Bangladesh SOD 1.1 — Season 8 Preview
After another hard-fought season in Bangladesh’s most illustrious competition, it is now time to look towards next season’s rivalries and matchups in Bangladesh Division 1’s Senior One Day (SOD) league. This season it was Team Xtreme who came out on top, fending off powerhouses Labrooys Leb Lions and McLovin’ for the title. Bot club Aylmerton and James’ club Eagles are the two teams that have failed to stamp enough of a claim for glory on this division and thus have been relegated. Self-proclaimed sex god Burgers’ Malediction and Cynic - ever the optimist’s team Feitas Dragon Cavalry (subject to name change depending on how many wedges Cynic’s mother buys him from the shop every morning) are the two teams who have fought their way through their respective Division Two competitions and will get their chance to take on the best in the top flight next season.
Teams taking part in Bangladesh SOD 1.1 in season 8:
-Team Xtreme (xtremist)
-McLovin’ (Rift5)
-Labrooys Leb Lions (labrooy)
- Hoarders CC (Turbz)
-Zero Pillars and Hero Fillers (Bobisback)
-Salcette Sharks (Immortelisk)
- Feitas Dragon Cavalry (Cynic)
-Malediction (Burgers)
Looking now at champions Team Xtreme and it’s not hard to see why they’ve managed to take out the league. Unhampered by NAT weeks, Team Xtreme is built around a core of experienced players and are ably managed by xtremist. Criticised for lacking the young talent in their senior team, Team Xtreme have been one of the more consistent sides in Bangladesh for some time and it’s not hard to see why. Xtremist’s method of success is an interesting one and is certainly worth looking into for all managers looking for a fast track to the top. He has built a side for short term gain and what gain it has been.
On the batting front, Trent Johnson and Clint Lee are the two that have led the Xtreme batting charge with aplomb. With averages of 47.00 and 50.82 respectively, these two 26yos have been the go-to-guys for xtremist this season. The question remains, will they be able handle the rigours of three Division One competitions in their older age? Will tiredness become a factor? Only time will tell.
In a final prediction I can’t see Team Xtreme’s older players keeping up with the youthful exuberance of teams such as McLovin’ and Zero Pillars and Hero Fillers. They should be able to keep their place in the division with relative ease, however the age of their players hinders their development somewhat, especially compared to the others in the division. I’m tipping a high to mid table finish, about 3rd place at best.
Moving on to perennial underachievers, McLovin’. Favourites for the division this season (with Labrooys Leb Lions severely hampered 3 weeks a season due to Nat tours) McLovin’ seem to drop matches at crucial times, however they have undoubted talent and it’s time now to take a look at their chances for next season.
Mention McLovin’ and the first name that comes to mind is spin all-rounder William Sellers. Up there with Malediction’s Ronald Chiswicket as being one of, if not, the best all-rounders in Bangladesh, Sellers can turn a game on its head with either bat or ball. Ably supported by Charle Langeveldt, the McLovin’ lineup really has no weak points and if Rift5 can string together a consistent season and the Pavilion Cup provides no “distractions” then they will have to go in as favourites once again. With the bat Percy Cawley is the top dog however Hashim Amla, another South African National player, has been the one providing the goods this season. Ably supportedby Theak and Thomas, this is a side amongst FTP’s elite and is hard to stop even on a bad day.
Final prediction – they go in as favourites again but cannot afford to drop matches they should win in a Liverpool-esque manner, teams like Labrooys Leb Lions and Team Xtreme will not let them get away with that. So, Rifty, it’s yours to lose. 1st place.
Next up we look at Labrooys Leb Lions. Crippled three weeks a season due to National tours, this team is going to find it very hard to mount serious title challenges domestically as these three weeks are almost always automatic losses. The flipside of this is they possess some top class players and are arguably the best team in Bangladesh on their day.
With the ball, Joydeep Shreekant possesses undoubted ability and is one of Bangladesh’s finest players. LLL also possess a core of strong medium pacers such as Bhaskar and Ghorpade while Harbir and Raghuvir are two of many strong batsmen that the Lions possess. With their Pavilion Cup aspirations unaffected by NAT weeks it will be unsurprising to see them look to make another dash for the cash, however with mounting pressure on their domestic aspirations it is always tough for labrooy to make decisions on where to emphasise success.
It’s hard to predict where the Lions will end up as labrooy has decisions to make from very early on and you cannot tell at a glance where he will look to push for success. They should comfortably finish mid-table, I’ll tip them to finish 2nd behind McLovin’ this time around.
On now to tactical maestro for some, luckbox for others, it’s Bangladesh U19 manager, Turbz and his Hoarders CC. Whether they’re lucky or not, this team seems to be able to pull big performances out a lot more frequently than others and have been able to do so for some time.
Hoarders CC don’t rely on particular players, are more a consistent unit filled with role players. The spin duo of Ranjani and Gahlot is one particularly strong facet of this team’s game however their depth and variety make them competitive on most days. Batting wise Robert Jennings is a clear leader in the stats and it’s not too outlandish to expect similar results next season, especially as he sits at the tender age of 22 with plenty of top quality training and experience promised to come.
Again it will be a surprise to see the Hoarders go down, especially with Turbz at the helm. They waltzed straight to Div I and it will be some time before they leave. At the same time it is going to be hard for them to break into that top 3 bracket, I’m expecting them to finish mid-table. 5th. Potential to finish higher.
Now we look to Zero Pillars and Hero Fillers, led by Bobisback. A young side full of talent, once they also have the appropriate level of experience they’ll be tough to stop. At this stage inexperience and the occasional poor match is all that hinders them from success.
ZP&HF are known for having some amazingly skilled players. In particular their spin attack is top class, and Bob is able to call upon any one of these players to save him in tight situations. Kuruvilla, Dwyer, Tucker and Valiftine are 4 quality players and are ably assisted with some top seamers. Time is of the essence and with this team becoming a rising force, the onus is on the manager to utilise the squad he has assembled to its capabilities.
Without a real weakness and with luck on their side, this team can win the league. However they, like McLovin’, have been known to lose matches at crucial times. Bob claims his weakness is seam however rating a tough less than 9.5k with four seamers; it’s not something that can be utilised easily. Managers need to be wary about pitch choices against this team. They can make the top three if they maintain a consistent string of results, however it’s tough to see them doing so with a long history of dropping matches they were expected to win. Hard to top, we’ll say 4th with potential for fluctuation in both directions.
Next team on the agenda is Immortelisk’s Salcette Sharks. A poor season for the Sharks this season and they are definitely a team who can challenge for the title. They possess a top class lineup and waltzed to Div I despite arriving a season later than everyone else.
They don’t really have any standout key players, however Dharma Suri and Muttiah Wimalaratne are both in their respective country’s national sides. Sham Margasahayam has represented India on numerous occasions. But they are a team of classy players and can win the title depending on Immortelisk’s commitment to the game. This, ironically, appears to be the one aspect that hinders this team from immense success.
Not much more that can be said on this team really, and it’s all guesswork as to where they’ll end up. Similar to this season I have to question the manager’s time, and thus he must therefore be doomed to a low mid-table finish, possibly even relegation. 6th or 7th.
Nearly there now, time to take a look at Feitas Dragon Cavalry. Despite being constantly underestimated by their aptly named manager Cynic, this team has the potential to cause upsets. They may go in as favourites for relegation, however on a good day they have players who can do damage to the best of them.
Looking for stars and you can’t go much further than Nikhil Chopra. Ex U19 star Chopra is a top class finger spinner and is widely publicised for his ability to tie up an end and put pressure on the batsmen through restriction of runs. Ably supported by wrist spinner Jamie Whincup, this team deserve their chance at a season in the top flight and will no doubt ruffle some feathers while doing so. Looking at weaknesses, other than their manager’s distinct lack of optimism, experience in the bowling department is something that stands out. This will come with time as will success.
To predict where they will finish is tough, FDC have good days and bad days. The number of each will obviously determine where they end up. They have to go in rated the weakest team in the division and thus I have to tip them to finish at the bottom, but it’s never smooth sailing in these sorts of things and Cynic hasn’t promoted to the top flight for nothing.
Lastly it’s a look at my own team, Malediction. A team built through TM trading and on the back of selling some top class 16yo players. A win in the Pavilion Cup was the point where top managers started to open their eyes to this team who was told that moving to Bangladesh was a big mistake.
Key player wise, it’s really a no-brainer. This team is built around top class all-rounder and England national rep Ronald Chiswicket. Possessing prodigal ability, Chiswicket is an amazingly experienced player for his age and has won games singlehandedly for both club and country on numerous occasions. Malediction also possesses a strong batting lineup including a top order fit to compete against most bowling attacks. Whether or not they can compete in the top flight remains to be seen.
To predict where my own team will finish is a tough task. I am a bit unsure as to how my tactics will work out, if I see the same sorts of results as in the season of my Pavilion Cup success then I could finish in the top three, if I see variable success as I have in the past then it could well spell out relegation. Going by my previous tips I guess I’ve doomed myself to finishing second last. Only time will tell then.
So, there it is. That’s how things are on paper, but to use an age-old cliché “matches are never won on paper”. There’ll be thrills and spills and controversy abound but in the end, as always, we can expect a season of good times and quality matches.
By Burgers
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