Banquet details

Date: Friday, 26 September 2008

Time: 18h00-20h00

Location: T&N Cricket Academy

Supper will start being served at 17h30 and will continue to be served until 19h00.  Dessert will be served 20h00 at the conclusion of the event.  Academy doors close at 21h00.  Players are required to arrive at the airport at 21h30 for a 23h30 flight.

AGENDA

Introductions

Season highlights video

Academy graduation 

Academy intake announcement

Captain’s report

Manager’s report

Awards

Unveiling of new club name and logo

All set for end-of-season banquet

As the season draws to a close and Smeda XI finished with their league matches, there is much happening in the camp. Stadium upgrades began on Wednesday for a capacity increase of 3000. This will be particularly beneficial to the members who are adding 300 more seats to their suites. The rugged wicket is also being relayed under the supervision of groundsman, Jamie McLaren.

T20 friendlies continue to occur during the week, with Smeda XI winning one out of their three so far. In their two losses they did not put up too much of a fight, although combinations continue to be tried during these friendlies. One very exciting feature was the batting of Academy player, Stephen Harding. In just six balls last night, he smashed 2 fours and a six in his brief 16. The young bowler was selected in the team as a batsman at number 6 and looked very confident.

Smeda XI will play one more T20 friendly prior to the Awards Banquet on Friday the 26th and their departure for their tour of England later that night.

Included in the agenda for the banquet are the awards ceremony, the renaming of the club, the graduation of two Academy players and the announcement of new players to attend the Academy next season. At least five high-schoolers are expected to be amongst that group of intakes to join Eddie Ayres, Rohana Ahad, Tim Fox and Stephen Harding. Graeme Jeremy, despite already playing a full season for the 1st XI, will attend the Academy for the first time next season.

Under the revised selection policy, the first-timers at the Academy will not get much game time during the season, expecting to only feature in 2nd XI matches. Jeremy will be exempt from this policy as he has already received a 1st team contract. The revised policy is not binding in that exceptional performances may be rewarded with call-ups to the 1st team. The new intake will begin their sessions on Monday and will spend all season at the Academy.

While no first-class matches will be played on the England tour, three one-day matches and some T20’s will be on the itinerary. As part of the Academy structure, the new players will join the squad in England for a week and will get an opportunity to play in a match as well as experience the squad setup and take part in training sessions with the senior players.

In additional Academy news, Chris Kotzo has joined the coaching staff in the bowling department, to aid the young spinners in their training. He will work at the Academy 2 days a week during the season.

Kenny blasts Smeda XI to victory

In a T20 friendly between Taurus and Smeda XI at the Taurus Cricket Ground on Monday, Smeda XI won by 8 wickets with still 5 balls to spare. The match was action-packed as both teams scored at almost 10 runs to the over throughout the match.

Taurus won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket designed to suit the batsmen. Allan Blott struck first ball of the match, trapping Hanafrey in front. This was the only success of the innings for the visitors as Carson(99*) and Cousens(78*) flayed the bowling to all parts of the park. Taurus ended on 185/1 in their 20 overs. John Simpson bowled with immense control and conceded only 21 runs in his 4 overs.

A mammoth target was set and the openers went about doing what they could to chase down the 186 needed for victory. Prince and Kenny played some exquisite shots to keep the run rate at the required level. The two put on a partnership of 171 before Prince was given out LBW to Ayre for 58 off just 41 balls. Still work to do as Jeremy came in, hit the first ball for four, the next for six and was then also trapped in front by Ayre. Stearman stole the strike off the last ball of the penultimate over, and then hit the winning boundary at the start of the final over. Geoff Kenny played an absolutely spectacular innings of 112* off only 70 balls, with 9 fours and 6 sixes. He picked up the man-of-the-match award.

Prince on the victory, “We set out to play positive cricket and we feel like we achieved our goal. Today wasn’t about winning or losing, but about our approach towards the match. Geoff played brilliantly and I was happy to just watch from the other end.”

Kenny on his batting, “I think I was just lucky that everything came good today. I’ve been hitting the ball well lately, and the pitch was suited to my style of play.”

Smeda XI only have a handful of T20 friendlies remaining before they get a name change and embark on a tour of England beginning on the weekend.

Preview – Taurus v Smeda XI

Following an exciting friendly between Taurus and Smeda XI on the weekend, the two teams negotiated to play a T20 match on Monday.  Due to both teams being out of the knockout competition, they have an opportunity to play some friendlies before the end of the season, this especially being helpful to Smeda XI who are preparing for their end-of-season tour to England.

Smeda XI have selected a team that resembles their top T20 XI. 

Prince on the friendlies, “We’re going to take the next few T20 friendlies to formulate some strategies that will be helpful in the shortest form of the game next season.  We have the players, we just need to step up the tempo.”

The team: Prince(c), Kenny, Jeremy, Stearman, Weeks, Simpson, Blott, Ahad(wk), Kotzo, Immelman, Fox. 12th: Mokoena.

Prince century in vain

In a friendly match between Taurus and Smeda XI at the T&N Smeda Stadium, Taurus smashed the local bowlers to all parts to pick up a victory by 41 runs.

Taurus won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket suited for the fast bowlers.  Greg Ransom’s opening spell choked the openers and Eddie Ayres picked up an early wicket to have Taurus at 40/1.  That was to be a brief success as Cousens and Tempelhoff scored a partnership of 235 to take the match away from the home side.  Both batsmen scored centuries at more than a run a ball, getting their team to a huge total of 342/3. 

Stephen Harding, the spinner making his debut in this match, was the pick of the bowlers with his 1/50.  The young bowler bowled with control, something which will give the selectors much to think about prior to next season.

The home team began well with Prince and Kenny putting on 83 for the first wicket, but they were just never completely up to the challenge.  Batsmen got starts but could not capitalize.  Michael Prince scored a brilliant 139 off just 132 balls, but was not able to find a partner to score as quickly as he, except for Marc Weeks who’s 3rd fifty in a row came off just 40 balls.

While the T20 playoffs are occuring, Smeda XI will play in T20 friendlies this week prior to their tour of England beginning on Saturday.

Lose, but better performance

In a strange twist in fortune for Smeda XI, they actually played really well against Master Blasters XI in the last one-day league match of the season at T&N Smeda Stadium. This was a match which was expected to be another one-sided affair on the part of the opposition, but that was not so as the local bowlers showed some great skill, especially considering that the selectors fielded a mostly 2nd-string side.

Captain for this match was Graeme Jeremy, who won the toss and sent the visitors into bat. Allan Blott and Eddie Ayres began well, reducing the opposition to 12/3 and looking very strong with some firey bowling. As has been customary all season for the team, once the new-ball pair was taken off, the opposition were able to settle down. Benfield(79) and Phiri(59*) were able to revive the innings for Master Blasters XI, but once Ayres and Blott returned to the attack, their defiance was minimized and the visitors could only manage 208/7 in their 50 overs. Ayres ended with a brilliant 4/38 and was well-supported by Ciaran Winder’s economical 0/25 in 10 overs.

The openers for Smeda XI were not going to let this one slip away and raced to 51 in 9 overs before Kenny was caught behind for 22. Jeremy followed shortly after, being trapped in front for 7. Solid partnerships were required for the victory, but this did not take place as Shoe took the task to the batsmen, removing Giles and Gossland for ducks. Jimmy Mokoena made an excellent 36 off only 32 balls and was assisted by Marc Weeks’ 58 (which included four sixes), but neither of them were able to continue on, leaving Smeda XI short by 40 runs, being dismissed for 168.

Smeda XI were well on their way to victory and they exceeded the required run rate throughout the innings, but they lost wickets at regular intervals, causing disarray amongst the batting order. Some promising features did come out of this match for Smeda XI, including the new-found one-day form of Marc Weeks, who has not scored consecutive limited-overs fifties. Ciaran Winder has also shown some form with the bat in the lower order. On the bowling front, Ayres showed his pace and skill as he ripped through the opposing batting line-up. Winder bowled tightly with his chinamen spinners and Tim Fox finished off well at less than four an over.

Allan Blott on the performance, “I thought we bowled exceptionally well and it was good to see the non-first team regulars contributing with the ball. Eddie hasn’t been consistent in limited-overs cricket, but he bowled with great pace and control today. Ciaran, Glenn and Tim also bowled with control which allowed for us to keep the target respectable. We didn’t bat too badly, just inconsistently on a wicket which offered a lot for the fast bowlers.”

Weeks on his innings, “I enjoyed batting today as the ball came onto the bat nicely. I’m pleased that my one-day form has improved and I’m hoping to be a regular in the one-day side next season.”

Non-playing captain, Michael Prince, “Today was an opportunity for us to try some different combinations in the one-day setup. We didn’t expect to pull off a victory here, although we certainly came close against expectations. Today’s match was the first in a line of one-day matches that will allow for us to try different combinations. We have some friendlies coming up, plus a tour to England. All these matches will be approached with varying strategies in mind, so as to have a plan in place for the one-day league and cup next season.”

Smeda XI, playing their final official match under that name, are relegated to division 5, although the league number is yet to be determined.

Upcoming changes

As the season draws to a conclusion, the are many changes that are going to be occuring within the circles of the T&N Smeda Stadium.  While the changes are yet to be finalized, there has been a lot of discussion regarding some of the prospects for the club during the off season.

As has already been widely reported, the team will undergo a name change.  The team name of Smeda XI will be replaced with T&N Crusaders.  This decision was made in conjunction with approval from stakeholders, sponsors, players, staff and management. 

Manager Neville Smeda, “We want our team to be successful and a name change is just the first step in the process of becoming competitive throughout the world.  This new name will create a sense of pride amongst all those who fall under the umbrella of the T&N Crusaders.”

Personnel changes are expected at the player level.  Two players at the T&N Academy will graduate and receive squad contracts.  At least five high school boys will join the Academy for next season.

No retirements are expected, although some players have made a request for transfer so as to get more game time.  No decision on this has been made yet.

In other unofficial news, the T&N Smeda Stadium will undergo an upgrade during the off season.  During one-day matches this season, the stadium has been filled to capacity with many spectators being turned away due to there being no room available.  An official statement on this is expected at the Unveiling Ceremony on September 26th, although work is expected to begin before then.

League champions made to fight

While Smeda XI were not required to put up a big fight in their final first-class match to win the league, they were suprised by some inspired bowling and resilient batting by the wooden-spooners, Gunner619.

Gunner619 won the toss and elected to bat first on a flat wicket. They were in trouble early as Allan Blott snapped up his first wicket in just the third over of the day. Blott and Eddie Ayres reduced the home team to 63/6 before they were taken out of the attack. This change led to a 7th wicket stand of 53 between Youngs and Bockhart(28), restoring some pride in the batting lineup. John Branson climbed into the action and trapped Youngs in front for 46. The spinners came on and they cleaned up the tail, with Chris Kotzo and Chris Gossland joining forces twice, and Michael Prince bagging a wicket too. Gunner619 were dismissed for 148. Blott ended up with 3/34 and Ayres 3/30.

Smeda XI started off well due to an opening partnership of 137 between Prince and Mokoena(56). Once again, for the umpteenth time this season, Prince fell short of his century, ending on 96. Graeme Jeremy played well for his 79, ably supported by Simpson(38) and Weeks(33*). Enter spinner Warlow’s second spell and it was the end for the league champions. He picked up 5 quick wickets to see Smeda XI go from 314/3 to 339 all out. His figures of 5/43 gave his team a chance of at least making Smeda XI bat a second time.

And a second innings for Smeda XI, the first time in 5 matches, looked ominous as Bovey played excellently for his 71. He just did not receive enough support as Blott once again cleaned up the batsmen, ending with 5/34. The home team finished on 183, just 8 runs short of making the visitors bat again. John Simpson picked up his first wicket in a long time, ending with 1/17.

Man of the match was Allan Blott for his match haul of 8/68.

By the time Smeda XI went into bat, Otus’ final league match was just about complete and they were only able to jump 2 points ahead of Smeda XI, leaving Smeda XI with an immediate league victory after their 3 bowling points in the first innings.

Despite another innings victory, the captain acknowledged that this was not an easy one to swallow, “We came here expecting to thump them, especially considering that they had not won a match all season. We planned to roll them over before the end of the first session and then set ourselves up for some batting practice and big scores. I think that our complacency got the better of us and we took our opponents for granted.”

Vice-captain, Jeremy, “Victory was never in doubt, we just fooled ourselves into thinking it would be a walk in the park.”

There is still a day of first-class cricket to be played in the other league matches, but the celebrations have already begun. The trophy will be awarded to Smeda XI at the Division 4, League 19 banquet on Friday evening, and the various player awards will be handed out too. Michael Prince, Allan Blott, Eddie Ayres and Chris Kotzo should all be up for individual awards on Friday after their excellent showing throughout the season.

Preview – Gunner619 v Smeda XI

In the final first-class match of the season for Smeda XI and in their last match under that team name, the top-positioned team take on the wooden-spooners at Gunner Cricket Ground. Smeda XI need only a draw in this match to clinch the league title, although a draw seems unlikely as they come up against a team who has been heavily beaten all season.

In the first match between these two teams, Smeda XI amassed 600/5 declared in their first innings, with centuries coming from Prince, Simpson and Weeks. Then Kotzo and Branson tore through the batsmen to ensure an innings victory.

Much of the same is expected in this match, especially considering that Smeda XI have just increased in strength all season long in the first-class format. The line-up has been consistently selected all season and even though there was temptation to tweak the side a little to give some of the other squad members experience in first-class cricket, the final decision was made to keep the tried and tested together.

This was evident as the potential team announced on Sunday is quite different from the team finalized on the eve of the match. Second XI stars Danny Giles, Stuart Capp, Rohana Ahad and Glenn Rorke were all named in the probable XI on the weekend, set to replace Jeremy, Simpson, Gossland and Branson, but the selectors decided that a winning formula should not be tampered with. The only change to this week’s team is Jimmy Mokoena coming in for Geoff Kenny. Kenny has not been able to transfer his excellent one-day skill to the longer format of the game and this has caused the selectors to retry Mokoena.

Mokoena had never failed as an opening batsman, but he was replaced because Kenny was showing such fine form in the one-day form. It has been suggested that Kenny’s attacking batting may be more useful down the order in the first-class team, but Ron Stearman currently holds that attacking option at number 6.

Branson is retained for this match despite a poor showing last week, although a plus on his side is that Immelman, the only true competitor for that 3rd bowling spot, has had numerous chances this season. Rorke was set to replace Branson for this match so as to give the young bowler experience.

Prince on the team selection, “After we won last week and going into the final match so far ahead, the idea was always to give the other boys a chance to play. But as we sat down with the selectors and coaching staff on Monday afternoon, we decided that we should give those players who have brought us where we are today first choice to play. They all want to play so we had to make some changes before finalizing the team.”

The team: Prince(c), Mokoena, Jeremy, Simpson, Weeks, Stearman, Gossland(wk), Blott, Kotzo, Branson, Ayres. 12th: Immelman.

Weeks plays well in 2nd XI loss

In a 2nd XI friendly at the T&N Smeda Stadium on Sunday, Nils CC beat Smeda 2nd XI by 8 wickets with 6 overs to spare. The visitors won the toss and put the home team into bat first on a wicket which was sure to produce some movement for the pace bowlers.

De Livera struck early, having John Simpson caught behind for 3 and then bowling Danny Giles for just 14. Opener Jimmy Mokoena(32) and Stuart Capp steadied the scoring in a 3rd-wicket partnership of 36 before Mokoena fell. Marc Weeks joined Capp and the two put on 65 together before Capp’s score of 57 came to an end. This was Capp’s 3rd successive 50 for the 2nd XI. The rest of the batting order fell with only Weeks showing any restraint with a brilliant 76 from 85 deliveries. 2nd XI were bowled out for 222 with Beckford claiming 4/29.

Nils CC began confidently and never really looked like being beaten. After a century opening partnership between Ashmore(52) and captain Wylie(112*), the game was taken away from the home side and they won convincingly in the 44th over, this despite an excellent bowling display from John Immelman(0/28) and Tim Fox(0/26).

A lot of good was gained from this match as the coaching staff were able to continue their experimentation with various combinations. Simpson, still continues to show poor form in the one-day game, although Weeks’ poor run in the one-day setup ended with his valuable contribution. Tim Fox also showed that he is well-placed to play a big part in the limited-overs 1st team for next season.