CH: Cyclones v. Stingrays Grand Final Preview

It was the final that we had to have. Never before have two teams swept the rest of the competition the way the Stingrays and Cyclones have. If this wasn't already abbundantly clear, the semi final between the Stingrays and the third placed Vipers confirmed it. This final brings together the best of the best in the closest thing to a rep game the Bannerman Shield has ever seen.

De'ja' vu?
This isn't the first time that we've seen a Ged King lead team go into a final as underdogs against a Scott Wilson lead team. Rewind four seasons and King's Sticky Wickets were part of the fiercest rivalry in town with Wilson's Crusaders. Wilson's team-mates in the crusaders halceon days, five others will line up from that game four seasons ago. Joining Wilson at the Cyclones are Davis and Gemmell, while Tyson, Vago and C Man line up for the Stingrays. On that occasion four seasons ago, it was Wilson's Crusaders that took the honours in a tight contest. The Stingrays will be hoping that it was Tyson, Vago and Man's presence that made the difference on that occasion.

Making History:
The Stingrays are aiming to be the first club to win the premiership in their first season. While they have already achieved the distinction of being the first club to make a grand final in their first season, it will all be for nothing if victory does not eventuate. Meanwhile, the Cyclones just want to win one after three previous grand finals.

Chokers?
The Stingrays have played four really big games this season. The two against the Cyclones, the final round game against the Ravens where a win would get them the minor premiership, and their semi. Of those four, they won one, that being the semi, and they did a good job of giving the Vipers a sniff despite chasing 600 for victory.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones troubles are more to do with their history than their current squad. They've appeared in three grand finals in their 7 previous seasons in the competition. Of those, they've endured three losses including allowing a ridiculous last wicket partnership to eventuate against them in last seasons' decider.

Has Tyson awoken from his slumber?
The Stingrays bowling is seen as their absolute strength. Yet all season, Tyson has been the weak link of teh four man attack averaging well over 30 while the other 3 have averaged low 20's. He hadn't taken a 5 wicket haul all season and then when the pressure was on in the semi, he came out and took 5 wickets in each innings on top of a very handy knock. He's shown what he can do under pressure in the past and there's a decent chance he might repeat the showing if history is anything to go by.

And they say that the art of spin is dead!
A tantalising game for spin enthusiasts. The top 3 spinners will take part in this game, with Emm quite possibly the forgotten man. While wilson and King will capture most of the attention, will he just come through and produce when needed?

There can only be one number one...
While people discuss Luffman's break out season, most in the know consider his higher ranking a little farcical. Adam Vago and Brett Gemmell have been the stand out bats for their clubs and will be one of the keys to victory for their respective sides. Vago's 1596 runs at 63.84 has been one of the stand outs of the Rays season while Gemmell's 1337 runs at 66.85 puts him in elite company.

The battle of the egos
The two biggest egos in the comp go head to head at number 4. Hornby and Gemmell have talked the talk and walked the walk recently but whose words will come back to haunt them?

The rookies - how will they hold up?
We've spent a lot of time talking about the veterans, but the rookies could play a crucial part in this game. For the Stingrays, Douglas Dafter will be appearing in only his 10th first class game. The boom youngester has averaged 49.81 for the season and is coming off two centuries and a 70 in his last three matches. Meanwhile, Masters will make only his 3rd first class appearance in the middle order for the Cyclones after a promising start to his first class career. The pressure that these two feel will be like never before and how they hold up could play a part.

Strengths, Weaknesses and X Factors

The Stingrays:
Strengths:
Without doubt, the Stingrays main strength lies in their bowling. King, Farnsworth and C Man are all enjoying ridiculously successful seasons while Tyson looks to have turned a corner after his semi final effort. This foursome are unparalelled as a foursome in Bannerman Shield history and will be looking to leave their print. the Stingrays strong top 3 is their other major strength. In Vago and Downpipes, they have two experienced rep campaigners used to final conditions.

The X-Factor
The Stingrays 4 and 5 has taken some fiddling with but in Hornby and Berkuta, they have two men who can both sink the boot in when the opposition are down and rescue them from trouble. The way Hornby has responded after coming back from suspension is simply stunning. After demanding a recall in round 13 in ALC with 193 and 106* he backed up the talk with 119 and 40 in a losing cause. Then in the semi final, he first rescued the first innings with a hard fought 55, and then made the Vipers pay in the second with 175. Meanwhile, Berkuta must surely be on the cusp of a first NSW jersey. His 1165 runs at 52.95 for the season has gone largely unnoticed but he has provided the Stingrays with a solid number 5 for all situations.

Weakness:
The wicket-keeping position has really shown up the Stingrays lack of depth, as will be the case with most first season clubs. Adding to the problem has been Shriram's lack of runs at 7. As a 6 and 7 combination, they are close to the worst in the competition averaging just 46 between them. With Shriram's bowling being consistent, he will not be overlooked for a better batsman.

The Cyclones:
Strengths:
The Cyclones have both the number 1 ranked batsman and the number 1 ranked bowler. In Wilson and Gemmell, they have the best in the business, and both know exactly what it takes to succeed. Add to this the number 1 wicket keeper in the game by some margin with both the gloves and bat, and you get an appreciatino of the task facing the Stingrays.

The X Factor:
The allrounders for the Cyclones offer this team so much. At 6 and 7 are two men who have been there or thereabouts for NSW for the past number of seasons. In Gonzalez they have a settling influence with the bat and a partnership breaker whilst at 7 they have an opening fast bowler who doubles as an explosive batsman. Backing them up is the Scottish terrier, Callum Laing. Laing has enjoyed a breakout season bowling first change taking 31 wickets at 27.55 while enjoying great success at number 8, averaging close to 40.

Weakness:
The Cyclones fast bowling must be a concern. Breaking through the Stingrays top order will be crucial and in Green, Johns and Laing, they have a fast bowling threesome that does not exactly strike fear into the opposition. Green is a very steady fast bowler who will take wickets with patience while Johns can be explosive on his day, while completely missing on others. Laing's stats are very good but whether he can back this up in a big one is still a question. they will not want to leave too much to Wilson and Emm.

Past Meetings:
These two teams have met twice this season. In round 3 the Cyclones travelled to Stinger Dome and came away with a 3 wicket victory. They were never in serious peril however. In round 10, the Stingrays came to the BOM flying high only to again be sat on their backsides, capitulating in the second innings. On both occasions, the battle was fierce but the big moments were won by the Cyclones. The Stingrays will have to change this if they are fair dinkum about winning this time around.

The Season Stats:
http://www.cricsim.com/showpost.php?p=293072&postcount=19

Key Match Ups:

Tyson and C Man v. Davis and Goodfellow
The Test opening bowling combination must get the Stingrays off to a good start. Standing in their way are two of the most under-rated players in the game. Both men probably suffer from not coming from Qld or NSW, yet both have very good records both at rep level and first class level. Davis in particular, getting away can change the game very quickly.

Shriram v. Gemmell
Gemmell's the best in the business, yet he has one flaw. Off spin from the part timer. Shriram's probably a little more than that but he fits the description. King will also be there to give Gemmell a fright. The prospect of arguably Queensland's two best players facing off is mouth watering.

Dempsey v. Fung
This is a match up that the Stingrays will be happy to break even on or even slightly lose. The best keeper in the game up against the most out of form batsman ever. Having said that, Fung has been known to pull out innings when it counts and his class is undeniable.

Johns v. Vago
Vago is the barometer to the Stingrays batting and when he's on, the rest of the batsman are invariably on. Johns often brings out a brilliant spell when needed and to begin one of those, he will need to knock over the Stingrays best batsman.

Downpipes v. Johns
Downpipes is the man for a scrap and he's given the Stingrays a hard edge this season at number 3. His no hold barred approach maked him perfect for the tough situations, something that he is likely to face against the Cyclones at some stage. Green is a grinding type bowler. He patiently goes about his business keeping his line and length and waiting for a weakness. This match up could provide much entertainment.

Wilson and Emm v. Hornby and Berkuta
The middle order of the Rays has been unheralded yet after experiments early on, Hornby and Berkuta have turned a potential weakness into a strength by both averaging 50+. In their way is the numer one spinner, Wilson, and his trusty sidekick, Emm.

How are the two clubs feeling about their chances?
Stingrays President Ged King:
"We're certainly the under-dogs heading in but I give us a decent chance in the big one. Our top 5 has really come together recently and our bowling is a big strength. We've got enough big performers that we could take this out. No doubt the Cyclones are favourites though. They've already beaten us twice this season."

Cyclones Headline Machine and serial Masterbator Brett Gemmell:
"Just like our last 2 meetings, it's gonna be an easy victory to the Cyclones. We have been the best team all season and we won't lose two finals in a row. I'm 110% confident of a win."

Predictions: What are the other clubs thinking?
Ravens President Robert Cribb:
"As an ex-Cyclone I'll be barracking for the boys in blue, but I'm actually tipping what I expect will be somewhat of an upset. Despite sitting in second all season, I think the Rays are carrying all the momentum given the Cyclones sub-par finish. Their top five are all averaging the best part of 50 with the bat for the season now and they have three bowlers averaging under 25 with a fourth who took ten in the semi-final."

Clearly still sulking, Vipers Selector Tom Delonge:
"Going to be a tough match, but I think the StinkGays by 150 runs or 4 wickets. A neutral pitch kinda takes away from the Cyclones advantage of an epic spinning lineup, and with Tyson hitting form, the Gays will be hard to topple" <!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->

 

I reckon that you'd prefer to be playing the game.

 

Realistically, this is probably gonna be our best chance for at least a season or two. Next season will be a re-building one.

 

I think that the Clones will win. They just seem to win the big moments against us all the time. I actually reckon our batting is far more balanced now than the two times we met though. Colesy's the key for us.

 

Oi Luffers or Rob, can you get me a stats breakdown like the semi preview and I'll chuck it in there?

 

I'm going for the clones.

 

It's a pretty big game for those on the cusp of rep selection too. A good showing could see Berkuta earn a NSW jersey and Dafter a GB one.