Newcastle Crusade versus NZ Bushwackers

Newcastle Crusade
A.Strauss b M.Sami 19 (23)
D.Lehmann c B.Dippenaar b J.Gillespie 46 (61)
L.Klusener c B.Dippenaar b M.Sami 17 (21)
R.Arnold not out 125 (118)
M.Samuels lbw b I.Pathan 9 (23)
S.Fleming c R.Kaluwitharana b D.Vettori 37 (40)
V.Laxman not out 12 (14)
Extras ( nb1 b3 lb7 ) 11
Total (from 50 overs) 276 - 5
Fall of wickets: 1-28 2-62 3-104 4-146 5-247
Bowling Figures for NZ Bushwackers
O M R W
I.Pathan 10 2 61 1
J.Gillespie 10 2 32 1
M.Sami 10 0 57 2
D.Vettori 10 0 52 1
S.Tendulkar 10 1 64 0

NZ Bushwackers
C.Gayle lbw b S.Harmison 13 (12)
S.Tendulkar c K.Otieno b M.Kasprowicz 4 (10)
R.Ponting c K.Otieno b M.Samuels 17 (33)
M.Clarke lbw b N.Boje 79 (102)
B.Dippenaar lbw b M.Kasprowicz 42 (48)
R.Kaluwitharana c K.Otieno b M.Kasprowicz 0 (2)
M.Vermeulen c D.Lehmann b S.Harmison 15 (21)
D.Vettori stK.Otieno b N.Boje 22 (21)
M.Sami not out 12 (33)
I.Pathan c M.Kasprowicz b S.Harmison 18 (15)
J.Gillespie not out 0 (3)
Extras ( w4 nb1 lb4 ) 9
Total (from 50 overs) 231 - 9
Fall of wickets: 1-17 2-17 3-59 4-145 5-145 6-178 7-186 8-204 9-231
Bowling Figures for Newcastle Crusade
O M R W
M.Kasprowicz 10 0 52 3
S.Harmison 10 2 46 3
L.Klusener 10 2 54 0
M.Samuels 10 3 33 1
N.Boje 10 2 42 2
Newcastle Crusade won by 45 runs
POM Points
3 R.Arnold
2 M.Kasprowicz
1 M.Clarke

Newcastle Crusade have pulled off a great win over the NZ Buchwackers to claim the first ASCL cup.
The Crusade with a strong side have enjoyed a good finals series, after anrrowly scraping into the finals to start with. They only lost 1 game in the finals,
and had the best NRR.
With a packed home crowd, Stephen Fleming won the toss, and had no hesitation in going in to bat with a solid batting lineup. Shane Bond was still out of
the attack for the Bushwackers, so Pathan and Gillespie were set to open the bowling, Sami first change. Lehmann and Steauss once again were given the job
of opening, and they pushed the score along to 28 before Strauss fell to Sami in his first over, bowled after chopping the ball back onto the stumps.
"Zulu" Klusener was next in, and was due for a big score, but only managed 17 to take the score to 62 before he also fell to Sami, who was to return the
best bowling figures for the Bushwackers. Lehmann once again looked as if he was going to hold the innings together for the Crusade, and he was playing well
until on 46 he to Gillespie, who bowled well all day. Arnold, who had fail to fire during the whole season, was under pressure from the outset in his innings,
with Gillespie not giving away any runs, and Sami threatining from the other end, he played cautiously early getting his eye in. Samuels was not in the
greatest touch at the other end, only contributing 9 to the total, with Arnold plugging away at the other end. Fleming and Arnold then combined and set up
the total for the Bushwackers to chase, their partnership worth 101, with Fleming becoming Vettori's only wicket of the innings. Arnold and Laxman remained
not out, Arnold on 125 from 118, and Laxman 12 from 14 to take the score along 5 for 276. Best of the Bushwackers bowlers was Sami with 2 for 57 followed
by Gillespie who was unlucky with 1 for 32 from 10.
With a batting lineup of the Bushwackers class, 277 was not out of the question at any stage. The start to the innings was not good, with the score 2-17 and
the 3-59 with Gayle, Tendulkar and Ponting back in the pavillion, with the top score from theose 3 batsmen going to Ponting with 17. Clarke began a rescue
mission for his side along with Dippenaar, and they added 86 together to take the total to 4-145, and just as the Bushwackers looked as if they may fight
back, Kaluwitharana went for a duck, and left Vermulen the only batsman left to bat with Clarke. Clarke fought well to make 79, but other batsman were guilty
of not making enough runs with only 3 players making over 20, but they also managed to bat out their overs allocated. Sami couldn't provide his rescue mission
again, as he has dont twice this season with the bat, but remained not out 12 with Gillespie 0 not out at the other end. Kasprowicz provided yet another
classic bowing display, taking 3 batsmans wickets, with Harmison also taking 3 wickets for less runs. Samuels and Boje dried up the runs together, both
doing their job to restrict runs from one end while wickets fell at the other.
Player of the match went to Arnold with a great unbeaten 125, 2 points went to Kaspriwicz for his 3 wickets, and one went to Clarke for his 79 in a losing
side.
After taking out the end of season title, the Bushwachers came into the finals series clear favourites to take out the title, but they were undone in the end
mabey due to injury to their stars at vital stages, and they certainly missed Bond in the finals.

Haha! Whoot! This is great. It's good to win something I don't run! Hehe.

Loving it, Schmo.

Bring on next season.

Why did the finals take a year to complete? A top four would've been easier (and I would've been in it B) )

Don't delude yourself. It wouldn't have mattered. At the end of the day, my supercoach legacy has been confirmed. Five premierships in the ASRL (three Gold Coast, one Capetown, and one Central) and now one in the ASCL.

Bring on a basketball, baseball, soccer, and netball league!

u have nothing in basket ball. im the champ

I do believe it is I who is the champ! Muhahahaha

I bush-wacked the bushwackers

upsets do happen, but not in the basketball where i am the champ not just here but also in leagueunlimited

First round was played out in November, hardly a year.
Just wondering how a top 4 would work.
Top 3 was stated early in the season.