The 606v2 Ultimate Points Chaser Competition for the 70th Ashes Series

First topic message reminder :

With the opening Ashes Test only around a week away I thought we should get an Ashes competition underway – similar to the ones we did way back in 2011 and 2009 on the old BBC site. I thought they were pretty good fun with around 30 people involved at the time.

I'm trying to rekindle that sort of interest.        


Rules:

1.
Pick 2 (two) batsmen and 2 (two) bowlers from both Australia and England who you think will score the most runs and take the most wickets.
You get both batting and bowling points per innings so a bowler who scores runs has both batting and bowling scores added together.

e.g.
Warner, Smith, Starc, Lyon
Cook, Root, Broad, Ali

2.
Pick 1 (one) fielder from each team; excluding wicket keepers for most catches in the Series.
Can be a bowler (for c&b) if you want.

e.g.
Woakes, Handscomb

3.
Select the total number of catches, stumpings and run outs combined by each wicket keeper for each Test.
I will need your 2 (two) selected numbers in 24 hours prior to commencement of each Test match.
If a wicket keeper is injured then the replacement keeper's figures shall be used.

e.g.
Australia 9, England 8. Total dismissals 17

4.
Predict the overall 2017-18 Ashes Series result. Selections must be in before the commencement of each Test.

e.g.
Australia 3 England 2

1st Test: England
2nd Test: Australia
3rd Test: England
4th Test: Australia
5th Test: Australia


Scoring:

1.
1 point for every run scored by your nominated batsmen. Add together for each Test.
Bonus 20 points for 100 runs.
extra 25 points for 150 runs.
extra 40 points for 200 runs.
extra 50 points for 250 runs.
extra 60 bonus points for 300+ runs.

Note: the batting & bowling score bonuses accumulate so;

Batting:
100 runs = 120 points. A player scores 127 + 20 = 147 points.
150 runs = 195 points. A player scores 176 + 20 + 25 = 221 points.
200 runs = 285 points. A player scores 243 + 20 + 25 + 40 = 328 points.
250 runs = 385 points. A player scores 282 + 20 + 25 + 40 + 50 = 417 points
300+ runs = 445 points. A player scores 309 + 20 + 25 + 40 + 50 + 60 = 504 points.

Bowling:
20 points per wicket with a bonus 50 points for a 5-fer.
An extra 35 points for 6-fer, 40 for 7-fer, 45 for 8-fer, 50 for 9-fer.
An extra 100 bonus points for a 10-fer.

5 wickets = 100 + 50 = 150 points
6 wickets = 120 + 50 + 35 = 205 points.
7 wickets = 140 + 50 + 35 + 40 = 265 points
8 wickets = 160 + 50 + 35 + 40 + 45 = 330 points
9 wickets = 180 + 50 + 35 + 40 + 45 + 50 = 400 points
10 wickets = 200 + 50 + 35 + 40 + 45 + 50 + 100 = 520 points

Caught and bowled = 20 points for the wicket + 30 bonus points for the catch = 50 points on top of the bowling points.
An extra 25 points if your bowler gets a run-out in addition to the caught & bowled = 75 points

2.
Fielder catches: your nominated fieldsman earns you 25 points per catch. 25 points for a run out. Add them both for a 50 point "double play".

3.
Wicket keepers: I’ll rank your predictions from the actual scores at the time. Whoever guesses closest to the actual result receives 100 points, then descending down 5 points, so 95 points for the next closest guess, 90 points for the next, etc. If you chose the same scores as another member… then you'll both receive the same points. Next closest then receives 85, 80, 75, 70... depending on how many of us there are. 

4.
50 points earned at each Test in line with your overall Ashes prediction. Keep earning those 50 points until it goes right down to the wire…
If you guess all 5 correctly then a further 100 bonus points = 250 + 100 = 350 points.
Select the winning team for each Test.

*****

I’ll add up everyone’s scores a day or so after each Ashes Test is completed.

You must have your selections in no later than 3 hours before the first ball is bowled in Brisbane on 23 November, a few hours before midnight next Wednesday/Thursday morning your time.

If a selected player gets injured or is dropped from the Test side, then you’ll have the opportunity to select a replacement player – before the next Test commences. This player doesn’t have to be the actual substitute player – it can be somebody already in the team.
However, you don’t receive any of their previous points – you must start accumulating points from scratch with them.

I'm tossing up with the idea that say by the 3rd Test, if someone wants to change a player, then they will have this window of opportunity also available to them.

Let me know if the scoring system is OK or needs to be tweaked or simplified then we can look at it.
I'll keep track on a spreadsheet... so starting thinking about your selections now and maybe start getting them in here by early-middle next week.

Good Luck!

Hi LD, can i change my Aussie bowler from Hazelwood to Cummins please.

Also for 3rd test:

England win
WK: Aus: 6, Eng 4

Thanks

No worries Jimbo. Hazelwood to Cummins it is.

Hmm.

Had forgotten who I'd picked , though I knew they weren't doing too well

Going to largely leave them as they were on the principle that form is temporary and class permanent...though I think I'll sub Handscomb out before the Aus selectors do and replace him with Warner who is sure to have a big one at some stage.

Got to stick with England to win despite all historical precedents and for the w/k I will say five each.

I may regret keeping Moeen but I reckon he is going to surprise us all sooner or later (maybe not with the ball !) and by now everyone else will have dumped him

Aus 3 Eng 5

Hi LD,

Kisses of death for the third Test as follows:

Australia to win.

6 keeper dismissals - 4 by Payne, 2 by Bairstow.

Assuming he plays, I'll stick with Moeen. If he doesn't, I'll call up Anderson.

Cheers.

Thanks alfie, Lowland and guildford.

I forgot to add above - Aus 6 Eng 4 wicket keeper catches, Australia to win.

aus 5 england 3

aus to win

swap ali for anderson

ok compelling

I've picked Australia to win 3-0 overall so think I need to go for draws at the WACA and MCG (on the assumption that it will spin at the SCG).

Draw.

7 wicketkeeper dismissals - 4 by Paine, 3 by Bairstow.

I'll go draw, 9 dismissals. England 4, Australia 5

Australia win. 4 for Payne, 3 for Bairstow.

Usman is going big this Test. Keeping the faith.

Aus win.

Aus 5 - 4 Eng

Yes, I hope he does well for you, JD. Maybe I discarded him prematurely.

A quick table update after Day 1, 3rd Test:

2313 superflyweight
2259 Caledonian Craig
2248 Dolphin Ziggler
2175 guildfordbat
2168 Duty
2150 MfC
2124 Marky
2100 compelling and rich
2080 Gooseberry
2042 Lowlandbrit
2032 Olly
2025 alfie
2009 Loaded Dog
1998 JD
1996 wisden
1950 Fernando
1913 James
1913 Lions
1877 jimbo
1876 Azzy

I still don't have total w/k catches & 3rd test winner from Gooseberry, wisden, Lions, Azzy, MfC, Marky, Fernando and Olly.


Top 5 point scorers from Day 1:

205 James... well done!  
191 LionsV2
190 Fernando
171 Olly
155 Dolph, Dog, alfie, MfC, Lowland, compelling

surprised i didnt do slightly better, presume most of the top players have malan? ive got bairstow, starc and hazelwood getting me points from yesterday

Yes, James has both Malan and Bairstow. Stoneman also helped a few move along early yesterday.

Sorry dog - my pick for a 2-2 series means I will have to go with draw here and catches
Bairstow - 2
Paine - 7

OK Olly... thanks for that.

Pile on those points for me today, LD. Smith's runs and ... top wicket taker with Moeen!

Hi guildford... another long hot day here.  

Standings after Day 3:

2801 superflyweight
2797 Caledonian Craig
2761 Dolphin Ziggler
2680 Mad for Chelsea
2656 Duty281
2628 guildfordbat
2617 compelling and rich
2612 Marky
2612 Lowlandbrit
2554 The Loaded Dog
2550 alfie
2524 Gooseberry
2456 James100
2452 Fernando
2370 Azzy Mahmood
2366 jimbohammers
2299 wisden
2254 Good Golly I'm Olly
2203 JDizzle
2155 LionsV2

A shame nobody had Mitchell Marsh in their selection... most of us collected lots of batting points and bonus points with Smith though.

well one bright note in this awful series is i should be doing alright in this. anderson and hazelwood today hopefully see me moving up a bit more

I have discovered a slight error in my spreadsheet which has affected the overall standings at the close of play, Day 4.
Sorry super... I had you down for 3 England bowlers for the 1st innings. You are still right up there within biting distance of Craig and the Dolphin.

2985 Caledonian Craig
2966 Dolphin Ziggler
2935 superflyweight
2885 Mad for Chelsea
2846 compelling and rich
2819 Duty281
2816 Marky
2816 Lowlandbrit
2779 alfie
2767 guildfordbat
2703 The Loaded Dog
2677 James100
2670 Fernando
2607 Gooseberry
2599 Azzy Mahmood
2557 jimbohammers
2452 wisden
2341 Good Golly I'm Olly
2338 LionsV2
2265 JDizzle

Standings after 3rd Test Perth:

3174 Dolphin Ziggler
3113 Caledonian Craig
3107 compelling and rich
3101 superflyweight
3032 Duty 281
3027 Lowlandbrit
2991 alfie
2975 Loaded Dog
2958 guildfordbat
2951 James100
2937 Mad for Chelsea
2884 Marky
2829 Fernando
2732 Azzy Mahmood
2709 jimbohammers
2660 Gooseberry
2515 wisden
2489 Good Golly I'm Olly
2471 LionsV2
2413 JDizzle

Cheers for the results LD.

Glad i swapped Hazelwood for Cummins....

No worries jimbo.
Swapping Vince for YJB helped me a little, ditching Khawaja for Smith too. (I'm kicking myself in a virtual sense for not doing it earlier)

Some severe ups and downs over the last couple of days. James nailed it with both Malan & Bairstow and those of us who had The Bendemeer Bullet collected a decent bonus for his 5-fer.

Points for wicket keeper catches:

100 compelling & rich, Lowlandbrit
95 James, superfly, Duty, Dolphin, JDizzle and Olly
90 guildford, TLD, jimbo, alfie
85 Caledonian Craig

decent test for me (in this at least) already had hazelwood, bairstow, starc and smith. the swap of ali for anderson also worked

only made one change for England. if needs be can i still do one for Australia or was it just between 2 and 3rd test?

Here's the 3rd Test points scored:

957 James
945 Dolphin
916 Lowland
913 compelling
863 Duty
861 alfie
853 Craig
851 TLD
847 superfly
817 MfC
806 Guildford
803 Fernando
761 jimbo
723 Marky
672 Azzy
530 wisden
526 Goose
518 Olly
514 Lions
421 JD

compelling and rich wrote:decent test for me (in this at least) already had hazelwood, bairstow, starc and smith. the swap of ali for anderson also worked

only made one change for England. if needs be can i still do one for Australia or was it just between 2 and 3rd test?

I'm fine using the one you didn't use before the 3rd, c&r... see what the others think. The teacher of the marine mammal variety (our current leader) may be OK with it... or not. Depends how we define the rules, yes?

On a similar note: maybe if there are going to be drastic team changes before Melbourne and certain players are rested or dropped - then we all get the chance to tweak our picks. Do the same before Sydney too... yeah?

Prefer it if we all had an even chance to make it more interesting. Let us know what you all think.

Average Total Score: 2853
Average score for 3rd Test: 755

cheers LD, my aussie picks have been fairly decent. although i am tempted to ditch warner for s.marsh

should definitely have the chance to replace your player if he's dropped/injured

I'm also tempted to drop Warner for a Marsh, compelling... but then he'll probably come to town and score runs.

Starc has been ruled out - so I'll pick Cummins in his stead.

Have to wait and see what England do.

I will replace the injured Starc with Hazlewood.

As I originally forecast an England win I have to stick with that here though think Audtralia will win.

Wicket-kreper dismissals:-

Bairstow 6 Paine 5

So we get subs ? Better scratch Starc then and replace with Cummins.

We still doing the w/ k thing and result ? So I can keep hoping for an England win even though the series is gone ; and nominate five catches each for YJB and whoever has the gloves for Aus...

I’ll swap Starc with Hazelwood.

I have to go for the draw.

Wicketkeeper dismissals

Paine 4
Bairstow 4

LD - how does the prediction game work? I predicted 3-1 Australia and have so far guessed two Aussie wins and a draw. Does that mean I have one win for each side left in my bank (having used my other guesses) or a draw and an England win (because we've already had the three Australia wins)?

Swap Starc for Hazlewood, please.

WK: Australia 6, England 3.

And another Australian win.

Starc for Hazelwood for I, too.

6 Aus, 5 Eng.

Really tempted to go for an England win. Will put it in as England for now and reassess tomorrow evening

Time to gamble.

My bowler to replace Starc is Mitch Marsh.

My usual bowlers are Moeen and Broad. I'll assume they'll play and stick with them. If they don't my replacements in order are Curran, Anderson and Crane - having named 5 to cover 2 spots, I'll give up now if that doesn't cover enough eventualities!

5 keeper dismissals - 3 to Bairstow, 2 to Paine.

I go for the draw.

Cummins for Starc, stick with the draw, Aus 4 Eng 4.

Swap Starc for Hazlewood please!

Eng 5-4 Aus Catches

Eng to win (Would make it 2-2 in my series!)

I'll go for an England win. Paine 6 dismissals, Bairstow 4

Thanks everyone. All changes noted.  

I hope you've all had a great Christmas with your families.

I'll take a risk and swap Warner for M Marsh. Cummins for Starc as per my previous post above.

I'm saving the draw for Sydney... so Aus to win at the G.
Keeper dismissals: Paine 6 Bairstow 3

I still haven't received 4th Test picks from:

Gooseberry
Wisden
Lions
Azzy
MfC
Marky
Fernando

compelling... so have you made your decision re: Warner or S Marsh?

Need to know before play starts. Not just after Warner's stumps go flying!

Draw

Paine - 8
Bairstow - 5

Sorry im late LD,

Can i swap Starc for Hazelwood please.

Also match to be a draw (if allowed)

Aussies: 5
England: 3


Cheers!

cheers guys.

Sorry LD, stick as it is. Aus to win

Paine 6
Bairstow 4

OK, thanks mate.

forgot about starc not playing, can i swap him for lyon

OK