2014/2015 Barclay Shield

Top Contributors
Definitely anyone's flag....
PLENTY - questions marks over the fitness of Rossbrook and Green. Pop gun attack without those two
ROSANNA - hard draw to make top two and get home final
CREEK - lost some players at the start of the year finding hard to replace week in week out but have the cattle
LOWER ELTHAM - consistently inconsistent
BUNDOORA UNITED - dark horse to sneak in with a soft draw post xmas. Can Curtin keep his pre xmas form going?
RIVERSIDE - have taken some steps forward this year but not quite ready to play with the big boys? rely on too few still
MACLEOD - like Riverside rely on too few
 
Bundoora and Research can be thankful for NEW this year. No pressure on them to avoid relegation. NEW are so bad, they'll need to recruit to stay up in Money next year. Its been a while since a side has been this uncompetitive in the top grade, they've lost 3 of their 5 two dayers outright! 2nd XI also languishing, but have the excuse of being the only 2nd XI in Money and nothing to play for, with their 1s already consigning them to relegation.
 
shortnwide said:
Bundoora and Research can be thankful for NEW this year. No pressure on them to avoid relegation. NEW are so bad, they'll need to recruit to stay up in Money next year. Its been a while since a side has been this uncompetitive in the top grade, they've lost 3 of their 5 two dayers outright! 2nd XI also languishing, but have the excuse of being the only 2nd XI in Money and nothing to play for, with their 1s already consigning them to relegation.
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Riverside will be praying the rain stops to get two days at them........................

Couple of big games this week:

Creek vs BU
Lower Eltham vs Plenty
Macleaod vs Rosanna
 
second_slip said:
Definitely anyone's flag....
PLENTY - questions marks over the fitness of Rossbrook and Green. Pop gun attack without those two
ROSANNA - hard draw to make top two and get home final
CREEK - lost some players at the start of the year finding hard to replace week in week out but have the cattle
LOWER ELTHAM - consistently inconsistent
BUNDOORA UNITED - dark horse to sneak in with a soft draw post xmas. Can Curtin keep his pre xmas form going?
RIVERSIDE - have taken some steps forward this year but not quite ready to play with the big boys? rely on too few still
MACLEOD - like Riverside rely on too few
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Hmm i know im a little bias but we rolled diamond creek for under 100 just before Christmas without both Rozzie and Greeny... 4 premiership bowlers still in the lineup Hubs, Chris Villani, Andy Villani and Daniel Cocking. Probably has been the strength of our side this season our bowling depth considering our two strike bowlers have missed a a combined 6 matches so far this year.

My dark horse is Bundoora United. Probably the most even and balanced batting line up in the comp and same with their bowling. Very similar too some of previous season premiers in Diamond Creek and Lower Eltham over the last few years. Will they be able to step up a gear in finals? They did last season in Money shield see no reason why they cant. Great to see my great mate lead from the front and really instill the same leadership that transformed our club 10 years ago (all be it probably not as aggressively)
 
5 of the 6 sides batting first fail to get to 110. And smartly in my opinion, Bun Utd and Plenty both sent the opposition in. I say smartly because I've always had a theory that the first game back after the break the batting can be vulnerable with batsman taking time to switch on to the task. More a mindset thing I think, but bowling first up not a bad option after the break. Having said that, in our chase of OPSF score of 82, Shannon Malones first 5 balls were 4,6,6,6,6. Shannon being the exception to most rules.
 
PremiersAgain said:
Hmm i know im a little bias but we rolled diamond creek for under 100 just before Christmas without both Rozzie and Greeny... 4 premiership bowlers still in the lineup Hubs, Chris Villani, Andy Villani and Daniel Cocking. Probably has been the strength of our side this season our bowling depth considering our two strike bowlers have missed a a combined 6 matches so far this year.

My dark horse is Bundoora United. Probably the most even and balanced batting line up in the comp and same with their bowling. Very similar too some of previous season premiers in Diamond Creek and Lower Eltham over the last few years. Will they be able to step up a gear in finals? They did last season in Money shield see no reason why they cant. Great to see my great mate lead from the front and really instill the same leadership that transformed our club 10 years ago (all be it probably not as aggressively)
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Very fair and valid point you raise re: Diamo game. By the term 'pop gun' i simply meant that those four blokes you named, while capable, haven't got the pace of other two. You would be much more confident going into the finals with Green and Rossbrook fit and firing. You clearly have depth in the bowling, but the ability to strike diminishes without them. Diamo game the exception. If Plenty get them both up and running in time they are as good a shot an anyone.

On BU simply making the finals would be a pass mark for them. Not sure if they can win it, again their bowling doesn't have any real grunt or fire power that could be needed to upset the better batting sides in big games.
 
second_slip said:
Very fair and valid point you raise re: Diamo game. By the term 'pop gun' i simply meant that those four blokes you named, while capable, haven't got the pace of other two. You would be much more confident going into the finals with Green and Rossbrook fit and firing. You clearly have depth in the bowling, but the ability to strike diminishes without them. Diamo game the exception. If Plenty get them both up and running in time they are as good a shot an anyone.

On BU simply making the finals would be a pass mark for them. Not sure if they can win it, again their bowling doesn't have any real grunt or fire power that could be needed to upset the better batting sides in big games.
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What sides do have grunt or fire power at the moment with their bowling? Also I don't really know who has a better talent pool of bats then BU with prob 3 blokes in Gunny, Rossy and Nick all capable of making Barclay Shield hundreds and then more than capable bats around them in Miller, Razzaq and Corey. I know on paper means nothing but if you look at that line up on paper they have great talent with the stick.
 
PremiersAgain said:
What sides do have grunt or fire power at the moment with their bowling? Also I don't really know who has a better talent pool of bats then BU with prob 3 blokes in Gunny, Rossy and Nick all capable of making Barclay Shield hundreds and then more than capable bats around them in Miller, Razzaq and Corey. I know on paper means nothing but if you look at that line up on paper they have great talent with the stick.
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I get the feeling you are trying to pump up BU and deflect a bit from Plenty, who in my book have more consistent run scorers and proven big game players. S. Villani, Mitch Johnson, A. Villani, Green and contributors all the way down the order. Even Chris Villani and Rossbrook have made big scores when needed. If you can get Rossbrook and Green fit and firing with the ball then you have to be flag favourites. Based soley on strike power with the ball. BU are building towards something but need to recruit some more bowling if they are going to really challenge for a flag. Curtin has made the two hundreds (one in a T20 against the blind school) and Ross has a highest score of 60. Both Mitch Johnson and Steve Villani have posted three figures this season.
 
second_slip said:
I get the feeling you are trying to pump up BU and deflect a bit from Plenty, who in my book have more consistent run scorers and proven big game players. S. Villani, Mitch Johnson, A. Villani, Green and contributors all the way down the order. Even Chris Villani and Rossbrook have made big scores when needed. If you can get Rossbrook and Green fit and firing with the ball then you have to be flag favourites. Based soley on strike power with the ball. BU are building towards something but need to recruit some more bowling if they are going to really challenge for a flag. Curtin has made the two hundreds (one in a T20 against the blind school) and Ross has a highest score of 60. Both Mitch Johnson and Steve Villani have posted three figures this season.
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Not deflecting, I think the will be a red hot chance of making a push for the final. I obviously believe we have one of our best sides on paper ever bowling wise and the batting definitely has some strength as well. Probably the most pleasing aspect is that there is a very young core group in our 1's moving forward. Johnson, Cocking, Dayne Smith, Louis Smith are 21, jimmy Norman 20 and James Spinks only 19.
 
PremiersAgain said:
Not deflecting, I think the will be a red hot chance of making a push for the final. I obviously believe we have one of our best sides on paper ever bowling wise and the batting definitely has some strength as well. Probably the most pleasing aspect is that there is a very young core group in our 1's moving forward. Johnson, Cocking, Dayne Smith, Louis Smith are 21, jimmy Norman 20 and James Spinks only 19.
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You went out on a limb there - you're sitting top of the table. ;) With their line up, I can see Plenty giving the flag a big shot this year. But I would be very cautious with writing Rosanna off (Or not including them in discussions I should say). They're flying under the radar a bit at the moment. Bundoora United can beat any side on their day, but will they have one of those days in the finals? Diamo know what it takes to win BS finals, and therefore if they scrape in, they're going to be very dangerous. Macleod have a very tough run home, and this will see if they warrant finals or not.

Looking at the draws for Bundoora United, Diamond Creek and Macleod, Its a pretty tough final 4 to predict. It could come down to the last game of the year - Bun United v Macleod. But based on their tough run, and the other two each have an "easy" game. I will say the final 4 won't change.
 
Tongs said:
You went out on a limb there - you're sitting top of the table. ;) With their line up, I can see Plenty giving the flag a big shot this year. But I would be very cautious with writing Rosanna off (Or not including them in discussions I should say). They're flying under the radar a bit at the moment. Bundoora United can beat any side on their day, but will they have one of those days in the finals? Diamo know what it takes to win BS finals, and therefore if they scrape in, they're going to be very dangerous. Macleod have a very tough run home, and this will see if they warrant finals or not.

Looking at the draws for Bundoora United, Diamond Creek and Macleod, Its a pretty tough final 4 to predict. It could come down to the last game of the year - Bun United v Macleod. But based on their tough run, and the other two each have an "easy" game. I will say the final 4 won't change.
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I honestly dont know enough about Rosanna. Watched them bowl to us in a 1 day game looked fairly experienced on the ground but at the same time we touched them up. But definitely their record suggests the will be around come March
 
second_slip said:
Definitely anyone's flag....
PLENTY - questions marks over the fitness of Rossbrook and Green. Pop gun attack without those two
ROSANNA - hard draw to make top two and get home final
CREEK - lost some players at the start of the year finding hard to replace week in week out but have the cattle
LOWER ELTHAM - consistently inconsistent
BUNDOORA UNITED - dark horse to sneak in with a soft draw post xmas. Can Curtin keep his pre xmas form going?
RIVERSIDE - have taken some steps forward this year but not quite ready to play with the big boys? rely on too few still
MACLEOD - like Riverside rely on too few
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Don't think Lower Eltham can make it now even if they win all the remaining games would put them on 36 points.
Given that Diamond Creek play Rosanna, and Riverside play Rosanna as well, Lower Eltham will fall short.
Plenty are in simple as that. Still a 5 horse race for the other 3 spots
 
Not sure what's happened with Lower Eltham this year. The wheels have completely fallen off. They've obviously had a couple of changes to their side, but most would've still had them near about's the top couple again. They can't seem to bat this year, averaging 146 in the first dig (1 score over 190 for the season) and have been rolled twice for under 90.

May just be an off season after the Grand Final win. They missed the finals the year after their last Grand Final win. But they're too talented to be rolled for scores like that.
 
gnippe said:
Wanderers beaten outright again. This must be the worst result of a barlcay team ever.
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Would be worst in 10-15 years for sure and on current playing personel, will find it a battle to compete in Money Sield as well. Life will only get tougher with the restructure of comp and clubs positioning themselves to make sure they are as competitive as possible. Some clubs are well and truly on the way when it comes to next seasons lists.
 
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