Preview – Crusaders v NZSpringboks

This weekend the Crusaders are at home to the NZSpringboks from the Western Cape, in their 2nd round SA Cup match. The selectors have chosen to rest some of the regular players for this match, surprisingly, considering this is a knockout match.

Squad captain Michael Prince said, “We have enough talent in our squad to be able to share the load and so we have full confidence in the team that has been selected for this week’s SA Cup encounter”.

Part of those changes include Prince resting for this match, allowing his new vice-captain Matt O’Shea to take charge of his first match. O’Shea has joined the club with a wealth of leadership experience and knowledge, and it should only be a matter of time when he takes over the captaincy permanently. The left-hander will open the batting with the explosive Geoff Kenny, who gets another run at the top of the order.

Graeme Jeremy, Pete Moller and Ron Stearman retain their places in the middle-order, with William Downing coming in at number 6 in place of John Simpson. Chris Gossland will be behind the stumps and complete the middle-order at number 7.

The Crusaders have chosen to go with two spinners for this match, so Stephen Harding joins Chris Hayward in the spin-duo, and both of these teenagers have shown immense control during the opportunities they have had thus far. Blott and Ayres are resting so John Immelman and Carlos Hibbert will spearhead the attack with the new ball, allowing for O’Shea to pick up the 5th bowler role with his left-arm medium-pacers.

The teams is: O’Shea(c), Kenny, Jeremy, Moller, Stearman, Downing, Gossland(wk), Hayward, Harding, Hibbert, Immelman.

Record partnership gives Crusaders win

After losing comprehensively in their opening first-class match of the season during the week against the Company of Wolves, the T&N Crusaders made a brilliant comeback in their one-day opener against APeerbhai at the Emirates Stadium.

On a green wicket and in front of 6500 spectators, captain Michael Prince won the toss and was very quick to bat first with the thinking that the ball will seam around later in the afternoon. The decision was to be a good one as Prince and newcomer Matt O’Shea sent the ball to all parts of the ground in a club record opening stand of 269. It was entertaining cricket as the scored between six and seven an over regularly. O’Shea was the first to go, bowled by Bunce as he tried to heave across the line, for 133 off 134 balls. Prince fell shortly after for 128 off 127 balls, but the final assault was set up for Graeme Jeremy and Pete Moller to score 63 in a 3rd-wicket partnership off just 45 balls. Crusaders ended on 340/2 and were looking very pleased as they began their defense.

Allan Blott and Eddie Ayres began well, each picking up a wicket in their opening spells, but Lebarre(46) and Allum(60*) dug in to try to make a game of it against some very inspiring bowling by teenage spinner Chris Hayward who picked up 2/31 in 8 overs, including the important wicket of Lebarre. Ayres came back for his final spell at the death when the game was already over and picked up 2 successive wickets, ending his figures on 3/44.

It was a thoroughly professional performance as the Crusaders were victors by 114 runs. O’Shea picked up the man-of-the-match award, although Hayward was very impressive with his bowling.

“We’re happy to kick the season off with a win,” commented the captain at the press conference. “We are in a tough one-day league this season and every game counts and we look forward to bringing success to the team”.

The teams was: Prince(c), O’Shea, Jeremy, Moller, Stearman, Simpson, Ahad(wk), Blott, Hayward, Fox, Ayres.

The Crusaders travel back home for their 2nd round SA Cup match against NZSpringboks.

 

Winder bought right before deadline

Right as Ciaran Winder was about to be released for his free transfer, CRSM Cricket Club in the Nottinghamshire League in England bought him in an attempt to bolster their spin bowling.

This sudden change in fortune for Winder, who was about to be left in the wilderness to decide his cricketing future, has given him much to smile about as he leaves for England on Saturday to pursue this new venture. The effective date for the releases to occur was at 5:00 this evening, but manager Neville Smeda got a call from the CRSM manager at 4:30 and said that they wanted Winder.

Smeda, “I phoned Cia immediately and asked him what he thought. He had no hesitation in giving me the affirmative and we hurriedly worked with the CRSM finance team to make all the arrangements”.

“Cia will be a great asset to his new club in England and we will miss the variation that he would’ve provided to the depth of spin in our ranks”, said captain Michael Prince after learning of the news.

Winder was one of 3 players released from their contracts which was due to happen on Friday at 5:00pm. The others, Danny Giles and Greg Ransom, have been released from the club and will look to pursue their careers on their own. The releases came about due to the need to cut down on spending this season and increase profits.

11 terminated

In an effort to reduce expenditures and increase profit, the management of the T&N Crusaders cricket club has made some serious decisions regarding those on their payroll. This all took place at the conclusion of the first day of the first-class league match against the Company of Wolves.

All eight financial advisors were terminated with immediate effect. The decision was made due to the low cash balance available in the bank accounts following the 1.5 million spent on Matt O’Shea. With that huge cut to the financial reserves, management felt there was little need to keep an active board of financial advisors.

Manager Neville Smeda said, “Once our bank account becomes healthy again, we will see the financial advisory board being reintroduced. By the same token, we will rehire those advisors who were terminated if they have not moved on to other ventures”.

Team news is that batsman Daniel Giles, pace bowler Greg Ransom and spinner Ciaran Winder have all been released on free transfers. They join the recent releases of Glenn Rorke and Dirk Wright-Phillips.

Smeda said about these releases, “Our squad is just too big right now with 26 players. With the season structure changing and fewer 2nd XI matches being offered, it seems only right that we give those non-playing squad members a chance to go elsewhere. Eventually our goal is to get down to a squad of 20. Being released from a contract and being on the free transfer list is not pleasant, so many will be able to use the upcoming opportunities to prove that they can still maintain the club’s level of playing expectations”.

Spinner Chris Kotzo remarked, “The club is bigger than any one player and unfortunately we have to sometimes do what’s best for the club. The goal is to become the best team in the province and then eventually the country, and we cannot do that by using the ‘loyalty card’. The good thing about the guys leaving us is that they are true characters at heart and will continue to keep that character no matter where they end up.”

 

1st round win for Crusaders

The trip to Cambridge Cricket Club for the Crusaders’ 1st round SA Cup match was a very beneficial one as they walked over the home team by 304 runs.

Team captain Michael Prince won the toss and was very quick to bat first, hoping to get his batsmen into some form at the beginning of a very tough-looking season. He got his wish as he and Geoff Kenny (49) belted 89 runs for the first wicket in as many deliveries before Kenny was caught at deep backward square leg while trying to clear the ropes. Enter Graeme Jeremy and in partnership with his captain, scored a mammoth 226 runs in only 30 overs. The batting was spectacular by both batsmen and the gaps were found easily. Prince finally succumbed to a straight one from Mulvaney and was trapped in front for 139 off 129 balls.

Jeremy continued on and took the score past the 350 mark to end on 364/3 in the allotted 50 overs. Jeremy was unbeaten at the end on 143 off just 103 balls, including fifteen fours and a six. Pete Moller knocked a quick-fire 22 off 16 balls.

The task was always going to be too great for the home team and they were bundled all out for 60 in the 19th over. Eddie Ayres(3/14) and Allan Blott (3/26) began the rout which was capped off by a marvelous spell of controlled spin bowling by teenager Chris Hayward, who took 2/6 in just 3 overs. Tim Fox finished with 1/10.

Man of the match was Jeremy, and the team looked good, despite playing against a remarkably weaker team.

Prince said, “While not to be complacent, we were really using today’s match as match practice for the grueling season ahead. Our top four look strong and our bowlers were excellent too. I was particularly impressed with young Chris Hayward and his ability to spin the ball with the outmost control”.

Harding and Simpson put Brits to the sword

This week the T&N Crusaders continued their excellent limited-overs form as they trounced Brits Cricket Club by a massive 253 runs in a division 5 one-day league match at the T&N Smeda Stadium.

Captain Michael Prince won the toss and elected to bat first on a slow wicket. The heat started quickly for the visitors as Prince and Simpson put on 92 for the first wicket at a run-a-ball. Prince was the first to go, trapped in front by Person for 48 off just 47 balls. Downing batted patiently for his 34 which included 4 boundaries. Simpson fell LBW just 3 short of a century, but the damage was still to come as Capp(36 off 30), Stearman(42* off 29) and Mokoena(30* off 19) took the Crusaders total to 298/4 at the end of the innings. Person was the best of the bowlers with 1/36 from 10.

The match ended quickly for Brits CC as their top order failed to withstand the immense pace of Eddie Ayres and the valuable consistency of John Immelman. Ayres’ 5 overs cost just 15 runs and he picked up the first two wickets of the innings. Immelman bowled 5 overs with a return of 2/25. But the star of the show was leg-spinner Stephen Harding as he bamboozled the batsmen with his mix of deliveries and ended with 4/3 from 3 overs.

Man of the match was John Simpson for his 97.

 

 

Matt O’Shea

Age 28; L/H bat; L/A fast

Pre-season news

Season 3 for the T&N Crusaders begins this weekend in the opening round of the National Club Cup. As final preparations are being being made, the biggest news to come from the camp is the purchase of batsman Matt O’Shea for a huge 1.5 million and ultimately cleaning out the bank account of the club.

O’Shea, 28, comes to the Crusaders from the Hampshire leagues in England where he performed admirably as a left-handed batsman, especially in the one-day setup. He averages 61 in first-class cricket with 6 centuries and 6 fifties to his name in 23 matches. He has played 150 one-day matches wherein he has picked up 22 hundreds and 32 fifties, averaging 65. O’Shea is even more explosive in T20 cricket with a strike rate of 176 and an average of 104. In addition to his batting prowess, his leadership and experience will provide a monumental asset to the club this season where Michael Prince will be able to turn to.

Captain Michael Prince spoke on behalf of management on such an expensive purchase, “Matt O’Shea has been looking to come south to play his cricket. After spending many seasons in India and England, he is looking for a new challenge and we are delighted that he has made himself available for our club. As a management team we felt that by investing so much money in this player, the victories will be weekly and that the crowds will fill our ground at every home game”.

This was a last-minute signing by the club, meaning that O’Shea will not be arriving in South Africa until Friday. O’Shea will not play in the first round of the National Club Cup this weekend but should be fit and ready for the first-class competition that begins next week.

This new signing does leave many unanswered questions for the rest of the batting line-up and even the senior players. During pre-season, the batting line-up looked solid, but now having to create a vacancy in the line-up to accomodate O’Shea may cause some hearts to be saddened.

One such player is teenager Pete Moller, who was looking at settling in down the middle-order. His place is now in jeopardy of being taken by the new signing, meaning Moller will continue his season in the Academy.

On the bowling front, Chris Hayward has definitely leaped ahead of Stephen Harding in the spin-bowling stakes and is looking likely to be the primary choice in this weekend’s opening Cup fixture, with veteran Chris Kotzo looking forward to sticking with the longer version of the game.

The 32-year old indicated recently, “the one-day game is for the young and fresh guys, so I may look to concentrate soley on first-class cricket. We’ll see. I have the fortune of being in the management meetings and if the one-day side are looking for some experience, I will certainly not say no”.

Responding to recent questions regarding retirement, Kotzo said, “I am also committed half-time to the Academy to develop the younger spinners, so I am certainly not bowing out of the game. Cricket will still be full-time for me, but I think its important that these two upcoming teenage spinners get as much match practice as possible”.

Despite all the excitement and hype brought around by the 9 teenagers in the camp, one can’t help but shift most of that excitement to Matt O’Shea, for it will be him who will lead the destiny of Crusaders cricket this season, and perhaps for many season to come. With the amount of money spent on O’Shea, the sponsors and spectators will settle for nothing less than first place in both one-day and first-class leagues.

Two more players released

As anticipated, two players have been released on free transfers, allowing them to continue their careers elsewhere and gain more game time.

Fast bowler Dirk Wright-Phillips, who only made a single appearance this season, had been on the transfer list for quite some time without any bites from other clubs.  To save on budget expenses, he agreed to be released from his contract.

The other player released on a free transfer is secondt team captain, Glenn Rorke.  There were only two 2nd XI matches this season due to Crusaders lasting so long in the Cup competition, and Rorke was never allowed to develop his game outside of the nets.

Both players’ release takes effect immediately.

Review of BT20

This season, the Crusaders performed about the same as last season in the BT20, winning only 2 matches while losing 5.

After a week’s worth of non-stop T20 action, the Crusaders will feel disappointed at such a poor showing in this season’s competition. In all 5 of their losses, they were completely outplayed, proving what a difference there was between the top 5 teams and the bottom 3 teams.

Crusaders did manage to get some positives out of the week, including that of rookie Pete Moller, who was just introduced into the 1st XI at the beginning of the BT20 tournament. He showed maturity at age 18, playing some exquisite cricket shots as well as some more unorthodox one’s. He was the top run-scorer for Crusaders in the tournament with 148 runs, including a 56*. Chris Kotzo bowled with the greatest control, conceding only 4.8 runs per over in 3 matches, including a brilliant 2/10.

Opener John Simpson commented on the effort, “We obviously still have a long way to go and are nowhere near where we want to be. For two years running we have failed to make the cut for the elimination rounds. T20 is new to most of us, so we just need to work on our skills in this format”.