The new and fresh venture sees 15 teams feature in three groups of five, with each group meeting over a separate week of T10 action. Each group will feature 24 T10 games - a double round-robin and a playoff. The leading two countries in each group will advance to a Finals Week scheduled from October 4-8 in Spain.
European Cricket Network live broadcasts four T10 matches on Day 5 of the 2021 Dream11 European Cricket Championship on Friday 17 September.
With 20 exciting T10 games in the books, we have reached the business end of Group A action in the Dream11 European Cricket Championship. Which two sides will qualify for Finals Week at the start of October at the stunning Cartama Oval in Spain?
Group A
SPA Spain (5-2-1, NRR+0.618)
BEL Belgium (5-3, NRR+1.285)
NOR Norway (4-3-1, NRR+2.490)
SWE Sweden (4-3-1, NRR+0.819)
LUX Luxembourg (0-7-1, NRR-5.418)
European Cricket Championship 2021
__________________
FINAL - MATCH 24 (ECC21.024)
BELGIUM (BEL) v SPAIN (SPA)
1500 GMT | 1700 CET | 2030 IST
BEL Timeline: W W W W L W L L W (Avg Score For 134, Avg Score Against 120)
SPA Timeline: LW NR W W W L W L W (Avg Score For 119, Avg Score Against 113)
BELGIUM (BEL)
Captain: Sheikh Sheraz
Wicketkeeper: Ali Raza
Projected Top Order: Aziz Mohammad, Mamoon Latif, Faisal Mehmood, Sheikh Sheraz, Saber Zakhil
Projected Opening Bowlers: Shagharai Sefat, Adnan Razzaq
Spin Options: SheikhSheraz, Murid Ekrami
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. Third highest scorer for BEL plundering 126 runs and deservedly bagged back-to-back man of the match awards on the opening day.
Ali Raza, wicket keeper batsman, very good behind the stumps and equally better in-front of it. Top scorer for BEL racking up 152 runs in NINE games including a 21-ball 57 vs Sweden on Thursday.
Shagharai Sefat, produced some impressive spells in recent ECS history, spearheads the Belgian attack. Top wicket taker for Belgium picking up NINE wickets. Returned best figures of 4-21 and blasted 28 off just nine balls to take his side to an emphatic victory over Sweden.
SheikhSheraz, captain who leads by example with bat and ball. Has played a few crucial knocks leading his side to victories mustering a total of 117 runs in the process.
Omid Rahimi, fearsome right handed batsman, one of the best finishers in the tournament, has plundered 125 runs at a strike rate of over 255. Has scored almost 88% of his runs in boundaries.
Adnan Razzaq, right arm pacer who has decent pace and is consistent with the ball. Second highest wicket taker for his side scalping SIX wickets.
SPAIN (SPA)
Captain: Christian Munoz-Mills
Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Awais Ahmed, Hamza Saleem, Yasir Ali, Asjad Butt,
Projected Opening Bowlers: Atif Mehmood, Adeel Raja
Spin Options: Jack Perman, Yasir Ali
SPAIN Key Players:
Kuldeep Lal, has caught the eye in ECS comps over the last two seasons for his all-round performances. Joint second highest wicket taker for SPA scalping 10 wickets in nine games with a best return of 3-6. Scored an entertaining 46 off 20 balls opening the innings on Thursday to bag his first man of the match award this season.
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 a quality left-hand bat, who can clear the fence with ease. Second highest scorer for Spain racking up 204 runs in nine innings including two man of the match awards, showcasing his exquisite hitting. Plundered an unbeaten 65 off 28 balls vs Sweden in the second qualifier.
Awais Ahmed, destructive wicket keeper batsman, likes to take control of the game from ball one, second highest scorer for SPA racking up 160 runs in eight innings including a quickfire 45 off 18 balls.
Zulqarnain Haider, right arm pacer, has been impressive with the ball bowling good lines. Joint second highest wicket taker for Spain scalping 10 wickets in nine games.
Thomas Vine, right arm medium pacer, only played six games but is leading wicket taker for Spain scalping 11 wickets with a best return of 3-24.
After a poor run of results, Belgium bounced back strongly to beat Spain earlier in the day to qualify directly for the Final. Hosts Spain will be still glowing after their victory over Sweden in Qualifier 2 which sealed their place in the Final. Both the teams will be keen on winning this affair to carry an extra point in the Finals Week.
Last time they met: ECC21.022 | BEL 114(8.3) def SPA 113 (17 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Belgium (BEL) to beat Spain again in another entertaining affair.
__________________
2ND QUALIFIER - MATCH 23 (ECC21.023)
SPAIN (SPA) v SWEDEN (SWE)
1200 GMT | 1400 CET | 1730 IST
SPA Timeline: LW NR W W W L W L (Avg Score For 117, Avg Score Against 112)
SWE Timeline: W W NR L L L W W W (Avg Score For 127, Avg Score Against 117)
SPAIN (SPA)
Captain: Christian Munoz-Mills
Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Awais Ahmed, Hamza Saleem, Yasir Ali, Asjad Butt,
Projected Opening Bowlers: Atif Mehmood, Adeel Raja
Spin Options: Jack Perman, Yasir Ali
SPAIN Key Players:
Kuldeep Lal, has caught the eye in ECS comps over the last two seasons for his all-round performances. Joint top wicket taker for SPA scalping NINE wickets in eight games with a best return of 3-6. Scored an entertaining 46 off 20 balls opening the innings on Thursday to bag his first man of the match award this season.
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 a quality left-hand bat, who can clear the fence with ease. Second highest scorer for Spain racking up 139 runs in eight innings including two man of the match awards, showcasing his exquisite hitting. Plundered 31 off 14 vs Belgium on Thursday.
Awais Ahmed, destructive wicket keeper batsman, likes to take control of the game from ball one, highest scorer for SPA racking up 157 runs in eight innings including a quickfire 45 off 18 balls.
Zulqarnain Haider, right arm pacer, has been impressive with the ball bowling good lines. second highest wicket taker for Spain scalping EIGHT wickets in eight games.
Thomas Vine, right arm medium pacer, only played four games but is joint leading wicket taker for Spain scalping NINE wickets and a best return of 3-24.
SWEDEN (SWE)
Captain: Abhijit Venkatesh
Wicketkeeper: Humayun Kabir Jyoti
Projected Top Order: Share Ali, Rahel Khan, Azam Khalil, Abhijit Venkatesh
Projected Opening Bowlers: Khalid Zahid, Zabi Zahid, Qudratullah Mir Afzal
Spin Options: Azam Khalil, Oktai Gholami, Rahel Khan
SWEDEN Key Players:
Azam Khalil, experienced campaigner in this format who contributes with bat and ball. Tireless worker on behalf of Swedish and European Cricket who will enjoy his moment in the sun here. Plundered 41 off just 12 balls vs Norway on the opening day, had gone cold since with a total of 78 runs in six innings. Scored an unbeaten 42 off 18 balls vs NOR in the eliminator. Top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 12 wickets with tournament best figures of 4-10.
Rahel Khan, a late call up who has seriously impressed with bat and ball in ECS cricket. Will be keen to take his chance on the big stage. The all-rounder is the joint highest scorer in the tournament racking up 195 runs in eight innings at a SR of 214.
Khalid Zahid, right arm pacer who can generate good speed, generally very tight with his line and lengths, third highest wicket taker for SWE with SEVEN victims.
Share Ali, one of the fiercest attacking batsmen in the Swedish batting line up. Get the Swedes off to a quick start. Second highest scorer for SWE racking up 169 runs in eight innings including a quality unbeaten 63 off 24 balls vs LUX on Monday. Has played crucial knocks in almost every game.
Imal Zuwak, destructive middle order batsman, took Sweden to an unlikely win against Belgium with a blistering knock of 61* in just 23 balls which included five consecutive sixes! Mustered another 37* off 13 in the eliminator taking his run tally to 145 in the tournament.
Oktai Gholami, highly talented ambidextrous off-spinner, second highest wicket taker for Sweden picking up EIGHT wickets in seven games including a man of the match performance of 4-23 vs Norway in the eliminator
Sweden started well winning their two games on the opening day but slipped to three consecutive defeats before recovering to three straight wins to reach the second qualifier. With momentum on their side, the Swedes look a highly competitive side and might cause an upset against Spain
Spain, on the other hand, made a late surge to top the standings but couldn’t continue their good run in the first qualifier losing to Belgium. Both sides will be eager to win this all important encounter to qualify for the finals week.
Last time they met: ECC21.013 | SPA 87 def SWE 86 (15 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Sweden (SWE) to win another thriller qualifying for the finals week.
__________________
ELIMINATOR - MATCH 21 (ECC21.021)
NORWAY (NOR) v SWEDEN (SWE)
0700 GMT | 0900 CET | 1230 IST
NOR Timeline: L L NR L W W W W (Avg Score For 129, Avg Score Against 104)
SWE Timeline: W W NR L L L W W (Avg Score For 124, Avg Score Against 116)
NORWAY (NOR)
Captain: Raza Iqbal
Wicketkeeper: Suhail Iftikhar
Projected Top Order:Raza Iqbal, Khizer Ahmed, Suhail Iftikhar, Walid Ghauri, Wahidullah Sahak
Projected Opening Bowlers:Vinay Ravi, Muhammad Sher Sahak, Hayatullah Niazi
Spin Options: Waqas Ahmed, Raza Iqbal, Pritvhi Bhart
NORWAY Key Players:
Raza Iqbal,the Norway captain is a brilliant all-rounder, who played a key role in helping Norway top Group C of 2018 ICC T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. The opener scored a 26-ball 52 vs Spain in the second game and is the second highest scorer for NOR racking up 156 runs in seven innings.
Khizer Ahmed, the hard hitting batsman has been in tremendous form this series and has been quite consistent top scoring in the tournament mustering 168 runs at a strike rate of 237.
Walid Ghauri, left handed top order batsman, third highest scorer for NOR scoring 123 runs in five innings including an unbeaten 25-ball 57 vs BEL. Has also picked up SIX wickets including a first ever T10 international hat-trick.
Vinay Ravi, right arm fast bowler, has good speed and is capable of moving the ball both ways, second highest wicket taker in the tournament scalping NINE wickets with a best return of 2-8.
Hayatullah Niazi, a seriously talented cricketer who has been playing in England this summer. Caught the eye at ICC WT20 Europe Qualifier as a 17-year-old. Will be one of the fastest bowlers in the tournament and can give it a whack too. Second highest wicket taker for Norway scalping EIGHT wickets. Can also give it a whack with the bat.
SWEDEN (SWE)
Captain: Abhijit Venkatesh
Wicketkeeper: Humayun Kabir Jyoti
Projected Top Order: Share Ali, Rahel Khan, Azam Khalil, Abhijit Venkatesh
Projected Opening Bowlers: Khalid Zahid, Zabi Zahid, Qudratullah Mir Afzal
Spin Options: Azam Khalil, Oktai Gholami, Rahel Khan
SWEDEN Key Players:
Azam Khalil, experienced campaigner in this format who contributes with bat and ball. Tireless worker on behalf of Swedish and European Cricket who will enjoy his moment in the sun here. Plundered 41 off just 12 balls vs Norway on the opening day, but has gone cold since with a total of 78 runs in six innings. Top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 11 wickets with tournament best figures of 4-10.
Rahel Khan, a late call up who has seriously impressed with bat and ball in ECS cricket. Will be keen to take his chance on the big stage. The all-rounder is the second highest scorer in the tournament racking up 164 runs in seven innings at a SR of 202.
Khalid Zahid, right arm pacer who can generate good speed, generally very tight with his line and lengths, second highest wicket taker for SWE with SIX victims at an ER of 7.68.
Share Ali, one of the fiercest attacking batsmen in the Swedish batting line up. Get the Swedes off to a quick start. Second highest scorer for SWE racking up 135 runs in seven innings including a quality unbeaten 63 off 24 balls vs LUX on Monday.
Imal Zuwak, destructive middle order batsman, took Sweden to an unlikely win against Belgium with a blistering knock of 61* in just 23 balls which included five consecutive sixes!
Sweden won their opening game against Norway while the other match was abandoned. Norway are on a roll with four straight wins while Sweden are coming into this game on the back of back-to-back wins including a serious performance against Belgium winning from an improbable situation. Both the teams are matched evenly and this game can go either way. Which team will pack their bags early?
Last time they met: ECC21.006 | Match Abandoned (14 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Norway (NOR) to edge the Scandinavian derby.
__________________
1ST QUALIFIER - MATCH 22 (ECC21.022)
SPAIN (SPA) v BELGIUM (BEL)
0900 GMT | 1100 CET | 1430 IST
SPA Timeline: LW NR W W W L W (Avg Score For 117, Avg Score Against 109)
BEL Timeline: W W W W L W L L (Avg Score For 134, Avg Score Against 121)
SPAIN (SPA)
Captain: Christian Munoz-Mills
Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Projected Top Order: Awais Ahmed, Hamza Saleem, Yasir Ali, Asjad Butt,
Projected Opening Bowlers: Atif Mehmood, Adeel Raja
Spin Options: Jack Perman, Yasir Ali
SPAIN Key Players:
Kuldeep Lal, has caught the eye in ECS comps over the last two seasons for his all-round performances. Joint top wicket taker for SPA scalping EIGHT wickets in seven games with a best return of 3-6. Scored an entertaining 46 off 20 balls opening the innings on Thursday to bag his first man of the match award this season.
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 a quality left-hand bat, who can clear the fence with ease. Highest scorer for Spain racking up 133 runs in seven innings including two man of the match awards, showcasing his exquisite hitting. Plundered 31 off 14 vs Belgium on Thursday.
Awais Ahmed, destructive wicket keeper batsman, likes to take control of the game from ball one, second highest scorer for SPA racking up 128 runs in seven innings including a quickfire 45 off 18 balls.
Zulqarnain Haider, right arm pacer, has been impressive with the ball bowling good lines. Joint second highest wicket taker for Spain scalping FIVE wickets at an ER of 8.70.
Thomas Vine, right arm medium pacer, only played four games but is joint leading wicket taker for Spain scalping SIX wickets and a best return of 3-24.
BELGIUM (BEL)
Captain: Sheikh Sheraz
Wicketkeeper: Ali Raza
Projected Top Order: Aziz Mohammad, Mamoon Latif, Faisal Mehmood, Sheikh Sheraz, Saber Zakhil
Projected Opening Bowlers: Shagharai Sefat, Adnan Razzaq
Spin Options: SheikhSheraz, Murid Ekrami
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. Third highest scorer for BEL plundering 107 runs and deservedly bagged back-to-back man of the match awards on the opening day.
Ali Raza, wicket keeper batsman, very good behind the stumps and equally better in-front of it. Top scorer for BEL racking up 121 runs in eight games including a 21-ball 57 vs Sweden on Thursday.
Shagharai Sefat, produced some impressive spells in recent ECS history, spearheads the Belgian attack. Top wicket taker for Belgium picking up SEVEN wickets. Returned best figures of 4-21 and blasted 28 off just nine balls to take his side to an emphatic victory over Sweden.
SheikhSheraz, captain who leads by example with bat and ball. Has played a few crucial knocks leading his side to victories mustering a total of 96 runs in the process.
Omid Rahimi, fearsome right handed batsman, one of the best finishers in the tournament, has plundered 113 runs at a strike rate of over 240. Has scored almost 87% of his runs in boundaries.
Adnan Razzaq, right arm pacer who has decent pace and is consistent with the ball. Joint second highest wicket taker for his side scalping FIVE wickets.
Both these sides shared the spoils with a win a piece in the group stages so it’s another meeting of two evenly-matched sides. Belgium started like a train but have lost three out of their last four, including the last match of the group stages late on Thursday. Spain, on the other hand, appear to have the momentum and can also count on home advantage.
Last time they met: ECC21.020 | SPA 135(9.2) def BEL 134 (16 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Belgium (BEL) to bounce back with a vital win.
__________________
2ND QUALIFIER - MATCH 23 (ECC21.023)
TBC v TBC
1200 GMT | 1400 CET | 1730 IST
STAY TUNED...
__________________
FINAL - MATCH 24 (ECC21.024)
TBC v TBC
1500 GMT | 1700 CET | 2030 IST
STAY TUNED...
