CricSim Herald - Season 10, Edition 1

CricSim Herald Season Ten - Edition One

BANNERMAN SHIELD REPORT CARDS
by C Laing

1. Ravens

Season so far: WWWWWW – 60 points

Strengths: The Ravens have been a side that have performed as a unit. Their batsmen have all performed, their all-rounders have contributed with bat and ball and their bowlers have taken wickets. It is easy to see why they are sitting at the top of the table.

Weaknesses: The only thing they have missed this season is a 3rd seamer that has shone. However, Funkotron and James have not really looked like they have needed much help and any help they have required the spinners have provided. They are obviously looking to fix this slight weakness though, with hotly tipped JR Denton being demoted to ALC.

Key Players: RST Downpipes has been and looks like he will be a key player for the Ravens. With RG Cribb not having the best of seasons with the bat, so far, the man known as Rusty will be looked at to ensure they have a good start to their innings. While his batting has not hit top form yet, RG Cribb’s bowling has and will be very important to the Ravens maintaining their top spot, the fact he is bowling as well as a specialist bowler and still averages above 30 with the bat it allows the Ravens to have a lot of depth in their batting line-up. AD Funkotron and AJ James are key to the Ravens still being able to play so many all-rounders, as they are performing better than some seam attacks containing 4 seamers.

What They Need To Do: Sitting top of the table, the Ravens really just need to keep doing what they are currently doing. It is hard to see them not at least being involved in the finals and with a gap of 18 points between them and the Gamblers they are looking firm favourites to lift the Minor Premiership.

2. Gamblers

Season so far: WLWWWL – 42 points

Strengths: The Gamblers' bowling attack has had a great start to the season. Although, if it wasn’t it would have come as a huge surprise to most when you look at the all-star bowling attack that they possess. Their spinners SB Wilson and BJ Taylor in particular have been very strong, both currently have a bowling average of less than 25. Batting in the 4th innings against them will not be fun for anyone.

Weaknesses: The Gamblers’ middle order has not performed in the early part of the season. This has led to some fresh faces being called up from ALC. L Popovic seems to be turning things around for their middle order but the likes of BJ Gemmell and BS Read appear to still be struggling to find form.

Key Players: BJ Gemmell is a key to how the Gamblers are going to do throughout the season, with the middle order struggling he needs to start walking the walk and find his form of old. Since the Gamblers formed, the former number 1 ranked batsman has only managed to average 33.92 in Bannerman Shield cricket. L Popovic looks like he is going to be key to their middle order and if he can continue the fantastic form he has started with he may be able to help take the pressure off some of the other middle order players.

What They Need To Do: The Gamblers have the foundations to be a championship winning side. If their middle order can also come to the party they could be a force to be reckoned with. Even with their middle order problems it would be surprising not to see them in the final 3 with the quality they possess.

3. Sticky Wickets

Season so far: WLWLWW – 40 points

Strengths: The top 5 batsmen for the Sticky Wickets have been in very good form so far this season. At present 4 of the 5 are averaging higher than 59 and DG Speirs whose average has not been amazing so far this season has still managed to score 2 centuries so far. As well as the batsmen, their spin attack has also been in good form.

Weaknesses: The seam attack has so far struggled. While their seam attack not performing at home may not be a huge problem at the spinners paradise that is the Stevil Oval, away from home this may cost them valuable points.

Key Players: SDR Laing is likely to play a big part in how the Stickies go throughout the season. As their bowling attack is so spin heavy, how he perform with the new ball and away from home will be crucial for them. They also seem to lack another BS standard seam bowler, which puts even more pressure on him. DG Speirs is their other key player. So far he has been fairly quiet with the bat, but he has done well with the ball averaging only 25.67. If he can find batting form, it will make their top 5 fantastic and with the strength of their bowling attack he will need to keep contributing with the ball.

What They Need To Do: To ensure they reach the final 3 they will need to make sure they pick up points away from home and not just at their tailor made home pitch. While most sides will probably struggle to take anything away from the Stevil Oval, the 2 sides above the Stickies look they have what it takes to pick up victories. This may well come down to how their seam attack develops.

4. Vipers

Season so far: WWWLLL – 30 points

Strengths: While there may be some players who could be doing better the Vipers strength so far has been their batting and the depth of their batting. They have been able to post some big totals which have kept them in games, especially in the second innings.

Weaknesses: Without a doubt their bowling has been their weakness. While spin bowling all-rounder JM Hughes does add very good batting depth, they have been carrying a bowler that looks out of his depth at this standard. DA Eggman and BOY Blunder have had good seasons so far, but the 3rd and 4th seamer positions have looked weak.

Key Players: The key players for the Vipers to get their season back on track are their all-rounders CJ Devonshire, BA Storer and JM Hughes. The three are crucial to the team’s successes with both bat and ball. If they can find form it allows them to bat deep and potentially play six bowling options if they need to.

What They Need To Do: The Vipers are going to have to find consistency in both innings with their batting and start taking wickets if they are to be challenging come the end of the season. They are far from out of the title race but after three straight losses they need to turn things around quickly.

5. Cyclones

Season so far: LWLWLW – 28 points

Strengths: Spinner WC Welker and wicket-keeper batsman JB Dempsey have been the main two strengths for the Cyclones. Welker has rolled through sides almost single handed at times. While Dempsey hit four centuries in the first four rounds.

Weaknesses: The seam bowling attack has been easily the main weakness for the Cyclones with KF Tait being their best seam bowler so far and is averaging more than 40. SM Green and MJ Johns, who would have been looked at to spearhead their seam attack, have both been demoted to ALC due to their seasons being so poor.

Key Players: Welker is the key player for the Cyclones season. With how the seam attack has been performing he will need to keep taking wickets and spearheading the attack. AM Farhat could be another key player for the Cyclones. If he can perform with the ball like he has in ALC, he could give the Cyclones a genuine 5th bowling option, while not having to weaken their batting line-up.

What They Need To Do: If they are to do anything this season the Cyclones will need to stop relying on so few players. In their last game they defeated the Gamblers and there was far more contributions to their victory, showing if they perform as a team they may be able to cause some upsets.

6. Pumas

Season so far: LWLWLL – 20 points

Strengths: The strengths so far for the Pumas have been AD Hunt and their batting from 3 to 5. Like Welker for the Cyclones, Hunt has appeared to be a one man bowling attack at times.

Weaknesses: While the 3 to 5 have been solid for the Pumas batting line-up, the rest has been poor. This has led to a team batting average of only 29.40, which is over 3 runs less than the next worst team. They need their openers and all-rounders to start contributing more with the bat.

Key Players: AD Hunt is the key to their bowling attack. It looks like he will have to continue his excellent form for the Pumas to start climbing the table. DR Armstrong will be someone the Pumas will be looking at to help turn their batting performances around, he is a Test match batsman and they will be looking for a lot more than an average of 24.67.

What They Need To Do: The Pumas need to find a seam attack and have more batsman perform consistently. They have Representative cricket players in their squad and they will be looking to those players to step up to plate and get their side competing.

7. Stingrays

Season so far: LLLLLW – 10 points

Strengths: Openers Vago and Borisc have both in very good form so far this season for the Stingrays, which has been very important in a batting line-up that has generally struggled.

Weaknesses: The batting line-up, after the openers, has been a big problem. This has seen a lot of chopping and changing in their middle order with people moving in and out of ALC. While their bowling attack looks to be under-performing a lot on paper, but if you take into account their home pitch then it is really only a 4th and 5th bowler they have really been missing.

Key Players: K Fung looks like he will be the man the Stingrays will turn to sort out their middle order. He was promoted to bat at 4 in the last round, compared to number 6 or 7 where he has spent a lot of his career. He has had good stats so far this season and will need to lead by example. GJ Weaver is another man who could play a crucial role in how the Stingrays season progresses from here. So far he has not really stood out with the ball and has been poor with the bat. If he can bring his bowling average down closer to 30 over the season and lift his batting average up nearer to 30 it could give them 3 very strong bowlers and help to support their struggling middle order.

What They Need To Do: If the Stingrays can get a middle order that performs then they will not finish in the bottom 2. The only problem is, if the current players they have in their line-up do not perform, then they are pretty stuck for other options at present. A 4th bowler who is performing would help them too. While they lost their first 5 games, they were never hammered, so it shows they are not far from turning it around.

8. Crusaders

Season so far: LLLLWL – 8 points

Strengths: The top 5 batsmen have so far performed well. This has meant that they have been able to at least be in with a chance in most games.

Weaknesses: While they have been in with a chance in most of their games, that chance has tended to end once they started bowling. They have easily been the worst bowling side this season, with a team average of 47.02 (over 5 higher than the next lowest team). Some other teams have had struggling bowling attacks but they have at least managed to have one stand out bowl that has managed to carry them through, or at least prevent it being terrible. However, the Crusaders have not had a star bowler, with HT Davis being their leading bowler so far and he is averaging 34.96.

Key Players: N Hunt could well hold part of the key to unlocking some victories for the Crusaders this season. Not only because of his guru insight into how to play the game, but also due to his spin bowling. Due to squad balance it seems highly unlikely that they will be able to play a specialist spinner, unless they are playing at a very spinner friendly ground. This means that Hunt will need to recapture his ALC form of last season and provide them with a genuine spin bowler. BI Immanuel has had a good start to his BS career, but has under-performed so far this season. If he could find some of his form from previous seasons it could help their batting line-up not only put on good scores, but potentially huge scores. Which could make up for their struggling bowling attack.

What They Need To Do: Find a bowling attack. They appear to have enough in the batting department to at least lift them away from the wooden spoon, but if they can't take 20 wickets per game it all counts for very little.

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ROUND SEVEN BANNERMAN SHIELD PREVIEWS
by MC Burridge

Ravens v Gamblers

Without doubt, this seems to be the heavyweight clash of Round 7, or even possibly the first half of the season. The 2 favourites for the Bannerman Shield are battling it out at the Unkindess, and it looks like a cracker. Both clubs were tipped to be the big guns, and both clubs have lived up to the hype. The Ravens are arguably having their best season ever - they've gone 6/6 this year, and would be hoping to go 7/7 to complete a perfect start to the season and establish their credentials as the premiership favourites. The Gamblers, after crashing and burning last season, have fought back, and despite a couple of slip-ups, most notably getting dismissed for 54 against the Vipers back in Round 2, have gone pretty well, and are looking here for a win against a strong side.

What Each Side Needs To Do To Win:

Ravens: The Ravens have been in awesome form this year, so sticking to their current game plan should work. However, they need to avoid failing against the Gamblers bowling attack.

Gamblers: Big innings. Their bowling has been fine. Although they did choke against the Cyclones, they have the lowest bowling quotient in the competition, but their batting has occasionally been prone to collapses. Brett Kennedy in particular has been in ordinary form this season, and they need a big innings from someone to get them a strong score against such a long batting lineup.

Key Player:

Ravens: Alec Funkotron. He has been the Raven's best bowler this year, and his batting has been an added compliment. Should he fire, it should give the Ravens a massive boost to victory.

Gamblers: Brett Kennedy. Many people expected him to re-establish himself as CricSim's top batsman after a sub-par Season 9, but his dry run of form has continued. The Gamblers would want him to fire to help improve their somewhat vulnerable top order.

Predicted Lineups:

Gamblers: MC Burridge, BJT Manera, BG Herd, BJ Kennedy*, L Popovic, J Read+, L Tyson, M Faithful, BJ Taylor, SB Wilson, TG Bullpitt

Ravens: RG Cribb*, RST Downpipes, DW Lewis, DK Erschoff, DRP Taylor, M Deane, G Shriram, TJL Webber+, P Orr, AD Funkotron, AJ James (need confirmation from a Raven if this is correct)

Prediction:
Think the Ravens will have too much for the Gamblers here. A longish tail will also entice Funkotron, James and Cribb.


Pumas v Cyclones

This match-up seems to be intriguing, as the match seems to be a close game. The Pumas' season started off solidly, but some ordinary performances in recent weeks are a cause for concern. Meanwhile, the Cyclones came back well to beat the Gamblers, but the Cyclones' form has been inconsistent and they were flogged by the Ravens in Round 5. This could become a very interesting game at the Mountains.

What Each Side Needs To Do To Win:

Cyclones: Consistency. The Cyclones lack stars. The closest thing to a star in the lineup is Test wicket-keeper Jack Dempsey. And only Dempsey and Wes Welker have really been strong this season. However, they've got a lot of players of a similar standard, and if most of them perform, they should win.

Pumas: A big innings, or a special from Aaron Hunt. The Pumas have a great batting lineup, but their bowling apart from Hunt is awful. However, Mr Hunt has been in great form this season, and he has been keeping the Pumas bowling afloat. Their batting lineup, Theo Miokovic aside, has underperformed this season, however.

Key Battle: Wes Welker vs Aaron Hunt. The battle of the spinners and seemingly the bowling attacks. Apart from Welker and Hunt, there are not many other bowlers in the two sides that you'd consider wicket-takers. For the Cyclones, Sam Green and Matt Johns have badly lost form and got dropped to the ALC, Kyle Tait and John Ridd are still green around the ears, and Callum Laing has not kicked on as well as the Cyclones may have hoped. For the Pumas, the rest of bowlers are one-season wonders (Allan Izett, League Lover, Paul Oz) or are past it (Matt Kaye, David Crowley). Whoever fires out of Welker and Hunt will probably win their respective teams the game.

Predicted Lineups:

Cyclones: AM Farhat, DT Petrucci, JB Dempsey+, RK Fittaman, S Verigotta, ND Short, JP Gonzalez, C Laing*, JH Ridd, WC Welker, KF Tait

Pumas: RA Boy+, NG Miokovic, DR Armstrong, TA Miokovic, SA Flack, AJ Son, DA Astele, L Lover, AD Hunt*, M Kaye, PF Oz

Prediction:
Close. Think the Cyclones will get up, without any confidence.


Vipers v Sticky Wickets

Despite a great start to the season, the Vipers have fallen off the tracks recently as they have lost their last 3 games. While losing to the Ravens is not a bad thing, the losses to the Crusaders and the Stingrays are a cause of concern. Particularly given that the Crusaders and Stingrays were without a win before playing the Vipers. Meanwhile, the Sticky Wickets were tipped to come last but in fact are in the top 3, strongly assisted from a favourable home pitch. Despite this, the Snake Pit is the exact opposite of Stevil Oval, and it looks like an uphill battle for the Sticky Wickets.

What Each Side Needs To Do To Win:

Vipers: Dan Eggman to return to form. Although the Vipers bowling attack is pretty ordinary, Eggman is not the #2 ranked bowler for nothing. When he bowls well, his side usually wins, but when he doesn't, it struggles. And his recent weak patch over the past 3 games has contributed to their losing streak. If he fires, the Vipers bowling will collectively improve, and they will win.

Sticky Wickets: Negate Eggman. This pitch does not suit them AT ALL, as the pitch has no spin assistance, which is the Sticky Wickets main source of bowlers. Simon Laing is pretty good, but their other seamers aren't quite of the standard required for Bannerman Shield cricket. If they negate Eggman, then the Stickies batting could put on a big score and they may end up pulling off an upset.

Key Player:

Sticky Wickets: Simon Laing. The Sticky Wickets will need him to perform very well if they want to win here at the Snake Pit. They just don't have any other quicks.

Vipers: Dan Eggman. He has to be the most crucial player in the Bannerman Shield today. If he fires, his side usually wins.

Predicted Lineups:

Sticky Wickets: JP Thornton, DG Speirs*, EI Morris+, AJ Parker, DA Alessi, LA Pilgrim, MD Dorn, BC Jacobs, CB Darts, SA Humble, SDR Laing

Vipers: JRE Luffman, JE McGrath, T Delonge, J Torres*, R Gee, SLO Graham+, CJ Devonshire, JM Hughes, GR Smith, DA Eggman, BOY Blunder

Prediction:
At the Snake Pit, the Vipers should flog the Sticky Wickets.


Stingrays v Crusaders

The bottom two sides meet at Fever Pitch for this clash. It's safe to say that both sides have massively underperformed. The Stingrays were expected to have a strong bowling lineup as they had 2 proven first graders and 2 rising stars. The Crusaders had a strong mix of depth and youth, but both sides have had their problems. While they both beat the Vipers, they have failed to beat anyone else. Whoever loses this match may end up with the spoon.

What Each Side Needs To Do To Win:

Stingrays: Their bowling needs to return to form. Only Gerard King, their veteran spinner, has performed to the standard expected. Hayden Bots has been so bad that he was dropped to the ALC, and Gareth Weaver has underperformed big time. If the Stingrays bowlers perform it will give the side a massive boost and probably propel them to victory here.

Crusaders: They also need performances from their bowlers. While their batting has been fine, their bowling has been woeful. Jeff Rocker and John Wilkinson in particular have fallen off the lever big time, and Chris Kovas was dropped in favour of Nigel Hunt, who hasn't been any better. They need a big performance from them to win here.

Key Player:

Stingrays: Gareth Weaver. He has been pretty poor this year, particularly given the fact that he had an excellent Season 9, and the fact that he is one of CricSim's best trainers. Should he fire, it will be a massive help to the Stingrays bowling.

Crusaders: Heath Davis. While his performances this year haven't been awful, he has largely feasted on the tail. As the only quick at the club who bothers to train these days, he needs a big performance to help his club achieve victory here today.

Predicted Lineups:

Stingrays: A Vago, BH Borisc, SM Morgan, K Fung+, ZA Berkuta, EL Volavola, ML Martyn, GJ Weaver*, AP Farnsworth, GEC King, SJ Cambridge

Crusaders: S Bakkum, E Ames*, TJ Clough, BL Hornby, M Perry, BI Immanuel+, DP Howell, N Hunt, JU Rocker, HT Davis, JP Wilkinson

Prediction:
Stingrays should have too much class for the Crusaders. The Crusaders best hope is for someone to feast on the Stingrays batting lineup, as it is very vulnerable outside of the openers.

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ROUND SEVEN AVO LOVERS CUP PREVIEWS
by DG Speirs

Test Eagles (4th) v Punters (2nd)
This battle between two of the stronger second grade sides could largely hinge on the selection decisions made by the Gamblers board. Faithful has been arguably the form player of the competition, streaking away to a significant lead in player of the season honours, and his presence for the Punters would strike fear into the heart of any Test Eagles batsman. However if he is chosen to make the step up, it remains to be seen whether the likes of Hall, Eightyfour and Hallett can lift their game and support the strike weapon of Man. For the Test Eagles, things should be a little more settled given the Ravens unbeaten start to the season, so they may edge into favouritism here in spite of inferior results so far this season. The strength of the side clearly lies with the bowling, Denton, Chung, Charles and Emm are all arguably Bannerman Shield standard, and the likes of Dover, Meister and Davis should be enticing targets at the top of the order.

Prediction: Shaping up as a great game really. The Test Eagles should get up here in a close one, but that is said with no real confidence.


Kittens (5th) v Brumbies (3rd)
Another tight match on paper, with only four points between these sides on the competition ladder. The winner here could well open up a gap between the all-important top three and the rest of the table, if other results go their way. The two teams actually mirror each other quite remarkably, most noticeably with the presence of all-rounders in the middle order, and specialist bowlers coming in higher than would perhaps be preferred. Both teams will look to their star former representative players to do most of the damage with the bat, namely Nick Miokovic (or potentially Dave Armstrong) and Tool Man. If either of those two fail to perform, the opposition bowlers will smell blood in the water and should really put their team into a great position to win from there. In addition though, the batting performance of Diggler will need to be kept under control by the Brumbies bowlers, given his new-found prowess with the bat.

Prediction: The Brumbies bowling unit should prove too strong here. Green and Johns were class players in their prime, and should be able to stamp a bit of authority on this match.


Cobras (1st) v King’s XI (8th)
A real mismatch is expected here, as first and last on the ALC ladder take to the field. The Cobras can lay claim to having statistically the best batting and bowling side in the competition, a fairly intimidating fact for any opposition side. Given those facts, it’s hard to see how the Kings can really compete here. Players such as Narang and Darts may take confidence out of their performances in the sides first win of the season over the Knights last round, however it was Regan Hutchinson who was the chief destroyer with the ball. A likely Bannerman Shield call-up beckons for Hutchinson, and his presence alongside Simon Humble in first grade puts the pressure on the remaining ALC bowlers to fill their shoes. For the Cobras, it is likely that they will be able to stay true to a winning formula, although if the likes of Winney, Witters and Surkelton take the foot off the gas, a dropped Hugh Roberts could make everyone sit up and take notice.
<O</O
Prediction: A comfortable victory here for the Cobras. Whilst the King’s are improving, it’s is hard to imagine them even getting close to the competition frontrunners.


Fangs (7th) v Knights (6th)
Two struggling sides meet here, with both sides obviously hoping to turn their season around. The misfiring Knights bowling attack looks to be their biggest weakness, and even with the presence of Wilkinson last round they failed to take down a King’s outfit who mounted a fairly large fourth innings chase. Whicker will be expected to lead the attack given his vast Bannerman Shield experience, and Ritchie has performed an admirable job in a struggling outfit. These two can’t seem manage it on their own though, so one of Capone, Smith or Kovas needs to step it up a notch, or risk leaving too much for their reasonably solid batting line-up to do. For the Fangs, the undoubted qualities of HJ Bots stand out if he is again included. Having a spinner of genuine Bannerman Shield standard in reserve grade is a luxury the Knights can only dream of. Alongside him though is a mismatch of newer players and others who have had only fleeting contact with the higher level. Players like Yates, Dafter, Man and Robinson have all flirted with consistency in the Bannerman Shield, only to ultimately fall short.
<O</O
Prediction: Players like Heads and Teja could be putting their hands up for a promotion into first grade, but the pressure may well see them succumb to an experienced Fangs bowling attack. A strong fight will be on offer, but the Fangs will prove too strong in the end.

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ROUND TWO PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS
by AJ Son

New Zealand (3rd) v NSW City (1st)
The boys from New Zealand take on NSW City after coming off of a satisfying performance against Queensland. The Kiwis took first innings points against the Stage of Origin victors but unfortunately couldn’t find that necessary 20 wickets to win. Captain J Torres found some representative form to go with his improved Bannerman Shield output which will be particularly uplifting for the New Zealanders. This encounter, along with the NSW Country-Victoria clash, will be of particular interest to analyse the competitiveness of the split NSW sides. NSW City will be looking to spin trio SB Wilson, RG Cribb and AD Hunt to fire again and carry the bowling workload and run through their opponent’s top order. Capturing the early wickets of SM Morgan, DT Petrucci and Torres will go a long way toward victory.

Lineups:<O</O
New Zealand: S Bakkum, SM Morgan, DT Petrucci, J Torres*, DRP Taylor, DP Howell+, GJ Weaver, MD Dorn, HJ Bots, JR Denton, AJ Izett.
NSW City: DR Armstrong, JP Gonzalez, DW Lewis, AJ Parker, SA Flack, L Popovic, BI Immanuel+, RG Cribb*, SB Wilson, AD Hunt, SM Green.

Prediction:<O</O
In what should be a close and entertaining match, the NSW City side has too much class to be ignored.<O</O


Britain (2nd) v Queensland (4th)<O</O
After a solid, but unflattering, first round win against Victoria, Britain will be looking to sounds its intentions for the PC in its second match against Championship favourites Queensland. JRE Luffman carried his Bannerman Shield form into the representative arena with a first innings half century and second innings century, while the hapless E Ames will find himself sitting it out after a pair against the Victorians. Replacing him will be RK Fittaman, who makes his debut for Britain. JT Whicker also finds himself cheering on from the stands after his lack of form saw him dropped as well. JH Ridd comes in for his rep debut. Queensland will be looking for redemption after a poor showing first up. They came into the Championship hot favourites after their defeat of the joined NSW side. A Vago was very good in Round 1 with a classy century, while CricSim’s very own Prophet R Gee also contributed with two half centuries.

Lineups:<O</O
Britain: JE McGrath, JRE Luffman, EI Morris+, BL Hornby, SLO Graham, M Deane, RK Fittaman, C Laing*, AP Farnsworth, JH Ridd, BOY Blunder.
Queensland: A Vago, BJT Manera, RST Downpipes, BJ Gemmell, M Perry, R Gee, TJL Webber+, P Orr, GEC King*, AD Funkotron, C Man.

Prediction:<O</O
Queensland are PC favourites for a reason. They’re a very classy side, containing representative stars such as BJ Gemmell, GEC King, RST Downpipes, BJT Manera and C Man. Should be too much of a handful for the rising stars of Britain.<O</O
<O</O

NSW Country (6th) v Victoria (5th)<O</O
NSW Country play Victoria in the last match of PC Round 2. They come into the game on a slight low after losing their first official representative game to their City counterparts, but will be confident facing a lackluster Victorian side. T Delonge and TG Bullpitt were highlights in a dull match for Country and will be looking to carry their form into this match. The Victorians will come into this match with some positives after putting up a great challenge against the British team. They took first innings points in the match despite CricSim’s No. 1 fast bowler DA Eggman and representative stars D Davis and captain DK Erschoff failing to make an impression on the contest. However, one would expect substantial contributions would have to be made by two of those three for the Victorians to stand any chance of taking full points.

Lineups:<O</O
NSW Country: DG Speirs*, JP Thornton, JB Dempsey, T Delonge, ZA Berkuta, BG Herd, K Fung+, L Tyson, BJ Taylor, TG Bullpitt, AJ James.
Victoria: BH Borisc, RA Boy+, D Davis, TA Miokovic, DK Erschoff*, DA Alessi, AJ Son, BA Storer, DA Eggman, RJ Centin, PF Oz.

Prediction:<O</O
NSW Country should be way too strong and classy for a Victorian team at the crossroads.

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I Can't Really Ask for More - Aaron Hunt
By JM Hughes

What is the first thing that comes to your head when you hear the name Aaron Hunt? A lot of things can go here and it’s safe to say a majority of the answers would be negative. What not many people know is just what type of person Aaron Hunt is. His dedication on and off the field, especially towards the Pumas, is quite astonishing and surprising. Off the field he is working hard with the Pumas ensuring they continue to flourish, whilst on it he is fast becoming one of CricSim's best.

He is the spinner with a ferocious personality and a quirky sense of humour but what does he think of himself. Judging by the interview he gave us at The Herald, he likes to stir up trouble throughout all the dressing rooms.

The Herald: This is your third season at the Pumas and the fourth season of CricSim you have participated in, do you think that this is the best start to the season you have had?

Hunt: It's fair to say that it's my best start to a season in the Bannerman Shield. Seeing as I’m leading wicket taker after 5 rounds, I can't really ask for much more. It also proves that I'm a better player than Taylor, a bloke that couldn't bowl his way out of a paper bag.

The Herald: Round one produced your best first class bowling figures in an innings ever, with a superb 7-99. What do you think brought about this sudden change in form?

Hunt: Playing a club like the Vipers in that game was definitely a contributing factor giving their lack of talent. I wouldn't really call it a change in form as I had a solid bowling performance last season but there has been an obvious improvement from last. I'd put it down to my hard work throughout the off-season.<O></O>
The Herald: You have a reputation to being fiery on the cricket field, is this something you set upon as an intimidation factor or is it just your competitive nature?

Hunt: Definitely would just be my competitive spirit. I'm naturally a shit stirrer so giving it to other blokes for no good reason is just what I do. A Michael Ennis of the cricketing arena if you will.

The Herald: The current provincial championships could be the mark of a new era for you as you have just made your representative debut. Tell us what you thought of the whole experience?

Hunt: It’s about time. It was good to finally get a gig and taking wickets at 26.5 a pop couldn't have hindered my cause to remain there along with a nifty not out score. Wilson and I will obviously become one of if not the greatest spin partnership of all time.

The Herald: Do you feel season ten has really been the breakthrough season you needed?

Hunt: Once again I feel that last season laid the platform and put me in the top ten bowlers ranking wise. This season is just looking like an improvement on last.

The Herald: Having had three seasons at the Pumas and two seasons at the Crusaders, which club have you enjoyed the most?

Hunt: On the whole I would say the Pumas, primarily for the drama that went on in my time at the Crusaders. Having said that season seven at the Crusaders was definitely up there as one of my favourites, along with the current one.

The Herald: Why did you decide to return back to the Pumas after leaving the Crusaders?

Hunt: Basically, the Crusaders were in a bad, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad place. Anyone who was there in season eight would confirm this. I don’t want take anything away from the Crusaders as season seven was one of my most enjoyable seasons yet. Having been at the Pumas in season six I knew there was a decent bunch of blokes there and Flack, so it seemed like the right idea to go back.

The Herald: As an outsider looking in, the Pumas seem to be a tight knit group. Why do you think this is?

Hunt: For season ten the focus was on developing some new blokes, the likes of Quilty, Chewie and to a lesser extent Astele, along with sticking with the core squad of members we had from last season. This pretty much gave us the opportunity to get to know each other more and develop a culture that we could all enjoy. Also having half a dozen Kiwis and Victorians gave the "minorities" so to speak on CricSim other people to talk to. Oh and that Mousey bloke, people like him, I guess.

The Herald: From a team perspective, have you been disappointed or satisfied with the Pumas season for far?

Hunt: Fairly indifferent. I expected all the results we've had so far bar the Stickies game. A mid table finish is what I had thought at the start of the season so we're on track for that.

The Herald: Have you made up your mind on what you will be doing next season? Will your priority be to stay at the Pumas?

Hunt: Well, since I pretty much run the joint, just give it up Mousey, everyone knows I do, it's fair to say that unless something monumental happens I highly doubt I'll be leaving. The Pumas seem like the place for me so I'll just stick around and win us the premiership next season.

The Herald: You claim you have a fair bit of influence at the Pumas, how is your recruitment shaping up at this early stage? Are you looking at overhauling your roster with new faces or is retention the priority?

Hunt: Discussing our recruitment here wouldn't exactly be the brightest idea. I'll just say that next season we'll be in a very strong position for our first premiership.

You can see the passion coming from Aaron’s eyes when you mention the Pumas. The purple colours run through his blood and his reliable presence in the future provides the club with an opportunity to build to greater things. Season ten is still far from over, so expect to see the Pumas and an in-from Aaron Hunt give CricSim a massive shake-up over the coming rounds.