Cricket: KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 2009/10

[kevshat]

Australia's domestic twenty20 competition begins in the morning at 8.45am UK time (Monday). Was meant to start this thread earlier but I got my days mixed up :$. 1st game could be a washout though so hopefully no harm done. For UK based PL'ers this tournament is covered in full on Bet365's video service and I believe Betfair's too. Here's the schedule:

Mon Dec 28 18:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Queensland v Victoria Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	22 - 27° C Forecast Thunderstorms Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Tue Dec 29 17:15 local | 09:15 GMT 09:15 GMT	Western Australia v South Australia Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	16 - 29° C Forecast Cloudy Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Wed Dec 30 19:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Tasmania v New South Wales Bellerive Oval, Hobart	10 - 25° C Forecast Partly Cloudy Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Fri Jan 1 19:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Tasmania v Western Australia Bellerive Oval, Hobart	12 - 20° C Forecast Partly Cloudy Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Sat Jan 2 19:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Victoria v New South Wales Melbourne Cricket Ground	16 - 29° C Forecast Partly Cloudy Click here for 10-day-Forecast
Sun Jan 3 18:45 local | 08:15 GMT 08:15 GMT	South Australia v Queensland Adelaide Oval	N/A
Tue Jan 5 17:15 local | 09:15 GMT 09:15 GMT	Western Australia v New South Wales Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Thu Jan 7 18:45 local | 08:15 GMT 08:15 GMT	South Australia v Victoria Adelaide Oval	N/A
Fri Jan 8 18:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Queensland v Tasmania Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	N/A
Sun Jan 10 17:15 local | 09:15 GMT 09:15 GMT	Western Australia v Victoria Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth	N/A
Tue Jan 12 18:45 local | 08:15 GMT 08:15 GMT	South Australia v Tasmania Adelaide Oval	N/A
Wed Jan 13 19:15 local | 08:15 GMT 08:15 GMT	New South Wales v Queensland Stadium Australia, Sydney	N/A
Fri Jan 15 19:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Victoria v Tasmania Melbourne Cricket Ground	N/A
Sat Jan 16 18:45 local | 08:45 GMT 08:45 GMT	Queensland v Western Australia Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane	N/A
Sun Jan 17 19:15 local | 08:15 GMT 08:15 GMT	New South Wales v South Australia Stadium Australia, Sydney	N/A
Tue Jan 19	Preliminary Final - TBC v TBC Venue TBC	N/A
Sat Jan 23	Final - TBC v TBC Venue TBC	N/A

For those who don't know the format, every side plays each other once with 2pts for a win and 0 for a loss and the side finishing top of the 6 team table at the end of the round robin stage goes straight through to the final with the 2nd placed side playing the 3rd placed side in the preliminary final with the winners playing the 1st placed side in the Grand Final. The two Grand Finalists both go to the Champions League.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: KFC Twenty20 Big Bash Just one outright for me. 3pts Victoria Bushrangers to win KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 3/1 Bet365 I really like the make up of this Bushranger side. We saw in the Twenty20 Champions League that they are a good side. New South Wales won that competition but they have been decimated with injuries and Aussie call ups going into this competition. They'll be without Brett Lee with injury along with Simon Katich, Nathan Hauritz and Dougie Bollinger who are all with Australia for most of the competition. Young Steven Smith has been going with the Aussie squad as has Phil Hughes so the Blues will have to rely on their reserves a fair bit. In fact the team I think can be the biggest dangers to the Bushrangers are South Australia. They were 4th last year but any side with Kieron Pollard, Mark Cosgrove and Shahid Afridi in their ranks will be a real danger. They just lack something in their bowling attack for me with Shaun Tait looking like he may have to carry the attack. So for me it's Victoria, led by Cameron White. David Hussey and Brad Hodge are fine exponents of twenty20 batsmanship and Ross Taylor who has signed along with Dwayne Bravo as overseas players can whack the ball a long way which will be helpful playing their home games at the MCG. They have an excellent bowling attack with the likes of Dirk Nannes and Clint McKay in the attack as well as Bravo. I really like this side who until last season had won every renewal of this event. They'll want their title back and I'll take the 3/1 on offer that they get it back. I'll get involved with the match betting as we go along but with rain a strong possibility in Brisbane for the opener I shan't bother with the opening game of the tournament, but obviously any play there is, I'll be cheering a Victoria win :ok.