[ESPN]

Bravo gets a chance at redemption Bravo gets a chance at redemption Traditional rivals New South Wales Blues and Victorian Bushrangers will take on each at the MCG as battle heats up at the KFC Twenty20 BigBash. The Blues coasted to a clinical win against the Tasmanian Tigers while the Bushrangers, edged past the Queensland Bulls on D/L in the opener. Both sides, which qualified for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20, have been in good T20 form over the last few seasons. The Victorians have some old scores to settle against New South Wales. Beaten in the finals of the KFC Twenty20 BigBash and the semi-final of the Airtel CL T20 on a slow turner at the Ferozshah Kotla, Victoria have a lot to play for. The Victorians consider themselves to be a better T20 unit than the senior Australian team and they will need all their resources to fire to keep up that hype. The Blues, who won the inaugural Airtel CL T20 will miss most of their stars, who are engaged in the Test series between Australia and Pakistan. Skipper Simon Katich, off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson are on national duty and that leaves a huge hole for the Blues to fill. The Bushrangers will miss the services of Clint Mckay and Peter Siddle, who has been ruled out with injury. However, the Blues will draw a lot of inspiration from the way their openers, Phillip Hughes and David Warner batted in their opening match against the Tigers. Young Moises Henriques, thrust with the responsibility of captaincy in the absence of Katich was impressive with the bat too. The Bushrangers, on the other hand, will have a lot to worry about. New Zealand middle order star, Ross Taylor, who was brought in as a last minute recruit, had to return home to fulfill domestic commitments. The right-handed Taylor was the pick of the Victorian batsmen in their win against the Bulls in the rain-hit opener. However, the Bushrangers will rely on dynamic opener Rob Quiney, Brad Hodge and middle order ace, David Hussey to deliver the goods. The difference between the two sides could still be two West Indian all-rounders. While the Blues would want Dwayne Smith to make a heavier impact, the Bushrangers would back Dwayne Bravo to pack in a punch. The Blues look more balanced on paper, with last season’s highest wicket-taker Aaron Bird off to a good start this year and young leg-spinner Steven Smith showing his mettle in the middle overs.

[Desi Cartman]

South Australia ( Afridi , cosgrove , tait) Vs QLD ( Hopes , Symo , Carseldine ) :clap:

[Pak_Fan_4_Eva]

Looking forward to a good FUN game of T20:cantstop:

[Desi Cartman]

Afridi batting sensibly :woot: PS: 2 chakke

[S.Bond]

another match, another man of the match performance by shahid afridi... SO far : Rana : 2 matches, 1 MOM Afridi : 2 matches 2 MOM Pakis : 4 matches 3 MOM great

[Pak_Fan_4_Eva]

Afridi certainly leaving his mark in Oz. If i`m not mistaken,everyone in the crowd was chanting "Boom Boom Afridi":icflove: Let`s hope he carries his batting performance to internationals as well Insh`Allah.

[ESPN]

Victoria's White to undergo x-rays Victoria's White to undergo x-rays Cameron White will have X-rays taken of his jaw on Monday since he was hit by a bouncer from the NSW Blues captain Moises Henriques. The Victorian Bushrangers skipper was struck in the 10th over during their Big Bash match at the MCG, which the Bushrangers went on to win by six wickets. After the match the Bushrangers coach said that White was pretty sore and the extent of damage will be known only after the x-rays reports have come in. White was hit when he tried to hook the delivery from Henriques but the ball missed the grill and hit his jaw. White collapsed and the team physio Trefor James rushed on to the field to see the severity of the injury. The captain developed a bruise under his right ear and a swelling soon appeared but he decided to stay on. Three overs later, White was caught by Dwayne Smith in one of the catches of the season at long on off a delivery by Steven Smith. He chipped in with 14 off 18 balls. "He's pretty sore at the moment," said Bushrangers coach Greg Shipperd of White. "That was a great show of courage on behalf of the team." "He got the helmet on and did his best to get the momentum flowing our way." "We and the team really appreciated that show of character." White was nursing an ice-pack in the rooms after the match and it's understood doctors are keen for any swelling to subside before x-rays can establish whether there's any structural damage.

[ESPN]

Afridi stars again in Redbacks win Afridi stars again in Redbacks win A stellar all-round show by Shahid Afridi helped the Southern Redbacks coast to a four-wicket win against the Queensland Bulls. Set an achievable 157 to win a crucial league game in the KFC Twenty20 BigBash, South Australia rode on useful knocks by Afridi (27) and senior batsman Mark Cosgrove, who remained unbeaten on 43 from 40 deliveries. Opener Daniel Harris took it upon himself to lead the charge for the Redbacks with a well compiled 34 off 19 balls after skipper Graham Manou was sent back for two in the second over, perishing to Nathan Rimmington. Cosgrove got into the act soon after and added 46 runs for the fourth wicket with Afridi, who looked like getting back to some kind of form with the bat after a first match failure. However, the Pakistani all-rounder fell to a stunning catch at the edge of the ropes at deep square leg, when Craig Philipson plucked a stunner to prevent a certain six. At that stage, it looked like the Bulls were in with more than a chance and when the dangerous Kieron Pollard departed for nine, Queensland had begun to sniff a chance. Cosgrove had other ideas though. His assured and calm presence in the middle in the company of Daniel Christian sealed the issue for the Redbacks, with an over to go. It’s all about numbers Earlier, Queensland Bulls had elected to bat after winning the toss at the Adelaide Oval and were given a superb platform by James Hopes, who plundered 63 off 45 balls. The Aussie limited overs specialist did not get enough support from the Bulls middle order apart from Lee Carseldine (20) and Andrew Symonds, who remained unbeaten on 27 from 23 balls. Afridi turned the screws on with the ball as well, conceding only 25 runs off his four overs and picking up the important wicket of Hopes. He was well supported by Christian, Mark Cleary and Aaron O’Brien, who chipped in with a wicket each. Top Performer: Shahid Afridi The Bulls have yet to open their account in the points tally and will rely on some heavy fireworks from Hopes and Symonds to determine their future in the current edition of the KFC Twenty20 BigBash.

[Sachinism]

All this hype about KFC T20 being brilliant, so far its the international players that are really making a mark

[achilles]

Ponting casts doubt over Big Bash expansion Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr. Loudmouth :punter: has just joined the discussion- Ricky Ponting has cast doubt over Cricket Australia's dreams of an expanded Twenty20 domestic tournament that includes the country's A-list players. James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive, has raised the prospect of creating a window for the Big Bash, which currently clashes with the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests as well as the start of the one-day international series. Ponting said while the Australians would like to appear in the competition, it would be "exceptionally hard" to attract the game's major players given the packed playing schedule. "With the Big Bash being at the time of year it is you're not going to get a clear window for all the international sides," Ponting said. "The IPL can't get that with the sort of money that they're throwing around, so I can't see how it will happen, but you've got to keep trying." The Twenty20 event includes overseas players such as Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi, and the popularity of the format is threatening to downgrade the Sheffield Shield, which has been under pressure on a couple of fronts. In Australia there is talk of reducing the home-and-away programme to fit in more Twenty20 matches while Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, briefly floated the idea that any players who prefered first-class games to the limited-overs tournament will have their contracts cancelled. Ponting, who is a staunch traditionalist by contemporary standards, does not want the Shield to lose out in the push for more quick-fix engagements. "I'd hate to see the day where we start playing more Twenty20 cricket at the expense of Sheffield Shield cricket," he said. "One thing I think we've had over other nations for the last 15 years is the great strength of our domestic cricket. If you start taking those Sheffield Shield games away then before you know it ... you just don't want to tinker with things that are working so well." http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvpak09/content/story/441991.html He should concentrate more on playing cricket than on administrative rubbish. But again, who cares a crap about his rubbish opinions anyway :hatsoff:

[Don Sharma]

All this hype about KFC T20 being brilliant' date=' so far its the international players that are really making a mark[/quote'] Absolutely. I haven't seen (m)any agricultural shots - the scoops, reverse sweep(Daniel Smith played one),etc. played so far. I think it has got something to do with the talent, there aren't many street smart cricketers in their domestic circuit. But then I was very much impressed with Josh Hazelwood of NSW. You can't read much from his performance in a couple of T20s but the way the commies talk about him,he is doing just fine in other formats as well, I guess. We will get to see more of him in the Under19 world cup along with Mitch Marsh(captain, who couldn't get the ball past the square against Tassie).

[ESPN]

Cameron White is declared fit Cameron White is declared fit The Victoria Bushrangers captain Cameron White has been declared fit as they prepare to take on Southern Redbacks on Friday. White has been declared fit with no damage to his jaw after a bouncer from the New South Wales Blues captain Moises Henriques hit him during their KFC Twenty20 Big Bash on Saturday. White was hit in the 10th over when he tried to hook a delivery from Henriques but the ball missed the grill and hit his jaw. Victoria’s White to undergo x-rays White collapsed and the team physio Trefor James rushed on to the field to see the severity of the injury. The captain developed a bruise under his right ear and a swelling soon appeared but he decided to stay on. "It wasn't the way I wanted to start the new year ... on my hands and knees clutching my jaw after missing a bouncer in mid-innings against NSW and copping it right under the chin," White said on Cricket Victoria's website after X-rays on Monday cleared him of any serious damage. "The rooms were abuzz afterwards after our narrow win, but all I could do was watch on clutching an ice towel to my jaw and sucking some apple juice through a straw," White said. The Victorian Bushrangers and the Southern Redbacks have won two games each. The Redbacks currently top the points table.

[RedbacksT20]

Howdy all, this is a newbie post but hopefully will be posting more and more here, looks like a great forum :eyedance: The Redbacks have named an unchanged squad for their top of the table clash against the DEC Bushrangers: West End Redbacks KFC Big Bash team v DEC Bushrangers Adelaide Oval, Thursday 7 January 2010 Afridi, Shahid Borgas, Cameron Christian, Dan Cleary, Mark Cooper, Tom Cosgrove, Mark Harris, Daniel O’Brien, Aaron Putland, Gary Manou, Graham Pollard, Kieron Tait, Shaun

[Desi Cartman]

You from adelaide ? crows or Port supporter ?

[RedbacksT20]

Would have to the Power but there are many here at the Redbacks camp that would disagree with me!! You?

[Desi Cartman]

Would have to the Power but there are many here at the Redbacks camp that would disagree with me!! You?

[ESPN]

McKay back for Victoria McKay back for Victoria Victorian selectors have named a squad of 14 for the DEC Bushrangers’ upcoming KFC BigBash matches against the West End Redbacks and Retravision Warriors. Fast bowler Clint McKay has been released from Australian duties to join the squad, while left-arm spinner Jon Holland and big-hitter Aiden Blizzard have also been included. Rob Quiney has been omitted from the team that beat NSW on Saturday night. The Bushrangers fly out to Adelaide tomorrow morning, take on SA on Thursday night, before heading to Perth on Friday to prepare for Sunday’s game. DEC Bushrangers squad for Twenty20 Big Bash v SA and WA: Cameron White (captain) Aiden Blizzard Dwayne Bravo Aaron Finch John Hastings Brad Hodge Jon Holland David Hussey Glenn Maxwell Andrew McDonald Clint McKay Dirk Nannes James Pattinson Matthew Wade

[Feed]

Redbacks demolish Vics South Australia is rocketing towards a Big Bash finals appearance after recording a crushing 91-run victory over bogey side Victoria at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. More...