15 teams in three groups of five, have been whittled down to a select group of six nations for Championship Week from 4-8 October at the stunning Cartama Oval in Malaga, Spain.
European Cricket Network live broadcasts five T10 matches on Day 18 of the 2021 Dream11 European Cricket Championship on Wednesday 6 October.
Championship Week continues with drama guaranteed.
Championship Week - Standings
BEL Belgium (3-0, 5pt, NRR+4.172) [7-3 in Group A]
ENG XI England XI (2-1, 3pt, NRR+3.135) [9-1 in Group C]
NED XI Netherlands XI (2-2, 5pt, NRR+1.623) [8-1-1 in Group B]
AUT Austria (2-1, 0 pts, NRR+0.654) [7-3-1 in Group B]
ITA Italy (1-2, 0 pts, NRR-0.167) [6-5 in Group C]
SPA Spain (0-4, 0 pts, NRR-7.132) (6-4-1 in Group A]
European Cricket Championship 2021
__________________
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK | MATCH 11 (ECC21.083)
ENGLAND XI (ENG XI) v ITALY (ITA)
0700 GMT | 0900 CET | 1230 IST
ENG XI Group Stage Timeline: W W W W L W W W W W (Avg Score For 128, Avg Score Against 91)
ENG XI Championship Week Timeline: W W L (Avg Score For 140, Avg Score Against 108)
ITA Group Stage Timeline: L L L L W W W W W W L (Avg Score For 112, Avg Score Against 98)
ITA Championship WeekTimeline: L L W (Avg Score For 113, Avg Score Against 115)
ENGLAND XI (ENG XI)
Captain: Dan Lincoln
Wicketkeeper: Dan Lincoln, Alex Mellor
Projected Top Four: Dan Lincoln, Harrison Ward, Tom Bevan, Alex Mellor
Projected Opening Bowlers: Zum Ahktar, Andy Rishton, Rich Edwards
Spin Options: Alex Russell, Sam Pearce, Max Uttley, Tom Bevan
Coach: Tom Lambert
ENGLAND XI Key Players:
Sam Pearce, Wales captain and bowling all-rounder, he represented Glamorgan in the T20 Blast this summer and Royal London One Day Cup. Pearce also led Wales to the semi-finals of the NCCA fifty-overs competition this summer. Joint top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 19 wickets including a best return of 3-19. Took ENG XI to a memorable win vs NED XI blasting 28 off 10 balls.
Alex Mellor, the most experienced player in the side at 31 and a former Warwickshire CCC player. Third highest scorer for ENG XI racking up 242 runs in 11 innings including a brilliant 70 off 26 balls vs CZR in Week 3.
Harrison Ward, the hard hitting left handed batter plays for Sussex CCC. Started off with a band but has gone cold in the last few games. He will look to finish on a high. Second highest scorer for ENG XI plundering 312 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 245. Blasted an unbeaten 92 off 31 balls vs SPA on Monday.
Alex Russell, hugely talented leg spinner,academy graduate at Gloucestershire CCC, second highest wicket taker for ENG XI scalping 16 wickets including a best return of 3-4 vs GER.
Dan Lincoln, skipper, wicketkeeper and a former professional footballer with Reading FC, he has played for Glamorgan and Kent in the last two years in county cricket and brings experience to this young side. The right hander did not start well but has turned it around when it mattered with a blistering match winning century vs Italy in the Group C final. Top scorer for ENG XI with 356 runs in 13 games including an unbeaten 82 off 30 vs SPA on Monday.
Rich Edwards, right arm medium pacer and hard hitting lower order batter, third highest wicket taker for ENG XI scalping 13 wickets in 12 games. Returned figures of 2-1 vs NED XI on Tuesday.
ITALY (ITA)
Captain: Baljit Singh
Wicket Keeper: Nisar Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Nisar Ahmed, Amir Sharif, Baljit Singh, Rajmani Sandhu
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Imran, Ravi Paul, Amir Sharif
Spin Options: Jorawar Singh
Coach: Kamal Kariyawasama Indipolage
ITALY Key Players:
Baljit Singh, right arm medium pacer with good numbers in international T20. The experienced campaigner can also swing the bat hard. Second highest scorer for ITA racking up 258 runs in 13 innings. Muscled a brilliant match winning 43* off 20 balls vs ENG XI to take his side to a first ECC win. Mustered 62* off 19 in the Group C Final against ENG XI again. Has also picked up 10 wickets.
Amir Sharif, right handed batter and right arm pacer, capable of swinging the ball away from the right hander at pace, third highest wicket taker in the tournament so far scalping 17 wickets including a best return of 4-19 vs GER in the opening game. The all-rounder is also the leading run scorer in the tournament blasting 396 runs in 14 games including 80* off just 26 balls in the Eliminator and 57* off 24 in the second qualifier in week three.
Jaspreet Singh, right arm medium pacer, has been good throughout the tournament picking up 13 wickets in 10 games with a best return of 3-7 sv CZR.
Nisar Ahmed, wicket keeper batter, has plenty of T10 experience playing in the ECS, third highest scorer for ITA racking up 182 runs in 12 games including a match winning 51* off 22 vs CZR in the Eliminator.
Italy and England XI face off yet again in ECC21. After two losses on Monday, Italy bounced back in style posting the highest total of Championship Week against hosts Spain. England XI were shocked by some incredible hitting from the Belgian batters in the last game on Tuesday. ITA and ENG XI have managed to build up a nice little rivalry and both sides will be keen to win this encounter.
Last time they met: ECC21.072 | ENG XI 144(9.3) def ITA 141 (1 Oct 2021)
Match Prediction: England XI (ENG XI) to edge a narrow victory.
__________________
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK | MATCH 12 (ECC21.084)
BELGIUM (BEL) v NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI)
0900 GMT | 1100 CET | 1430 IST
BEL Group StageTimeline: W W W W L W L L W W (Avg Score For 134, Avg Score Against 119)
BEL Championship Week Timeline: W W W (Avg Score For 161, Avg Score Against 119)
NED XI Group StageTimeline: W W W W W W L W NR W (Avg Score For 130, Avg Score Against 92)
NED XI Championship WeekTimeline: W W L L (Avg Score For 103, Avg Score Against 86)
BELGIUM (BEL)
Captain: Sheikh Sheraz
Wicketkeeper: Ali Raza
Projected Top Order: Aziz Mohammad, Muneeb Muhammad, Ali Raza, Sherry Butt, Saber Zakhil
Projected Opening Bowlers: Adnan Razzaq, Khalid Ahmadi
Spin Options: SheikhSheraz, Murid Ekrami
Coach: Abhijit Harikrishna Khan
BELGIUM Key Players:
Saber Zakhil, fearsome hitter, currently lies fourth in the world for sixes hit this year in T20i with 19 in seven matches. Highest scorer for BEL plundering 273 runs at a SR of 237 and deservedly bagged three player of the match awards. He can also chip in with crucial wickets in the middle overs and has picked up SEVEN wickets so far.
Aziz Mohammad, destructive right handed batter who has impressed in ECS tournaments in Spain last season and most recently in the Netherlands. Mustered 88 runs in six games at a sprightly SR of 282 in the opening week before being injured. The opener has looked in tremendous touch this week taking his total run tally to 232 runs in nine games.
Ali Raza, wicket keeper batter, very good behind the stumps and equally better in-front of it. Third highest scorer for BEL racking up 234 runs in 12 innings including a 21-ball 57 vs Sweden in first week and blasting 56 off 23 vs ENG XI on Tuesday.
Omid Rahimi, fearsome right handed batter, one of the best finishers in the tournament, has plundered 163 runs at a strike rate of over 236. Has scored about 86% of his runs in boundaries.
Adnan Razzaq, right arm pacer who has decent pace and is consistent with the ball. Highest wicket taker for his side scalping 13 wickets.
NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI)
Captain: Sebastiaan Braat
Wicketkeeper: Ratha Alphonse
Projected Top Order: Musa Nadeem Ahmad, Clayton Floyd, Boris Gorlee, Sebastiaan Braat
Projected Opening Bowlers: Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein
Spin Options: Clayton Floyd, Julian de Mey
Coach: Pierce Fletcher
NETHERLANDS XI Key Players:
Sebastiaan Braat, skipper with six T20 international matches to his name. A dynamic, fast bowling all-rounder with vast experience facing top quality opposition. has muscled 148 runs in 13 innings at a SR of 211. Has picked up 14 wickets with the ball including a best return of 3-10.
Boris Gorlee, young, up and coming talent, has represented the Dutch under-19 team, mustered an unbeaten 55 off 29 balls to bag his first player of the match award vs Romania. Second highest scorer for NED XI racking up 272 runs in 12 innings.
Musa Nadeem Ahmad, star batter, the left hander scored a quickfire 70* off 27 balls vs Spain on Monday to surpass Clayton Floyd as highest run scorer for NED XI amassing 303 runs in 13 knocks at a strike rate of 208. Can also roll his arm if needed, has picked up a couple of wickets, he is a good outfielder.
Clayton Floyd, talented all-rounder and canny left-arm spinner. Mustered 115 off just 35 balls vs Romania in Week 2 racking up an historic first ever T10 international hundred. His knock included 15 towering maximos. Third highest scorer for NED XI racking up 266 runs in 12 innings and is now the top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 19 wickets.
Julian De Mey, slow left arm orthodox, highly effective in the middle overs, joint second highest wicket taker for NED XI scalping 15 wickets in 13 games including a best return of 3-12.
Ryan Klein, right arm fast bowler, became only the second bowler to take a T10 international HAT-TRICK - scalping 3-14 vs Austria. Has taken a total of 13 wickets in 13 games.
Belgium trumped England XI in a run feast on Tuesday to remain the only unbeaten side in Championship Week. On the back of that win, BEL became the first team to make it through to Finals Day Friday. Netherlands XI endured a tough Tuesday, first losing to their Group B nemesis Austria then to England XI. With a strong Belgian side to play next, NED XI find themselves in a spot of bother. If NED XI lose this game, they might have to take a longer route to qualify for Finals Day Friday.
Match Prediction: Belgium (BEL) to beat NED XI in another ECC thriller.
__________________
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK | MATCH 13 (ECC21.085)
ENGLAND XI (ENG XI) v AUSTRIA (AUT)
1100 GMT | 1300 CET | 1630 IST
ENG XI Group Stage Timeline: W W W W L W W W W W (Avg Score For 128, Avg Score Against 91)
ENG XI Championship Week Timeline: W W L (Avg Score For 140, Avg Score Against 108)
AUT Group Stage Timeline: W W L W L W W W NR W L (Avg Score For 121, Avg Score Against 111)
AUT Championship Week Timeline: L W W (Avg Score For 139, Avg Score Against 132)
ENGLAND XI (ENG XI)
Captain: Dan Lincoln
Wicketkeeper: Dan Lincoln, Alex Mellor
Projected Top Four: Dan Lincoln, Harrison Ward, Tom Bevan, Alex Mellor
Projected Opening Bowlers: Zum Ahktar, Andy Rishton, Rich Edwards
Spin Options: Alex Russell, Sam Pearce, Max Uttley, Tom Bevan
Coach: Tom Lambert
ENGLAND XI Key Players:
Sam Pearce, Wales captain and bowling all-rounder, he represented Glamorgan in the T20 Blast this summer and Royal London One Day Cup. Pearce also led Wales to the semi-finals of the NCCA fifty-overs competition this summer. Joint top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 19 wickets including a best return of 3-19. Took ENG XI to a memorable win vs NED XI blasting 28 off 10 balls.
Alex Mellor, the most experienced player in the side at 31 and a former Warwickshire CCC player. Third highest scorer for ENG XI racking up 242 runs in 11 innings including a brilliant 70 off 26 balls vs CZR in Week 3.
Harrison Ward, the hard hitting left handed batter plays for Sussex CCC. Started off with a band but has gone cold in the last few games. He will look to finish on a high. Second highest scorer for ENG XI plundering 312 runs in 12 games at a strike rate of 245. Blasted an unbeaten 92 off 31 balls vs SPA on Monday.
Alex Russell, hugely talented leg spinner,academy graduate at Gloucestershire CCC, second highest wicket taker for ENG XI scalping 16 wickets including a best return of 3-4 vs GER.
Dan Lincoln, skipper, wicketkeeper and a former professional footballer with Reading FC, he has played for Glamorgan and Kent in the last two years in county cricket and brings experience to this young side. The right hander did not start well but has turned it around when it mattered with a blistering match winning century vs Italy in the Group C final. Top scorer for ENG XI with 356 runs in 13 games including an unbeaten 82 off 30 vs SPA on Monday.
Rich Edwards, right arm medium pacer and hard hitting lower order batter, third highest wicket taker for ENG XI scalping 13 wickets in 12 games. Returned figures of 2-1 vs NED XI on Tuesday.
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Bilal Zalmai, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Shahil Momin, Iqbal Hossain
Coach: Marcel Biersteker
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batter, started off Week 2 with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Scored a valiant 78* off 31 vs BEL on Monday. Second highest scorer for Austria mustering 312 runs in 12 innings.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batter, highest scorer for AUT, hammered 340 runs in 13 innings including a blistering 64* off 29 balls vs HUN. Has bagged three player of the match awards.
Aqib Iqbal, young, energetic fast bowler, capable of swinging the ball in the air and off the deck, second highest wicket taker for AUT picking up 12 wickets with a best return of 3-4.
Shahil Momin, slow left arm orthodox, very talented, has a good cricketing brain and is a decent batsman as well. Bagged back-to-back man of the match awards for his all-round performances scoring a total of 81 runs and picking up three wickets in two games on Tuesday.
Bilal Zalmai, the hard hitting opening batter has been included in the Austria side for the Championship Week to boost the AUT batting. The all-rounder has amassed 618 runs at a SR of 206 and picked up 12 wickets in 22 ECS matches. Scored a crucial 43 off 18 balls vs Spain on Tuesday.
Austria enjoyed a good run on Tuesday beating NED XI comfortably and chased a mammoth total of 140 against hosts Spain. With momentum on their side, AUT can give England XI a run for their money.
Match Prediction: England XI (ENG XI) to edge a narrow win.
__________________
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK | MATCH 14 (ECC21.086)
BELGIUM (BEL) v SPAIN (SPA)
1300 GMT | 1500 CET | 1830 IST
BEL Group StageTimeline: W W W W L W L L W W (Avg Score For 134, Avg Score Against 119)
BEL Championship Week Timeline: W W W (Avg Score For 161, Avg Score Against 119)
SPA Group StageTimeline: LW NR W W W L W L W L (Avg Score For 119, Avg Score Against 113)
SPA Championship Week Timeline: L L (Avg Score For 87, Avg Score Against 158)
BELGIUM (BEL)
Captain: Sheikh Sheraz
Wicketkeeper: Ali Raza
Projected Top Order: Aziz Mohammad, Muneeb Muhammad, Ali Raza, Sherry Butt, Saber Zakhil
Projected Opening Bowlers: Adnan Razzaq, Khalid Ahmadi
Spin Options: SheikhSheraz, Murid Ekrami
Coach: Abhijit Harikrishna Khan
BELGIUM Key Players:
Saber Zakhil, fearsome hitter, currently lies fourth in the world for sixes hit this year in T20i with 19 in seven matches. Highest scorer for BEL plundering 273 runs at a SR of 237 and deservedly bagged three player of the match awards. He can also chip in with crucial wickets in the middle overs and has picked up SEVEN wickets so far.
Aziz Mohammad, destructive right handed batter who has impressed in ECS tournaments in Spain last season and most recently in the Netherlands. Mustered 88 runs in six games at a sprightly SR of 282 in the opening week before being injured. The opener has looked in tremendous touch this week taking his total run tally to 232 runs in nine games.
Ali Raza, wicket keeper batter, very good behind the stumps and equally better in-front of it. Third highest scorer for BEL racking up 234 runs in 12 innings including a 21-ball 57 vs Sweden in first week and blasting 56 off 23 vs ENG XI on Tuesday.
Omid Rahimi, fearsome right handed batter, one of the best finishers in the tournament, has plundered 163 runs at a strike rate of over 236. Has scored about 86% of his runs in boundaries.
Adnan Razzaq, right arm pacer who has decent pace and is consistent with the ball. Highest wicket taker for his side scalping 13 wickets.
SPAIN (SPA)
Captain: Christian Munoz-Mills
Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Awais Ahmed, Hamza Saleem, Jack Perman, Yasir Ali
Projected Opening Bowlers: Atif Mehmood, Adeel Raja
Spin Options: Jack Perman, Yasir Ali
Coach: Dave Gelling
SPAIN Key Players:
Kuldeep Lal, has caught the eye in ECS comps over the last two seasons for his all-round performances. Third highest wicket taker for SPA scalping 13 wickets in 14 games with a best return of 3-6. Scored an entertaining 46 off 20 balls opening the innings vs BEL to bag his first player of the match award of the tournament.
Hamza Saleem, Prodigiously talented all-rounder, who made his international debut in the recent T20 Series win over Germany. Can make things happen with the ball and is a quality left-hand bat who can clear the fence with ease. Top scorer for SPA racking up 330 runs in 14 innings including three player of the match awards, showcasing his exquisite hitting. Plundered an unbeaten 65 off 28 balls vs Sweden in the second qualifier in week one. Smashed another fifty vs AUT - 72* off 25 balls on Tuesday.
Awais Ahmed, destructive wicket keeper batter, likes to take control of the game from ball one, third highest scorer for SPA racking up 197 runs in 14 innings including a quickfire 45 off 18 balls vs Norway.
Zulqarnain Haider, right arm pacer, has been impressive with the ball bowling good lines. Second highest wicket taker for Spain scalping 13 wickets in 13 games.
Jack Perman, classy top order batter, impressed with his quick run-scoring ability in the opening week, second highest scorer for SPA racking up 232 runs in 12 innings.
Hosts Spain have struggled to perform collectively, losing all four games so far and have no chance of finishing in the top four. That said, SPA must take confidence from the fact that they have beaten Belgium before and will be keen to do it again to take some sort of momentum with them into Super Thursday.
Last time they met: ECC21.024 | BEL 134 def SPA 107 (17 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Belgium (BEL) to stay unbeaten in Championship Week with an emphatic win.
__________________
CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK | MATCH 15 (ECC21.087)
AUSTRIA (AUT) v ITALY (ITA)
1500 GMT | 1700 CET | 2030 IST
AUT Group Stage Timeline: W W L W L W W W NR W L (Avg Score For 121, Avg Score Against 111)
AUT Championship Week Timeline: L W W (Avg Score For 139, Avg Score Against 132)
ITA Group Stage Timeline: L L L L W W W W W W L (Avg Score For 112, Avg Score Against 98)
ITA Championship WeekTimeline: L L W (Avg Score For 113, Avg Score Against 115)
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Bilal Zalmai, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Shahil Momin, Iqbal Hossain
Coach: Marcel Biersteker
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batter, started off Week 2 with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Scored a valiant 78* off 31 vs BEL on Monday. Second highest scorer for Austria mustering 312 runs in 12 innings.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batter, highest scorer for AUT, hammered 340 runs in 13 innings including a blistering 64* off 29 balls vs HUN. Has bagged three player of the match awards.
Aqib Iqbal, young, energetic fast bowler, capable of swinging the ball in the air and off the deck, second highest wicket taker for AUT picking up 12 wickets with a best return of 3-4.
Shahil Momin, slow left arm orthodox, very talented, has a good cricketing brain and is a decent batsman as well. Bagged back-to-back man of the match awards for his all-round performances scoring a total of 81 runs and picking up three wickets in two games on Tuesday.
Bilal Zalmai, the hard hitting opening batter has been included in the Austria side for the Championship Week to boost the AUT batting. The all-rounder has amassed 618 runs at a SR of 206 and picked up 12 wickets in 22 ECS matches. Scored a crucial 43 off 18 balls vs Spain on Tuesday.
ITALY (ITA)
Captain: Baljit Singh
Wicket Keeper: Nisar Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Nisar Ahmed, Amir Sharif, Baljit Singh, Rajmani Sandhu
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Imran, Ravi Paul, Amir Sharif
Spin Options: Jorawar Singh
Coach: Kamal Kariyawasama Indipolage
ITALY Key Players:
Baljit Singh, right arm medium pacer with good numbers in international T20. The experienced campaigner can also swing the bat hard. Second highest scorer for ITA racking up 258 runs in 13 innings. Muscled a brilliant match winning 43* off 20 balls vs ENG XI to take his side to a first ECC win. Mustered 62* off 19 in the Group C Final against ENG XI again. Has also picked up 10 wickets.
Amir Sharif, right handed batter and right arm pacer, capable of swinging the ball away from the right hander at pace, third highest wicket taker in the tournament so far scalping 17 wickets including a best return of 4-19 vs GER in the opening game. The all-rounder is also the leading run scorer in the tournament blasting 396 runs in 14 games including 80* off just 26 balls in the Eliminator and 57* off 24 in the second qualifier in week three.
Jaspreet Singh, right arm medium pacer, has been good throughout the tournament picking up 13 wickets in 10 games with a best return of 3-7 sv CZR.
Nisar Ahmed, wicket keeper batter, has plenty of T10 experience playing in the ECS, third highest scorer for ITA racking up 182 runs in 12 games including a match winning 51* off 22 vs CZR in the Eliminator.
Austria and Italy lock horns in the final round robin game of Championship Week. Austria will be eyeing a top three finish while Italy will be keen to finish fourth to give themselves a breather ahead of Super Thursday.
Match Prediction: Austria (AUT) to win a thriller.
