Champions League T20 – Perth Scorchers, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yorkshire-c867 – Good but not good enough - Statistical Analysis – Opinion - Part 1
To make the main draw of the Champions League T20 may have been the basic priority for some of the teams but losing is something which is never welcomed. For the likes of Yorkshire, Auckland Aces and even Perth Scorchers for that matter, their respective
campaigns will be measured with a touch of flexibility, where gaining experience of playing against the big boys somewhat outweighs the disappointment of underperforming.
Yorkshire
Making an appearance in this addition was a proud achievement for the English county, which had to deal with plenty of setbacks before the tournament even started. Two of their most recognized faces, Jonny Bairstow and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/TT-Bresnan-c2711, had to pull out of the
event after the ECB declared their intentions to rest the duo ahead of the big series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mitchell-Aaron-Starc-c76392, who opted to represent Big Bash champions Sydney Sixers. Despite
that, they had come here to enjoy.
Their qualification to the tournament proper was impressive after they convincingly beat reigning Sri Lankan Premier League Champions Uva Next and a spirited Trinidad & Tobago side. Their wins nonetheless, highlighted their reliance on two left-handers –
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/David-Lawson-Miller-c53037.
The South African prodigy however, missed the best part of the main draw in order to represent his domestic franchise http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Dolphins-c781. As for Ballance, he was the team’s highest run-getter of the competition, scoring 147 runs, including two half-centuries.
However, the problem lied in the supporting cast. None of the top three – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Gale-c1039 - managed to score more than 30, while Phil Jacques’ contributions were also limited. That resulted in the team posting below par totals,
the highest being 140 during their final game against Chennai Super Kings. Moreover, their dot to scoring ball ratio was among the highest of the tournament.
Injuries further played a key role, before and during the competition. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians, leaving them handicapped
for the must-win fixture against the Highveld http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jason-Neil-Gillespie-c66461, their coach, had to come as a substitute fielder.
After qualifying for the main round, Gale said that the team is prepared for the roller coaster ride, and ‘even if we lose every single game, that’s okay’. While one may assume he was not being literal, his wishes were granted when they were defeated in
the final game by the Super Kings.
Even though they did not set an already dull tournament on fire, their skipper was pleased with the overall experience. “This has been a really good experience for us and we have loved every minute of it. For some of the young guys in our squad, it was wonderful
to be a part of.”
Certainly they will be remembered as the last English domestic side to feature in the Champions League T20, following ECB’s decision to pull out of the subsequent events.
to be continued...
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