The SWESAW leaderboard as at 22nd July, 3 pm (IST): Mornie Morkel: 438/85000_FMs (0.0051) Ashwell Prince: 432/85000_FMs (0.0050) Ian Bell: 390/90000_FMs (0.044) James Anderson: 344/95000_FMs (0.0036) SCJ Broad: 326/90000_FMs(0.0036)

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

The SWESAW leaderboard as at 22nd July, 3 pm (IST): Mornie Morkel: 438/85000_FMs (0.0051) Ashwell Prince: 432/85000_FMs (0.0050) Ian Bell: 390/90000_FMs (0.044) James Anderson: 344/95000_FMs (0.0036) SCJ Broad: 326/90000_FMs(0.0036)

Honourable SWESAW mentions: AB de Villiers: 310/90000_FMs(0.0034) Dale Steyne: 330/100000_FMs (0.0033) KP: 303/100000_FMs (0.0030)

And that was how the SWESAW looked the last time we met. For those of you who are coming in late, the SWESAW is a most prestigious, albeit mostly unknown, award handed out to players with the highest return on investment. It is named after the Australian all-rounder Shane Watson and was instituted after he ran away with the most valuable player tag at this year's IPL, this after he was ridiculously undervalued. Inspired by the incredible returns players who invested in Shane Watson enjoyed, we thought it only right to immortalise this wholly unexpected 'maxi'-performance with the SW____award.

Last time we looked at the SWESAW standings, and before the momentous third Test in which Graeme Smith made a huge play for the leaderboard, Mornie Morkel was leading the race for the top award that nobody knows about. Has he been dislodged from the top? Let's find out.

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Captain Fantasy's Diary #6

It's a bright, sunny day

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

It's a bright, sunny day. The sky is the perfect shade of 'cricket-blue, the kind that commentators love to refer to. The kind that a batsman looks forward to. The kind that come with good batting wickets. And the kind on which Harmison might be asked to bowl the first ball of his return to the English team. What will he serve up this time?

Fortunately for Harmison, this is a home series. Unfortunately for him, that also means his favourite excuse for an erratic performance is no longer available. England are one down in a four Test series. Only two more to go. This is not what England might have expected after dominating the opening exchanges of the first Test. Thoroughly.

But now, come Edgbaston, Smith might win the toss for the third time in three matches. Since there's a good chance that this will happen on a day with the 'cricket blue' kind of skies batsmen love, he will bat. Vaughan, on the other hand, will have at his disposal Sidebottom, Flintoff, Broad Anderson and Harmison. On paper, it looks like a good attack in which one of the five mentioned are going to have to sit out. At the time of starting this piece, I didn't expect Steve Harmison to be benched. Now, I see that he's not likely to be drafted into the playing XI.

Perhaps it's going to be a good batting wicket and England don't want to go into the match with their wicket-keeper Ambrose batting any higher than number 8. Optimistic fantasy players and eagerly waiting fans looking to take a punt on Harmison, again, will have to wait for the next Test match to see how the tall, temperamental fast bowler copes. This time.

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County20 Cup and Pick 'em vviners

Congratulations to the VVinners of the County20 Cup edition of the fantasy game and Pick 'em for the same

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

Congratulations to the VVinners of the County20 Cup edition of the fantasy game and Pick 'em for the same. Unfortunately, the only prize we can offer you at this point in time is pride of place in this post and the promise that we're working on it.

Hopefully sooner, rather than later, we'll have rewards for all the top performers that go beyond verbal kudos and virtual 'pats on back'. Until then, please put your hands together for the stellar performers in the County leagues and put your heads together to try and unravel what is it about them that makes them better than the rest of us at fantasy cricket.

County Twenty20 Cup fantasy edition top 3: 1. 'bestof15' with 'goodie' at 9280 points 2. 'MOConnor' with 'Sparkle XI' at 8862 points 3. 'trampie' with 'DOLLY DROPS' at 8646 points

County Twenty20 Cup Pick 'em top 3: 1. 'fight' with 'HAT' at 620 points 2. 'sush12' with 'Kent Keys' at 610 points 3. 'gilkumba' with 'gilkumba' at 600 points

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Twin terror rocks India

Not floods and pestilence

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

Not floods and pestilence. Not corruption and inefficiency. Not drought and farmer suicides. Not another day of life in a country that only knows how to go on. Because life must … go on. But it needn't, always, without acknowledging some of the things that matter, just a wee bit more. Like the serial bombings in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Never before in the history of independent India have two major cities been hit in such a massive way in such quick succession. There was Hyderabad. There was New Delhi. There was Mumbai. There have been bomb blasts before. But there's something different about this time.

I was travelling by the Brindavan Express from Bangalore to Chennai enjoying a packet of chips and a cup of sweet coffee trying to log on to the net from my Tata Indicomm portable net connection without much success when, in the middle of a rare period of slow connectivity, I was 'pinged' by a friend of mine on chat - who, oddly enough, happened to be in China - with the news that the city I had just left behind had been crippled by fear, panic and more than a handful of explosions. In a moment of inappropriate levity, I felt like a terrorist fleeing from the scene of the crime.

Tasteless jokes apart, the incidents didn't touch me all that much. I had seen worse. I had been in Mumbai in 1992. Besides, this was happening while Murali and Mendis were crippling another 'India' at the SSC, Colombo. Already stunned by the events in Sri Lanka, I found it hard to muster an appropriate reaction to the 'Bangalore blasts'. (Besides, the news channels did say the blasts were of a 'low intensity'.) The only logical thought of some seriousness I managed being Chennai was likely to be next on the radar. How wrong I was.

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Captain Fantasy's Diary #5

Just so the comments don't get too far ahead of themselves (and 'entries'), this one post to keep things neck and neck.

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

Just so the comments don't get too far ahead of themselves (and 'entries'), this one post to keep things neck and neck.

Entry number 21 (Take that comment number 22!): Thankfully, there's more to this than just one-upmanship. Like what is India going to do today with their tottering first innings and the daunting prospect of a second innings following on against the twin menace of Mendis and Murali and - as one of Captain's readers so incredulously asked - why I have Mendis in my fantasy side instead of Murali?

Even a brass monkey will tell you that at the SSC, Murali has more wickets than is humanly possible for a bowler to take. Only an ignorant fool will choose not to pencil in the old pro in his own backyard, the SSC? No Murali and Mendis? Brave. No Murali? Incredible.

First things first, why not both: Simple rule of mouse for fantasy players and captains in a Sri v Anyone series in what looks like the start of fortress Serendib (old name for Sri Lanka): When in Sri Lanka, pack your fantasy side with the best of Sri Lanka. Then, curse the 'not more than 'X' number of players from one country' rule. Then, pick up the best of India. Then, curse your limited budget. Then, that's why I have Mendis in my side instead of Murali. And not both. I had limited _FMs to play with. I had to make an 'either Mendis or Murali' punt. And I got it wrong in the first innings. But the game is not up. There's still the second half. Mendis might still bag me a hat-full of wickets.

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Captain Fantasy's diary #4

No, you cannot change your team just because the start of this Test match has been delayed by rain and a wet outfield

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

No, you cannot change your team just because the start of this Test match has been delayed by rain and a wet outfield. There are better things to do with your time when such natural disasters strike and lay waste to your carefully planned day. Like watching more cricket.

Yes, you have time on your hands. Yes, a day's play lost to rain is a massive hole in what otherwise seemed like a mighty promising day ahead. And yes there are always other games of cricket being shown on at least two or three other channels on the television. After all, in India the cricket never stops.

So please, for the sake of your wellness, happiness quotient and future of your fantasy team, don't make any hasty changes, no matter what you do - from now till the end of this Test match - it'll will not make any difference to the fortunes of your team.

Regular readers of this blog will have by now realised I am dishing out these pearls of wisdom on fantasy team management only after having learnt them the hard way during the ongoing 'Eng v South Africa' fantasy edition of the series; in which I made a horrible mess of a 'settled' and winning combination.

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Captain Fantasy's diary #3

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

8. 00 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma. 8. 01 am (IST): Bought Rohit Sharma. 8. 02 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma. 8. 03 am (IST): Bought Rohit Sharma. 8. 04 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma. 8. 05 am (IST): Bought Rohit Sharma. 8. 06 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma. 8. 07 am (IST): Bought Rohit Sharma. 8. 08 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma. 8. 10 am (IST): Took a deep breath and thanked my stars I still have unlimited transfers. (But not for long.)

At 10.15 am (ST) the first Test between South Asia's two biggest teams will commence. And at 10.00 am (IST) a world of unlimited transfers will cease to exist. After 10.00 am (IST) today, you'll have to buy and sell players carefully. Not like I've been bumbling through the last 10 minutes. Which brings us back to the issue of Rohit Sharma. Buy? Sell? Hold?

8.15 am (IST): Sold Rohit Sharma 8.17 am (IST): Bought Vandort.

I think the Sri Lankan opening batsman, Vandort has a better chance of playing all the Test matches than Rohit Sharma. The 'old firm' of Sourav, Sachin and Laxman are too well entrenched for Rohit Sharma to stand much of a chance of breaking into the middle order. (Not just yet.) His time will come. Very soon.

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Captain Fantasy's Diary #2

So here's what I've just been told: I have a fresh set of 5 transfers still left to use during the ODIs in the current Eng v SA series

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

So here's what I've just been told: I have a fresh set of 5 transfers still left to use during the ODIs in the current Eng v SA series. And here I was under the mistaken impression that I had exhausted all my transfers. Actually, I have, but only for the Tests. I've just been under the mistaken impression that six transfers is the limit for the whole series. It is, but only for Tests. Shouldn't there be a little more flexibility?

For instance, shouldn't I be given the option to use my ODI transfers during the Test series if I want to? I need to. I've got no transfers left. There's 2 more Test matches to go. Sidebottom is going to be back. Given the workload he's being saddled with, Flintoff might break down. (Again) Now that the second Test is over and done with. Ntini might be dropped. Nel could come in. And I can't do a fig about any of all this important chopping and changing. But as a committed fantasy player I should be allowed to, no?

So here's what I'm asking myself, and you, why can't I use just one or two transfers from my ODI quota to inject some much needed life into my Test fantasy team? Can not desperate, unskilled, careless players like me be given the leeway to?

In other significant news about this blog: We just crossed an important milestone today. For about an hour - until this post went up - Fantasy Post had more comments than entries. Thank you.

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SWESAW Update #2

Old SWESAW leaderboard as at 20th July, 1 pm (IST): Ian Bell: 396/90000_FMs (0.0044) Mornie Morkel: 339/85000_FMs (0.0039) Ashwell Prince: 324/85000_FMs (0.0038) KP: 287/100000_FMs (0.0027) James Anderson: 258/95000_FMs (0.0028)

ESPNcricinfo staff

25-Feb-2013

Old SWESAW leaderboard as at 20th July, 1 pm (IST): Ian Bell: 396/90000_FMs (0.0044) Mornie Morkel: 339/85000_FMs (0.0039) Ashwell Prince: 324/85000_FMs (0.0038) KP: 287/100000_FMs (0.0027) James Anderson: 258/95000_FMs (0.0028)

Has AB de Villiers broken into the top 5? How much lower has the star of the swtch-hitting KP sunk? And is Bell still leading the SWESAW standings? Let's find out.

The SWESAW leaderboard as at 22nd July, 3 pm (IST): Mornie Morkel: 438/85000_FMs (0.0051) Ashwell Prince: 432/85000_FMs (0.0050) Ian Bell: 390/90000_FMs (0.0044) James Anderson: 344/95000_FMs (0.0036) SCJ Broad: 326/90000_FMs(0.0036)

Honourable SWESAW mentions: AB de Villiers: 310/90000_FMs(0.0034) Dale Steyne: 330/100000_FMs (0.0033) KP: 303/100000_FMs (0.0030)

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