CH: Provincial Championship Preview

Provincial Championship Preview:
With the Bannerman Shield festivities done and dusted, it's time for all first class cricket enthusiasts to turn their heads to the premier representative competition in Cricsim. With the introduction of Great Britain, the tournament has this season expanded from three teams to four. Today we'll examine each teams' chances and who the players to watch will be.

Great Britain:
It's only fair that we begin with the new boys on the block. Great Britain enter this competition with great expectation, but also great pressure. A series of heavy defeats could see them not return next season while wins will see their standing sky rocket immensely. Undoubtedly the outsiders, Great Britain's two real star players will have to stand up for them to compete.

Likely side:
1. JE McGrath
2. JP Goodfellow
3. JRE Luffman
4. BL Hornby
5. ND Short
6. SLO Graham
7. C Laing
8. M Deane
9. AP Farnsworth
10. JT Whicker
11. BOY Blunder

Strengths:
Luffman and Farnsworth:
There's no other way to put it, these two are the two homegrown stars of this side. Between them they can win games, and they'll have to produce what they have during the Bannerman Shield season for the Poms to stand a chance.
Imports:
Whicker, Short and Hornby really help this team out by way of experience and class. With mostly first and second season first graders around them, they are the ones that must stand up and give the rookies something to follow.

X-Factor:
Youthful Exhuberance:
With so many young players, will the fear factor of the big stage not be a factor for the largely youthful Pomgolians? Or will it play on them too much and cause their game to go to faeces?

Weaknesses:
Spin:
GB lack a full time spinner and their two spinning options appear to be a reserve grade bowling allrounder and a reserve grade batting allrounder. This could become a major issue.
Big Game Players:
Unlike the other teams, this side is almost devoid of big match players. How much this will hurt them, we will soon find out.

Queensland:
After taking out the Provincial One day championship just days previously, the Queensland camp will go into this tournament on a high. Despite this, they'll have last season's disappointing last placing to spur them to greater things this time around. Adding to their first class despair is their loss to New South Wales 2-1 in their mid-season Origin series. Despite their recent record in first class cricket, Queensland enter this tournament as the most in form team with a number of their players having outstanding Bannerman Shield seasons.

Likely side:
1. BJT Manera
2. A Vago
3. RST Downpipes
4. BJ Gemmell
5. M Perry
6. R Gee
7. TJL Webber
8. L Lover
9. AD Funkotron
10. GEC King
11. C Man

Strengths:
Top order:
Queensland's top order is something no other side in this tournament can match. Boasting the top 3 ranked players in the comp in BJ Gemmell, A Vago and BJT Manera, plus the services of veteran RST Downpipes, coming off a fine season for the Stingrays, shutting down the Queensland top 4 will be a major challenge.
Form:
Almost the entire team are coming off fantastic seasons in the Bannerman Shield. Confidence will be sky high in this outfit.

X Factor:
Vago and King:
The two men that drove the Stingrays to the premiership, these tow just happen to be perhaps the two most in form players of the moment. Vago is coming off a double ton in the trial, following on from a ton and an 80 in the BS final. King is coming off a career best season averaging a shade under 22, bagging the best average of all bowlers in the top 15 wicket takers. If these two fire, Queendsland will be half way to vitory. If they fail, a losing series could very well follow.

Weaknesses:
Fifth Bowler:
Perry looms as Queensland's 5th bowling option despite basically giving up the ball in recent times. This could present a major issue, one which may have to be solved by bringing in Devonshire for a batsman.
Depth:
There is a major concern about the depth outside the top 11. They have no second wicket keeper in their squad and their reserve batsman is a largely failed reserve grade player coming off one good Bannerman Shield season. An injury to King would also cause major worries with the only other spinner in the squad a reserve grade allrounder in P Orr.

New South Wales:

New South Wales enter this competition as favourites after their mid-season series win against Queensland and their win in the PC last season. They will have a desire to get back some lost pride after their wooden spoon exploits in the OD competition, despite it being in a completely different form of the game. Such humiliation cannot be under-stated. This humiliation spells fear for the other PC contenders who must face a team with a point to prove.

Likely side:
1. JP Gonzalez
2. DG Speirs
3. DW Lewis
4. MR Hayes
5. AJ Parker
6. ZA Berkuta
7. JB Dempsey
8. L Tyson
9. SB Wilson
10. TG Bullpitt
11. SM Green

Strengths:
Depth:
NSW's depth cannot be understated. They boast a far greater player pool than all the other provinces. The fact that they don't dominate is testament to the state's lackluster performance in everything.
Rep Specialists:
Speirs and Tyson turn into supermen when they put on the sky blue cap. Both average far better numbers for state than club side, and both players cannot be overlooked despite how poorly they go in the BS.
1-2 Punch:
In Bullpitt and Wilson, the Cockroaches boast the number 1 and 2 bowlers in Cricsim and the most deadly 1-2 punch in the game. These two can break a game open in the space of a few overs and their impact cannot be overstated.

X Factor:
Middle order:
The NSW middle order of Hayes, Parker and Berkuta represent a possible weak link in this side. Parker is relatively inexperienced yet averages 50 for NSW while Hayes has a wealth of experience. Both are coming off rather poor season by their standards though and how they bounce back, along with how Berkuta transitions into rep cricket after one good season for the Stingrays, will go a long way to deciding how NSW go.

Weaknesses:
Form:
Form presents the only weakness of this side. Many of their players are coming off poor seasons by their standards and how they come up to this level will be interesting. Wilson's worst season in a long time will have many opposition licking their lips at finally getting stuck into the undoubted number 1. Yet, a poor season by his standards is still better than most that will take the field in this competition.

Victoria:
Victoria enter this competition after a surprise second placing the PC last season. In the corresponding event last season, their batsman stood up to knock up massive scores against Qld and NSW to ensure that they qualified for the final. Again though, the microscope will be on their bowlers, who will definitely be the weak link of this side.

Likely side:
1. NG Miokovic
2. D Davis
3. BH Borisc
4. TA Miokovic
5. DK Erschoff
6. DA Alessi
7. B Dover
8. BA Storer
9. DA Eggman
10. RJ Centin
11. PF Oz

Strengths:
Batting:
Undoubtedly this side's strength lies in its batting. In TA Miokovic they have the CH BS Player of the season while his brother is seen as an even better prospect. Add to this the explosive Davis and the steady Earschoff and it's a fierce looking batting lineup to contend with.

X Factor:
Eggman:
Despite beginning the season in the ALC, he has quickly risen to prominence as the Vipers main strike bowler. His impressive average in his albeit short career is something for Victorian fans to get excited about. How he goes in this tournament has the potential to not only shape how his team goes, but also how his career turns out after a very strong beginning.

Weaknesses:
Bowling:
Aside from Eggman, their bowling consists of ALC players and similarly inexperienced BS performers. Oz is in his first full season of firsts while Centin has been wallowing in seconds alongside Borisc, whose part time spin will come in handy. Storer's steady performances will have to improve also if their bowling is to penetrate opposition batting lineups.

The Final Word - How each selector thinks their side will fair:

Great Britain Selector, Jake Luffman:
"We all realise that the PC will be an immense challenge, but so far every challenge we have come up against we have excelled. We won the JT challenge last season and the STPC this season. We may not have the big game performers or experience as the likes of Queensland but we have a lot of belief and hopefully we will suprise a few with our performances. Realistically we want to avoid last place in our first PC."

Queensland Selector, Ged King:
"We're under no illusions that a number of our blokes under perform at this level but this is our season to lose as far as I'm concerned. Vago and Gemmell are in ridiculous form, as are myself and C Man. Add in Funkotron and Lover making outstanding comebacks after a few seasons out of the team and we're set. Not making the final would be a disappointment and making that game is our absolute minimum to this tournament being called a success for us."

Victoria Selector, AJ Son:
"I'm looking forward to how we go. Our batting is quite solid, especially through the middle order. With Davis, Erschoff, the Miokovics, and Alessi we are hardly pushovers, but the bowling is a bit weak. Borisc and Storer will probably be bowling a many overs between them, and that really typifies our problem. We don't have four frontline bowlers we can take into a game, and that'll probably be our downfall. I'm going for third place, with hopefully a big scalp along the way!"

New South Wales Selector, Robert 'Darius' Cribb:
"We'll win it."