Essex gearing up for the semi-final of Friends Provident T20
Essex, after securing a place in the semi-finals of the Friends Provident T20 Cup after defeating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hampshire-c789 at Southampton on the 14th of August at 11:30 GMT.
In order to defeat Hampshire, Essex has strengthened its squad by contracting West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for next month’s semi-final game. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Graham-Napier-c1505 due to injuries. Grayson said that Dwayne Bravo is undoubtedly a world class all-rounder and Essex has hired his services after losing its key batsmen last month due to injuries.
Grayson, while admiring Dwayne’s capabilities, said that he is a top class cricketer and the side considers him as a replacement for Scott Styris. The head coach further added that Bravo is a high quality player and Essex has many hopes attached with his hiring for the semi-final game. Grayson said that the side is expecting him to make a key impact on the day with both bat and ball against Hampshire.
Born on 7th October 1983 in Trinidad and Tobago, Dwayne James Jon Bravo is a West Indian all-rounder. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium fast bowler who plays for Trinidad and Tobago in the domestic circuit in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Bravo is West Indies’ most reliable bowler in the limited overs cricket and has the ability to help the side towards the end of the innings. The all-rounder played his first-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago in 2002. So far, he has played 99 FC matches scoring 5,027 runs at an average of 31.22 and has taken 166 wickets.
Bravo played his first One Day International against England on 14th April 2004. In 107 ODI’s for the West Indies, he has scored 1,715 runs and has taken 129 wickets after bowling 4,260 balls. He made his Test debut against England on 22nd July 2004. In 34 test matches, Bravo averages 32.40 runs per innings and has taken 81 wickets.
Two major injuries struck Essex on June 16 while playing against Somerset. Ryan ten Doeschate ruptured his calf muscle while all-rounder Graham Napier got a stress fracture to his back. The back injury ruled Napier out of the remaining 2010 domestic season while ten Doeschate was advised a rest of six to eight weeks.
Napier was the leading wicket-taker of the English T20 season. After playing 67 matches, he had 90 scalps. Napier, in the last season’s T20 Cup, hit an astounding knock of 152 runs against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kent-c802 – a match that was lost by Essex in the end. Talking about his back injury, Napier said that it needs a long and patient recovery of almost 12 months.
The injuries could have affected the Friends Provident T20 campaign for Essex in an adverse manner but at the same time, he gave opportunities to the rest of the players to prove their mettle in front of an adoring crowd at Chelmsford. The squad did exceptionally well, taking the side from the third place on the points table of the South Group to the semi-final stages.
Paul Grayson said that Essex is still feeling short of another all-rounder as the side has lost two big hitters in the shape of Napier and ten Doeschate. Bravo is currently busy with the Caribbean T20 tournament where he is playing for Trinidad and Tobago. However, the all-rounder will be available for the semi-final on 14th August.
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