OVAL WORLD FANTASY CRICKET LEAGUE 2018

It's the first tangible sign that the county cricket season is coming into view. That's right, the OWFCL is back again!

The game's crème de la crème have been given monetary values expressed in terms of fictitious weekly earnings (based, predominantly, on how each player fared in the County Championship in the last two years, i.e. 2016 and 2017). Your job is to pick a squad of 14 by deploying a maximum weekly wage bill of £31,000.

Points will be based on ALL of the runs, wickets and catches each player registers in Domestic FIRST-CLASS cricket this summer. In other words, performances in Test matches, England Lions' matches, other tour matches (deemed to be first-class) and the two rounds of MCCU games all count. However, performances in the Champion County Match in Barbados will NOT qualify and performances by overseas cricketers will be disregarded.

This year, the MCCU matches, deemed first-class, will be:

1-3 April 2018    
Cambridge MCCU  v Nottinghamshire
Gloucestershire  v Cardiff MCCU
Kent  v Oxford MCCU
Sussex  v Loughborough MCCU
Warwickshire  v Durham MCCU
Worcestershire  v Leeds Bradford MCCU
   
7-9 April 2018    
Cambridge MCCU  v Essex
Hampshire  v Cardiff MCCU
Loughborough MCCU  v Lancashire
Middlesex  v Durham MCCU
Oxford MCCU  v Northamptonshire
Yorkshire  v Leeds Bradford MCCU

As the season progresses, every player will be awarded points on the following bases:

BATTING
1 point for every 27 runs scored in domestic first-class cricket.

BOWLING
1 point for each first-class wicket taken.

FIELDING
0.2 points for every catch or stumping made in domestic first-class cricket.

YOUR SQUAD
Each entrant will need to select a 14-man squad. The squad must consist of:

  • 5 batsmen
  • 1 wicketkeeper
  • 2 batting all-rounders
  • 2 bowling all-rounders, and
  • 4 bowlers.

Players can only be selected from the 340+ non-overseas batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders and keepers listed and valued on the selection grid, which will continue evolving as and when last minute Kolpak signings and player retirements are announced. At the end of the competition, your team's total score will be calculated on the basis of your 4 best batsmen, your 3 highest points-scoring bowlers, your wicketkeeper and your 3 most successful all-rounders - the aim being to arrive at your best 11 players. To see the most up to date selection grid go to:

Click here to see the selection grid - pdf
Click here to see the selection grid - excel
Click here for an application form - pdf
Click here for an application form - excel

YOUR BUDGET
You have a weekly budget of £31,000 with which to pay a squad of fourteen. Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the selection grid takes account of recent Kolpak signings, player moves, retirements and long-term injuries; not to mention players choosing to opt out of first-class cricket and, instead, agreeing "white-ball only" contracts with their counties, e.g. Alex Hales, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid and Reece Topley.

WHAT COULD I WIN?
The winner will receive a free Surrey CCC county membership or the cash equivalent. In the unlikely event of a tie for first place, there is also a tie-breaker - How many matches will Surrey win in total in all three of the major domestic competitions this summer?

AND FINALLY… THE SMALLPRINT
Each entrant is only allowed to submit one entry. You do not need to be a member of the Surrey CCC Supporters' Club to enter the competition. The entry fee is £5.00 (make cheques payable to the SCCCSC, or make an online transfer to Account Number: 15788860 Sort Code: 30-65-38). Selectors can choose a name for their team, provided it does not exceed 25 letters and isn't considered offensive. All entries must be received before the first ball of the Specsavers County Championship season is bowled at 11am on Friday, 13th April 2018. Just to reiterate, even though 12 first-class fixtures involving the six MCCUs will have concluded prior to April 13, any points scored in these matches WILL count. If necessary, selections can be amended before the deadline either in writing or by e-mail. All correspondence relating to the competition should be sent to Marcus Hook, Flat 1, 67 Birdhurst Rise, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 7EJ or to marcushook64@gmail.com

ROLL OF HONOUR
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