Warwickshire CCC unofficial fans forum
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Interesting points re strike rate.
I guess that if a side often bats second and has a strong bowling attack (like the Bears), the batters are more able to pace themselves towards a lowish target. I wouldn't fault Sam Hain's judgment in steadily steering the Bears to their target in the last two games.

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Always good to have a player like Hain to play the anchor role. If you know there’s a player like him at the other end it gives you licence to play a few more expansive shots. When it becomes a problem is if both players are playing cautiously.
Yesterday we were only 2 down at the half way stage, we needed someone to go big even if it meant losing a few more wickets. We could have really helped our NRR which could decide who makes the QF’s or not.
Of course it’s easy to say when you’re watching!

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Would a "theroretical" player who hits a 6 and gets out every time, giving a strike rate of 300 be considered more valuble than someone who keeps the score moving by getting singles every ball and allowing the big hitters to have most of the strike, so a strike rate of around 100?

How much allowance should be given to a number 3 or 4 batsman, who is having to help the side recover from a bad start most of the time?

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Are you (hypothetically) talking about Tim Groenewald?

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Honestly, no specific players in mind, just in general terms.

I definatly don't want to be accused of singling out any individuals, just trying to promote a sensible discussion about what members here feel is an acceptable performance level.

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I have heard it said that you can add the two together (average & strike rate) to come up with a middle sort of ground answer. Not sure how useful that is though personally.

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There's the Eoin Morgan school of thought that says that the number of balls in a T20 is so few that you just swing at everything and keep swinging even if wickets fall. (Even more so in the Hundread.) He may have a point. The game is so short that it becomes hard to encapsulate performances in statistics that are separated from context.

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In this format neither strike rate nor batting average on their own or even combined are really important. I believe what is important is the actual contribution the player makes in individual games.
That could be slow steady scoring to reach a target on a bowler's paradise or someone coming in late on with the team needing 15 of the last over scoring a couple of 6s to see them over the line.
A player mentioned earlier who was a great example - Trevor Penney - always seemed capable of batting according to what was required on the day..

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Yes, TP, & Johnty Rhodes, were both non bowlers who batted at 6, and had the specialised role of "finisher" to get their side to a good total or victory when batting second.

If a top order batsman regularly gets out early, meaning the number 3 and 4 are coming into bat in the first few overs, is that opener actually making a useful contribution to the side?

How many failures do you accept from a player capable of a match winning innings, is one good performance in 10 acceptable? 1 in 5?

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My thoughts, for what they are worth, is that strike rate and average are both important however the vital aspect is the context with which they are in. Sam Hain may well have a lesser strike rate than others but he is needed to bat through due to higher strike rate batsmen not being able to stick around. The 'finisher' role will probably contain a player with a low average however the high strike rate is important to get the score over the line.

Adaptability is surely the key, playing what is front of you. A balanced side should contain players who can hit big boundaries as well as knock singles around. That has been my biggest frustration this year, we just don't seem balanced plus players blatantly out of form still being picked.

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As has been said before I think we’re just one big hitter away from a balanced side. Probably got one of the best bowling line-ups (I preferred the bowling attack from Sundays game) and our catching and ground fielding have been superb up to now.

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Yeah we've been terrific in the field.