Twenty-20

[hazzac]

I am having trouble with playing twenty-20.

In my Australian save, Phil Hughes regularly scores 70, 80 not out but we always score 130.

When bowling first we concede runs much and find our selfs chasing 170 or so.

[Scritty]

T20 needs a different mind set and a little thought.

Generally "openers" are often not the best people to open with in T20.
V agressive middle order batsmen - who will score at over a run a ball but require aggression set two down from maximum to do so.
Normal openers - even on maximum aggression - often score too slowly.

"Gun" openers and specialist pinch hitting openers are the exception (Hughes being an obvious case in point)

The trick is not have and defensive batsmen in your top six (at all), therefore you will not need to put your aggression meter up so high to maintain a competative run rate. Allowing a batsman three or four balls on lower aggression often pays as well (perhaps 4 notches). You will see the "settled" meter seems to rise more quickly in T20 games than in other formats (maybe it's just me - but it seems to). Those three or four balls can make a big difference to a batters "survivability" once you pump up the aggression.

The first six overs are vital. Aim for 8+ an over in these, so having V aggressive batsmen is really important.

When fielding set your own fields. ALWAYS have a third man! This will save you a stack of runs

If a batsman prefers OUTSIDE off, the bowl AT off (never bowl at middle and leg unless you are looking to buy a wicket) If a batsman prefers leg - then bowl outside off. Set a 7-2 field to batters who favour leg.

Third man, short square leg, cover in on the one, cover boundary. mid (or long) off, point and either a slip or move the point to cover point and put in a backward point as well.

If a batter prefers front foot, bowl short and put your fielders at slip to gulley, and move your cover bounbdary field squarer.


Check the graph once a batter gets to 20 to see where he's scoring, it might be he clusters a lot of scoring shots in one or two areas (perhaps not areas that his brief bio suggests that he would) block those areas with a fielder and keep bowling the same.

If you tell your bowlers to bowl a different line andd length AND chenge the field, you will find more often than not that the batsman scores in different areas and you have to start again.

A change in line and length (or going around the wicket) will sometimes get you a suprise wicket.

Feeding a batsmans strengths - but blocking off all the shots he likes at the same time will get you wickets..but they are both risky strategies.

So a guy who likes backfoot offside..bowl short and wide at him but have slips, gulleys and two points and a square cover. He may not be able to help himself from hitting a ball straight to your (rather extreme) field.

Thee nice thing is, these are all things you would consider in real life..and they work in ICC.

It's a good match engine, but fast playing a T20 will end up with a lot of losses, the opposition react well in the field (though still stumble a bit with the bat in tight games with wickets in hand)

Scritty

Another tip is to watch the bowlers. Maximum aggresion if a weak bowler comes on, and down a notch (to say three below max) for the top bowlers