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!

Low points scoring for most of us yesterday - just 39 added by Smith.

guildfordbat roaring up the chart. Well done Sir!

The Loaded Dog wrote:Low points scoring for most of us yesterday - just 39 added by Smith.

guildfordbat roaring up the chart. Well done Sir!

LD - thanks although I do think that Moeen's wicket which gave me a few extra points was more a whimper than a roar!

guildfordbat wrote:

The Loaded Dog wrote:Low points scoring for most of us yesterday - just 39 added by Smith.

guildfordbat roaring up the chart. Well done Sir!

LD - thanks although I do think that Moeen's wicket which gave me a few extra points was more a whimper than a roar!

Also the Mitch. You'll no doubt be Marsh-ing along further today.

My God it's hot. Just saved a couple of bees from the pool... poor things. Put them in the shade under some clivea... at least one was moving still.

guildfordbat wrote:Hi LD - I''m going for an England win this time. Not so much confidence in our boys but I did go for us to win one before the series started!

9 keeper dismissals - 6 to Bairstow, 3 to Paine.

If Moeen plays, I'll keep him as one of my bowlers - well, no one else is going to choose him! If he's dropped, I'll have Woakes instead.

If Starc returns, I'll have him back as a bowler. If he doesn't, I'll stick with Mitch Marsh. Cheers.

LD - just to flag I shouldn't be getting any Mitch points. I went back to Starc, per my post on Wednesday. Cheers.

guildfordbat wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:Hi LD - I''m going for an England win this time. Not so much confidence in our boys but I did go for us to win one before the series started!

9 keeper dismissals - 6 to Bairstow, 3 to Paine.

If Moeen plays, I'll keep him as one of my bowlers - well, no one else is going to choose him! If he's dropped, I'll have Woakes instead.

If Starc returns, I'll have him back as a bowler. If he doesn't, I'll stick with Mitch Marsh. Cheers.

LD - just to flag I shouldn't be getting any Mitch points. I went back to Starc, per my post on Wednesday. Cheers.

Oops!
I have you down with Warner, Smith, MM and Starc. So it should be Cummins in lieu of Mitch, right?
I'll edit your formula to reflect this then. Apologies for raising any hopes.

Yep, sadly it should be Cummins and not Mitch.

Apologies fully accepted.

guildfordbat wrote:Yep, sadly it should be Cummins and not Mitch.

Apologies fully accepted.

Not so bad guildford... you only 'lose' 41 points. Gain 80 for Cummins; and lose 101 + 20 century bonus for MM.

Standings after Day 4, Sydney:

4713 Dolphin Ziggler
4663 guildfordbat
4661 superflyweight
4557 Caledonian Craig
4556 compelling and rich
4483 Lowlandbrit
4465 Duty281
4453 alfie
4364 Loaded Dog
4307 Mad for Chelsea
4299 Azzy Mahmood
4266 Gooseberry
4241 jimbohammers
4200 James100
4048 Fernando
4015 Marky
3759 Good Golly I'm Olly
3743 JDizzle
3443 wisden
3371 LionsV2

Average score: 4230
Total points scored: 84,607


Flipper, guidlfordbat and the greater Fly a class above. Giving us all a thorough lesson in fortune and patience. 

I can't believe how neck and neck it is for some so far into the series. Never would have predicted it to be this close!

First two are off and away...well done Dolphin and Superfly

That bronze medal looks tight though. Something still to be decided on the final day at least !

Guildford, I think I must have been affected by the heat yesterday. Just to confirm, after Melbourne (with Mitch) you finished on 3929.

Then adding your points for 1st innings:
Warner 56, Smith 83, Starc (2w+11) 51, Cummins (4w+24) 104 = 294
Stoneman 24, Root 83, Ali (2w+30) 70, Broad (1w+31) 51 = 228
Smith 2 catches = 50, Vince 1 @ 25, Ali c&b 30 = 105 bonus points
Total = 627 points

2nd innings: (at lunch Day 5)
Starc 20, Lyon 20, Root 58*, Ali 13 = 111
Smith 1 catch 25
Total = 136

So 3929 + 627 + 136
= 4692

At the close of play yesterday you were on 4663 (2nd place), not 4551 as posted above... my eyes must have been playing tricks with me! Apologies once again.

The Loaded Dog wrote:Guildford, I think I must have been affected by the heat yesterday. Just to confirm, after Melbourne (with Mitch) you finished on 3929.

Then adding your points for 1st innings:
Warner 56, Smith 83, Starc (2w+11) 51, Cummins (4w+24) 104 = 294
Stoneman 24, Root 83, Ali (2w+30) 70, Broad (1w+31) 51 = 228
Smith 2 catches = 50, Vince 1 @ 25, Ali c&b 30 = 105 bonus points
Total = 627 points

2nd innings: (at lunch Day 5)
Starc 20, Lyon 20, Root 58*, Ali 13 = 111
Smith 1 catch 25
Total = 136

So 3929 + 627 + 136
= 4692

At the close of play yesterday you were on 4663 (2nd place), not 4551 as posted above... my eyes must have been playing tricks with me! Apologies once again.

LD - I shouldn't have anything for Lyon. Starc and Cummins are my bowlers.

You had better make sure I don't win after all this, otherwise there are going to be calls for the match referee to investigate both of us!

I'd complain if I had the slightest understanding how the scoring works!

Guildford, sorry that was a typo - Cummins had the one wicket at lunch.

It does seem as though you finished with a bit of a surge... like a marathon runner entering the stadium right on the heels of the leader.

I'm going to go through everyone's points as well just to make sure. Pretty confident everything is fine but I'll have the final tally posted in the morning (10:30pm here now)

Also confirming:
Lowland - had Australia to win last Test. (from page 1)
James - you picked Aus, Aus, Draw, Eng up until Melbourne. You had Aus 3, Eng 1 overall, therefore your Sydney pick was your last Australia left.
Duty and JD were the only others to collect the 50 points for the Aus win.

Wicket keeper dismissals: (Aus 7, Eng 2... so 9 in total)

100 James, Guildford
95 Dolphin, alfie, JD, Craig, compelling
90 superfly, jimbo, Lowland
85 Duty, Loaded Dog

Points for the Sydney Test:

927 guildford
861 JDizzle
838 jimbo
819 alfie
788 MfC
764 Lowland
754 wisden
745 Dolphin
710 Craig
691 Dog
686 Fernando
681 compelling
657 Duty
641 Superfly
619 Goose
616 James
614 Olly
563 Azzy
424 Marky
407 Lions

average score: 690

Final Standings:

4856 guildfordbat
4850 Dolphin Ziggler
4814 superflyweight
4735 Caledonian Craig
4714 compelling and rich
4701 Lowlandbrit
4680 alfie
4661 Duty281
4512 The Loaded Dog
4433 jimbohammers
4419 Mad for Chelsea
4417 James100
4339 Azzy Mahmood
4317 Gooseberry
4088 Fernando
4060 Marky
3959 JDizzle
3790 Good Golly I'm Olly
3555 wisden
3416 LionsV2

Average Score: 4366
Total Points Scored: 87,316


I checked... then checked again.

Guildfordbat is our winner by 6 points. Congratulations! Well done.

I must admit I believed Dolphin was too far ahead and only Superfly could do anything about that.

This last test produced one last twist. Unbelievable!
Cummins' 8 wickets certainly helped your cause, Guildford but also those little extras like the Vince catch, the Ali caught & bowled, wicket keeping dismissals. You really got a piece of them all just about.

Thank you everyone for participating in this competition.

It was quite a big challenge I set myself. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew and started choking near the end.

I think the general concept works well. Points constantly ticking over. Suggested improvements for next time - maybe 25 points for a wicket (felt they were slightly under valued), only 25 for a run out (overvalued)... less bonus points perhaps... and more simplified points for wicket keeping dismissals?

Anyway, it was no problem plugging in the scores. I enjoyed watching the sudden fluctuations and the resulting change in the rankings.

I hope everyone enjoyed and any complaints are placed in the small wooden box marked "COMPLAINTS" outside Admin.

Thank you for all your efforts Loaded Dog and well done.

Thanks Craig. You did consistently well up near the top after getting out of mid table early on.

I got stuck there in the middle and just couldn't get out - aided by some poorly timed decisions changing players. It's a cruel game this cricket!

My.downfalls (I believe) was sticking with Woakes as one of my bowlers and Bairstow as batsman but I don't think Malan would have been my second pick in any case.

Many thanks, LD. I am truly humbled. Not only to win such a superb competition but against such superb fellow posters. Ok, enough of that rubbish - what's my prize and when do I get it?

Has the tv quiz programme Pointless reached Australia, LD? One of my remaining aims is to appear on that and get to the final with one of the Batgirls. When Zander then inevitably starts blabbing on that we haven't won the money but each of us gets a Pointless trophy, I intend to say - ''B*gg*r the second trophy, we'll share the one and have half the dosh!''

Anyway, thanks again. It was good fun and I was bl**dy lucky.

My downfall was forgetting about test 3 onwards

Congrats guildfordbat, and thanks for running everything Loaded Dog. These sort of things do have a habit of getting a bit more out of hand than you expect going in, but you seem to have got everything sorted out pretty smoothly.

Cheers Loaded Dog, great competition - kept the Ashes interesting when the cricket got a bit depressing!

FIx...

Sorry Dolph. It was so agonisinginly close for you. I couldn't believe my eyes but the numbers just came out like that... thanks to Cummins.

No I haven't seen Pointless, guildford. I'm sure you and one of the Batgirls would do well on that show.

Just to note however, that the 606v2 UPCC Trophy is made out of recycled cricket bats... ground down to sawdust and laminated back together in the shape of a trophy. It is quite large.   Some people have suggested it resembles Douglas Jardine's ears when viewed front on.

Cheers Goose (I tried to let you know!), Lowland and James. I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!

Was fun, I wish I’d kept some faith in Cummins! I chose Lyon when he dried up!

1st Place: guildfordbat - UPCC Gold Trophy and 30 virtual BushCoins

2nd Place: Dolphin Ziggler - A pair of Silver Sardines (embalmed in amber) and 20 BushCoins

3rd Place: Superflyweight - A pair of miniature Bronze boxing gloves (for the car) and 10 BushCoins

Hopefully the value of the BushCoin will continue to increase throughout 2018. They're only worth around £3.56 each at the moment.

Thanks for the hard work LD and congrats Guildford! Although I think triple/quadruple points for anyone picking Usman are in order...

The less said about my picks the better...cheers for running LD! Good concept, adds something else to viewing!

Thanks JD.
You did really well in the Sydney Test. Like me, you got off to an average start then struggled a bit.
Showed glimpses of true real form towards the end though!  

Yeah thanks Olly.
I was also begging you to get something in... you would have been well into the 4,000s... easy.
The top part would have bunched up even more. Glad you enjoyed it.

Congratulations guildford...and Dolphin and Superfly

And hats off to LD for running this innovative competition - the way you kept track of everyone's picks and managed to have the scores up so quickly was hugely impressive.

Can't believe I had Moeen

Thanks alfie. Once it was set up it was quite fun to run with it. I even had "follow on" and "target" scores which ticked down to 0 so it was like a proper scoreboard in a way.

I'm glad you enjoyed it - I was thinking of doing a watered down version for the ODIs but we're all pretty knackered after these 5 matches, aren't we? Also it's a tri-series which makes it a little more laborious to set up and run.

We could do one batsman, one bowler from each team, pick the winner or margin of win... but then again there could be more players coming in and out of the squads... maybe harder to manage it?

Cheers for running it LD - much appreciated.

Congrats to Guildford!

Great work on this LD. Thanks for organising and taking the time to update the scores so diligently.

Well done Guildford - Cummins turned out to be an inspired pick!

Yes well done guildford and thanks again Loaded Dog.

Thanks jimbo, superfly and Craig.