ONE of the most famous quotes in cricketing history comes from one of the pioneers of the game, W.G. Grace.
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“When you win the toss, bat. If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat. If you have very big doubts, consult a colleague, then bat.”
And in most games in the Bendigo District Cricket Association this season, that’s just what the captains have done – won the toss and batted.
Taking out the washed out round one, there has been 45 completed games so far in the BDCA, and that means 45 tosses of the coin.
Of the 45 winning captains, 38 have heeded W.G. Grace’s advice of batting first for a 22-16 record, leaving only seven occasions where a skipper has sent the opposition team in.
Golden Square stand-in Jake Higgins, Kangaroo Flat’s Brent Hamblin (twice), Sandhurst’s Craig Howard (twice), Strathdale’s Linton Jacobs and White Hills’ Mitch Winter-Irving have all been prepared to go against W.G. Grace by winning the toss and bowling first.
The most glaring of a skipper’s decision to win the toss and bowl backfiring this season came last month when Square’s Higgins sent Huntly-North Epsom into bat in their one-day game.
The Power blasted 4-245 before Square was all out for 42 in a 203-run loss. W.G. Grace may well have been rolling in his grave that day.
Overall, captains who have won the toss and bowled first this season have a 4-3 win-loss record, with Hamblin’s decision to twice invite the opposition (Golden Square and Bendigo) to bat first reaping the benefit of a win both times.
So just what is the correlation this season between the team that wins the toss going on to win the game?
With 26 of the 45 teams that have won the toss going on to win the game, that equates to a 57.7 per cent strike-rate, while it’s even lower in the Emu Valley Cricket Association (17 of 36, 47.2 per cent).
As for who as had the most luck at the coin toss this season, it’s Bendigo United’s Leigh McDermott.
The Redbacks have won eight of their nine tosses in completed games so far and batted first each time.
The only time the Redbacks haven’t won the toss was their first game of the season when they were beaten by Golden Square in the sole time they’ve batted second.
Sandhurst’s Howard – who has a theory behind winning the toss that he wouldn’t divulge – is next best with seven flips of the coin falling his way.
All captains have won at least three of their nine tosses so far, with heads clearly the favoured call for the visiting skippers.
2016-17 TOSS STATS:
BENDIGO
Won toss - 3
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 3
Won toss & bowl – 0
BENDIGO UNITED
Won toss - 8
Won toss & game - 6
Won toss & bat - 8
Won toss & bowl – 0
EAGLEHAWK
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 3
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl – 0
GOLDEN SQUARE
Won toss - 5
Won toss & game - 3
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl - 1
HUNTLY-NORTH EPSOM
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl – 0
KANGAROO FLAT
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 3
Won toss & bat - 2
Won toss & bowl - 2
SANDHURST
Won toss - 7
Won toss & game - 4
Won toss & bat - 5
Won toss & bowl - 2
STRATHDALE
Won toss - 3
Won toss & game - 2
Won toss & bat - 2
Won toss & bowl - 1
STRATHFIELDSAYE
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl – 0
WHITE HILLS
Won toss - 3
Won toss & game - 2
Won toss & bat - 2
Won toss & bowl - 1
TOTALS
Won toss - 45
Won toss & game - 26
Won toss & bat - 38
Won toss & bowl - 7
CAPTAIN’S CALLING PREFERENCES:
Shane Koop (Bendigo) – Heads
Leigh McDermott (Bendigo United) – Heads
Cory Jacobs (Eaglehawk) – Heads
Tim Wood (Golden Square) – Heads
Elliott Massina (Huntly-North Epsom) – Heads
Brent Hamblin (Kangaroo Flat) – Tails
Craig Howard (Sandhurst) – No preference, has a theory that he doesn’t want to make public
Linton Jacobs (Strathdale) – Tails
Ben Devanny (Strathfieldsaye) – Heads
Mitch Winter-Irving (White Hills) – Tails
…………………………….
EMU VALLEY:
EMU CREEK
Won toss - 6
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 6
Won toss & bowl – 0
GOLDEN GULLY
Won toss - 1
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 1
Won toss & bowl – 0
MAIDEN GULLY
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 3
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl – 0
MANDURANG
Won toss - 2
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 1
Won toss & bowl - 1
MARONG
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game - 1
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl – 0
SEDGWICK
Won toss - 6
Won toss & game - 5
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl - 2
SPRING GULLY
Won toss - 6
Won toss & game - 3
Won toss & bat - 4
Won toss & bowl - 2
UNITED
Won toss - 3
Won toss & game - 2
Won toss & bat - 1
Won toss & bowl - 2
WEST BENDIGO
Won toss - 4
Won toss & game – 0
Won toss & bat - 3
Won toss & bowl - 1
TOTALS
Won toss – 36
Won toss & game – 17
Won toss & bat – 28
Won toss & bowl – 8