MTWD

By Barmy Jez
March 30 2010

As April approaches and the cold blows away, it’s not just the Cricket that returns to your doorstep. After years of being chained to a little desk by his demanding boss, Barmy Jez has finally been released and has wasted no time in getting back to join the exciting world of MTWD. In recognition of this historic occasion, the 2010 player performance prediction game is launched – but with a twist.

This year’s competition is being run externally, via an online prediction game known as * ExtZy * [click on the highlighted name to start playing]. A separate market known as ‘Middlesex CCC’ has been created within ExtZy, where each Middlesex squad member has been given a rating, which is represented by an ExtZy price. Over the course of the season, the squad members will be awarded points based on their performances in all LV County Championship matches for Middlesex, with one point available for each run scored and 25 for each wicket taken. These will be combined at the end of the season in order to give an overall score for each player. 

Members of MTWD are invited to join ExtZy (which is free to play), where you will be able to purchase ‘shares’ in the Middlesex players you believe will have a good season.  At the end of the season, your shares will be paid a  coupon based on player performance. 

On registering with ExtZy you are given a credit line of 1,000 Zoints (units of currency) to purchase shares. In order to give everyone a fair chance of purchasing shares in the Middlesex players they want, your spending in the Middlesex CCC area will be limited to 500  Zoints. Please feel free to use your remaining Zoints to purchase shares in the other ExtZy markets that may be of interest for you – for example, ‘Cricket’ or ‘Premier League’. You are also able to make bets with other ExtZy users, which can be done by accessing the ‘Make Bets’ option from the ‘Find Shares’ part of the menu.

There are 1,000 shares available to be bought in each squad member.  Each contestant can hold a maximum of 200 shares in any one Middlesex player.   Never fear if the player you desperately want is fully subscribed,  you can always put in an offer to purchase them from another competitor. Similarly (and as with any form of trading), you are also able to put players up for sale once bought, should you suddenly feel that they are not going to reach the value you had hoped. 

The great thing about this new player performance game is that you can trade in players all the way through the season if you wish. 

At the end of the season, all coupons will be redeemed and you will receive the original coupon price back (i.e. the player’s starting price) for each share you own in that squad member. You will also receive your share of the profit on that particular squad member, should there be any.

As long as you invest 300 Zoints or more in Middlesex players, you will qualify for a shot at the MTWD prize.  The person achieving the highest average level of profit on Middlesex squad players alone will then be declared the winner of the competition and will win a traditional, miniscule MTWD prize.

For those of you curious to find out more about ExtZy generally, please check out the One minute guide. There’s  no need for you to stop at Middlesex players – if you have a competitive nature, why not try your luck at becoming more of an ExtZy pro – with vast and valuable prizes to be won,  including a top prize of a Currys voucher for £300.00, which can be used towards a 32GB iPod Touch.  You can also choose to donate significant ExtZy prizes (in £100 units) to charity.  You might spot one or two familiar names on the ExtZy leader board already.

If anyone has any questions on the MTWD Middlesex player performance game, or ExtZy in general, please feel free to e-mail me, Barmy Jez, at hornelius@hotmail.com or you can always make a post on the message board. All that’s left to say is good luck – and may the best competitor triumph!