Brits Abroad: Week 5

Merry Christmas everyone, Brits Abroad returns late on Boxing Day. Most of the Brits this week have been playing in the Big Bash League, and with the usual Zimbabwean cricket to report on, grade cricket in Australia and Bilal Shafayat in Pakistan round this off.


We'll start with the Big Bash, a tournament with five Brits in it, all of whom have played international cricket. Jade Dernbach and everyone's favourite all-round non entity Luke Wright are playing for the Melbourne Stars, and neither are doing very well, Wright picking up 0 and 0-42 and Dernbach 1-44 against the Brisbane Heat. Still, the Stars managed a win despite them, with the help of economical spells from Warne and McKay

Neither Owais Shah or Michael Lumb are doing much better though, managing 11 runs between them as Lumb's Sydney Sixers beat Shah's Hobart Hurricanes (how I hate these team names). Still at least there's Paul Collingwood to pick up the baton... bowling one over for thirteen for the Perth Scorchers. Oh.

The Brits are not faring much better in Zimbabwe, in three matches I missed the last time out. Firstly the Mashonaland Eagles beat Southern Rocks by an innings and 89 runs, with Rory Hamilton-Brown making a duck in his only innings. Still, he ended up on the winning side which is more than can be said than for any of the Brits in a rain affected draw between Tuskers and Mountaineers. Paul Horton made a round 50 opening for Tuskers in the first innings and 21 in the second, but he was the only Brit playing for Tuskers, with Adam Wheater either having been dropped or gone home, I'll try to find out which for next time. On the opposite side, Ned Eckersley had the gloves for Mountaineers and he did well with them, taking six catches in the match, to add to a first innings 21.

Phil Mustard was back opening for Mountaineers in the next match, only making 2 in a one day match against Tuskers, Ned Eckersley didn't bat and picked up two catches, including that of Paul Horton for six.

So far, so bad. Now into grade cricket, where today Monty Panesar returned figures of 10-0-37-0 in the first innings against Western Suburbs for Randwick Petersham. That's it though, no other player has played since the 17th.

Sorry about the quality of this entry, I can only work with what I can find. Slim pickings this week. Cheerio!