FANTASY
Follow UsWell, it is a tournament of surprises, isn’t it? While Netherlands almost choked on their run-chase against UAE, Namibia created spirals with a win over the Asian champions, Sri Lanka. Expecting something in this tournament is well beyond us now.
Jan Frylinck (44 and 2/26) and JJ Smit (31 and 1/16) starred in Namibia’s win while Netherlands needed heroic effort from Tim Pringle (15) and Scott Edwards (16) to take them home in a low-scoring thriller. Are these all the names that we need to know?
Ground Details and Team Combination
We are back at the Geelong, after a day’s break in the T20 World Cup. While one team won the game chasing, the other won it defending a total, making toss less favourable. Spinners did have a say in the two proceedings at the Geelong but pacers are still the way to go.
In fact, 21 out of the 29 wickets at the venue from the two games on day one was for pacers, who average just 16.3. Spinners, on the other hand, average 17.1 with eight wickets. Sri Lanka’s encounter was a high-scoring one while the second clash between UAE and Netherlands was anything but high-scoring.
So, on used conditions, expect yet another low-scoring thriller at the Geelong.
Suggested Teams
While you could go for the above team, you can also choose your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy Suggestions
For small leagues: Jan Frylinck (c), Bas de Leede (vc)
For grand leagues: JJ Smit (c), Max O’ Dowd (vc)
Stats that Matter
- 21 out of the 29 wickets at the venue from the two games on day one was for pacers, who average just 16.3.
- Jan Frylinck is the talk of the town, with his 28-ball 44 and 2/26 against Sri Lanka. Since the start of this year, Frylinck has a batting average of 28.67, and a strike-rate of 126.5. He’s also their joint second-highest wicket-taker this year, with nine wickets.
- Bas de Leede is Netherlands’ best batter, the numbers are outrageous. Since the start of the year, the right-hander has scored 303 runs, averaging a staggering 60.6, with three half-centuries. Oh wait, he is also their best bowler, with 13 wickets, averaging just 9.7.
- JJ Smit is one of the trump cards for Namibia, both with the bat and the ball. But his exploits with the bat has been noteworthy, with 115 runs, averaging a high 57.5 with a more than healthy strike-rate of 185.5. Plus, he has only been dismissed twice in the year.
Grand League punts
- If you watched the first contest between Netherlands and UAE, you’d definitely have talked about Max O’Dowd, or at least know who he is. Max is one of Netherlands’ reliable batter, with 209 runs in 2022, with a strike-rate of 123.7, scoring a boundary every 5.1 deliveries.
- JJ Smit is one of the trump cards for Namibia, both with the bat and the ball. But his exploits with the bat has been noteworthy, with 115 runs, averaging a high 57.5 with a more than healthy strike-rate of 185.5. Plus, he has only been dismissed twice in the year.
Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections
Probable XIs
Namibia - Michael van Lingen, Divan la Cock, Stephan Baard, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), Jan Frylinck, JJ Smit, David Wiese, Zane Green (wk), Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo
Netherlands - Max ODowd, Vikramjit Singh, Bas de Leede, Tom Cooper, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Roelof van der Merwe, Tim Pringle, Logan van Beek, Fred Klaassen, Paul van Meekeren
