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 five T10 matches on Day 10 of the 2021 Dream11 European Cricket Championship on Friday 24 September.
With 20 exciting T10 games in the books, we have reached the business end of Group B action in the Dream11 European Cricket Championship. Which two sides will qualify for Championship Week at the start of October at the superb Cartama Oval in Spain?
Group B
NED XI Netherlands XI (7-1, NRR+4.193)
AUT Austria (6-2, NRR+0.942)
HUN Hungary (3-5, NRR-0.052)
POR Portugal (2-6, NRR-1.384)
ROM Romania (2-6, NRR-3.570)
European Cricket Championship 2021
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GROUP B | FINAL - MATCH 24 (ECC21.048)
NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI) v AUSTRIA (AUT)
1500 GMT | 1700 CET | 2030 IST
NED XI Timeline: W W W W W W L W NR (Avg Score For 130, Avg Score Against 88)
AUT Timeline: W W L W L W W W NR W (Avg Score For 121, Avg Score Against 111)
NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI)
Captain: Sebastiaan Braat
Wicketkeeper: Asad Zulfiqar
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
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. Hasn’t enjoyed much opportunity to impress with the bat, but has managed 111 runs in eight games at a SR of 241. Second highest wicket taker for NED XI picking up 10 wickets.
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 man of the match award vs Romania. Second highest scorer for NED XI racking up 159 runs in seven innings.
Musa Nadeem Ahmad, star batsman, the left hander finally came good against Romania on Tuesday mustering an unbeaten 63 off 20 balls. He also picked up two wickets and plucked two outstanding catches. Has plundered a total of 149 runs including back-to-back fifties.
Clayton Floyd, talented all-rounder and canny left-arm spinner. Mustered 115 off just 35 balls vs Romania on Tuesday racking up an historic first ever T10 international hundred. His knock included 15 towering maximos. Top scorer in the tournament amassing 245 runs in seven innings and has taken NINE wickets.
Julian De Mey, slow left arm orthodox, highly effective in the middle overs, top wicket taker for NED XI scalping 12 wickets in eight 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 EIGHT wickets in seven games.
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Zeeshan Goraya, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Sahil Momin, Abdullah Akbarjan, Iqbal Hossain
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Abdullah Akbarjan, talented left-arm slow bowler with good pace variations, is generally very economical, scalped TWO HAT-TRICKS at FanCode ECS Austria Vienna. He is a handy batsman too. Leading wicket taker for AUT picking up 11 wickets.
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batsman, started off with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Second highest scorer for Austria mustering 215 runs in eight innings.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batsman, second highest scorer in the tournament, hammered 241 runs in seven innings including a blistering 64* off 29 balls vs HUN. Has bagged three man of the match awards.
Noor Khan, right arm medium pacer with plenty of ECS experience, joint second highest wicket taker for Austria scalping SIX wickets in nine overs. He is also a handy batsman.
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 SEVEN wickets with a best return of 3-4.
Deservedly, Netherlands XI progressed through to the final finishing ahead of Austria in the standings after the first qualifier was abandoned. Austria had to work hard for the win against Portugal in the second qualifier. The two best teams in the group have reached the final and both will be keen to take the extra point with them in the Championship Week.
Last time they met: ECC21.046 | Match Abandoned (24 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Netherlands XI (NED XI) to win comprehensively and make it 3-0 against Austria.
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GROUP B | 2ND QUALIFIER - MATCH 23 (ECC21.047)
AUSTRIA (AUT) v PORTUGAL (POR)
1200 GMT | 1400 CET | 1730 IST
AUT Timeline: W W L W L W W W NR (Avg Score For 122, Avg Score Against 113)
POR Timeline: L L L L L L W W W (Avg Score For 110, Avg Score Against 115)
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Zeeshan Goraya, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Sahil Momin, Abdullah Akbarjan, Iqbal Hossain
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Abdullah Akbarjan, talented left-arm slow bowler with good pace variations, is generally very economical, scalped TWO HAT-TRICKS at FanCode ECS Austria Vienna. He is a handy batsman too. Leading wicket taker for AUT picking up NINE wickets.
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batsman, started off with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Second highest scorer for Austria mustering 198 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 211.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batsman, second highest scorer in the tournament, hammered 235 runs in six games at a strike rate of over 224 including a blistering 64* off 29 balls vs HUN. Has bagged three man of the match awards.
Noor Khan, right arm medium pacer with plenty of ECS experience, joint second highest wicket taker for Austria scalping SIX wickets in eight games. He is also a handy batsman.
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 SEVEN wickets with a best return of 3-4.
PORTUGAL (POR)
Captain: Najjam Shahzad
Wicketkeeper: Francoise Stoman
Projected Top Order: Azhar Andani, Sharn Gomes, Amir Zaib, Anthony Chambers
Projected Opening Bowlers: Junaid Khan, Najjam Shahzad
Spin Options: Md Siraj Nipo, Amandeep Singh
PORTUGAL Key Players:
Najjam Shahzad, star all-rounder, dependable batsman who can anchor the innings very well, has scored 68 runs in seven knocks. He has also picked up EIGHT wickets.
Amir Zaib, another valuable all-rounder with vast ECN experience. Second highest scorer for Portugal racking up 222 runs in eight matches at a SR of 200. He hammered an unbeaten 72 off just 18 balls vs Romania. Has also picked up EIGHT wickets with the ball.
Junaid Khan, very good with the bat and equally sharp with the ball, the left arm quick has looked lethal with the ball both at the start and in the death overs, top wicket taker for POR picking up 14 wickets in nine games with a best return of 4-14 vs ROM.
Sharn Gomes, classy left handed batsman, highest run scorer for POR racking up 282 runs in nine games. Scored back-to-back fifties on Thursday helping his side qualify for Finals Day. Muscled an unbeaten 78 off 28 balls in the eliminator racking up his consecutive fifty.
Imran Khan, all-rounder, hasn’t fired with the bat scoring just 41 runs in six innings but has been exceptionally well with the ball, second highest wicket taker for POR picking up 12 wickets.
Portugal surprised everyone with three consecutive wins after six losses and are in prime form. Austria will be disappointed with the washout but will be keen to get the win against the Portuguese which will not be an easy task.
Last time they met: ECC21.037 | AUT 75(6) def POR 73 (22 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Austria (AUT) to win a close contest.
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GROUP B | ELIMINATOR - MATCH 21 (ECC21.045)
HUNGARY (HUN) v PORTUGAL (POR)
0700 GMT | 0900 CET | 1230 IST
HUN Timeline: W L W L W L L L (Avg Score For 111, Avg Score Against 112)
POR Timeline: L L L L L L W W (Avg Score For 102, Avg Score Against 116)
HUNGARY (HUN)
Captain: Marc Ahuja
Wicketkeeper: Satyadeep Aswathnarayan
Projected Top Order: Zeeshan Kukikhel, Harsh Mandhyan, Marc Ahuja, Zahir Safi Mohammed
Projected Opening Bowlers: Habib Deldar, Harsh Mandhyan, Abhishek Kheterpal and Asanka Weligamage
Spin Options: Harsh Mandhyan
HUNGARY Key Players:
Zahir Safi Mohammed, experienced right handed middle order batsman, highest run scorer for HUN mustering 206 runs in eight games including a crucial 43 off 14 balls vs POR, and blasted 57 off just 22 balls vs NED XI on Wednesday.
Zeeshan Kukikhel, star all-rounder for Hungary, second highest run scorer for HUN racking up 170 runs in eight games and has picked up SEVEN wickets. He also bagged the man of the match award for his all-round performance vs POR.
Harsh Mandhyan, right handed batsman andright arm off-spinner, very consistent with his line and length and is generally economical, has picked up EIGHT wickets in eight games and scored 110 runs.
Abhishek Kheterpal, right-arm fast bowler who loves taking the new ball and can swing it both ways, he is a genuine threat in the powerplay overs. Top wicket taker for Hungary scalping 12 wickets including a joint tournament best figures of 4-10 vs Portugal bagging a man of the match award.
Salman Khan, left arm pacer, second highest wicket taker for Hungary picking up NINE wickets in eight games with a best return of 3-12. Can add valuable runs down the order, muscled an unbeaten 19 off 5 balls vs NED XI on Thursday.
PORTUGAL (POR)
Captain: Najjam Shahzad
Wicketkeeper: Francoise Stoman
Projected Top Order: Azhar Andani, Sharn Gomes, Amir Zaib, Anthony Chambers
Projected Opening Bowlers: Junaid Khan, Najjam Shahzad
Spin Options: Md Siraj Nipo, Amandeep Singh
PORTUGAL Key Players:
Najjam Shahzad, star all-rounder, dependable batsman who can anchor the innings very well, has scored 68 runs in seven knocks. He has also picked up EIGHT wickets.
Amir Zaib, another valuable all-rounder with vast ECN experience. Top scorer for Portugal racking up 222 runs in eight matches at a SR of 200. He hammered an unbeaten 72 off just 18 balls vs Romania. Has also picked up EIGHT wickets with the ball.
Junaid Khan, very good with the bat and equally sharp with the ball, the left arm quick has looked lethal with the ball both at the start and in the death overs, top wicket taker for POR picking up 13 wickets in eight games with a best return of 4-14 vs ROM.
Sharn Gomes, classy left handed batsman, second highest run scorer for POR racking up 204 runs in eight games. Scored back-to-back fifties on Wednesday helping his side qualify for Finals Day.
Imran Khan, all-rounder, hasn’t fired with the bat scoring just 41 runs in six innings but has been exceptionally well with the ball, second highest wicket taker for POR picking up 12 wickets.
After losing six on the trot, Portugal came from nowhere to win two from two on Thursday to qualify ahead of Romania and stay alive in the competition. Buoyed by those wins, Portugal will be full of confidence in the Eliminator and now pit their wits against Hungary, who are on a three match losing streak.
Last time they met: ECC21.030 | HUN 124 def POR 97 (21 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Portugal (POR) to maintain their progress with another victory.
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GROUP B | 1ST QUALIFIER - MATCH 22 (ECC21.046)
NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI) v AUSTRIA (AUT)
0900 GMT | 1100 CET | 1430 IST
NED XI Timeline: W W W W W W L W (Avg Score For 130, Avg Score Against 88)
AUT Timeline: W W L W L W W W (Avg Score For 122, Avg Score Against 113)
NETHERLANDS XI (NED XI)
Captain: Sebastiaan Braat
Wicketkeeper: Asad Zulfiqar
Projected Top Order: Musa Nadeem Ahmad, Clayton Floyd, Boris Gorlee, Sebastiaan Braat, Victor Lubbers
Projected Opening Bowlers: Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein
Spin Options: Clayton Floyd, Julian de Mey
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. Hasn’t enjoyed much opportunity to impress with the bat, but has managed 111 runs in eight games at a SR of 241. Second highest wicket taker for NED XI picking up 10 wickets.
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 man of the match award vs Romania. Second highest scorer for NED XI racking up 159 runs in seven innings.
Musa Nadeem Ahmad, star batsman, the left hander finally came good against Romania on Tuesday mustering an unbeaten 63 off 20 balls. He also picked up two wickets and plucked two outstanding catches. Has plundered a total of 149 runs including back-to-back fifties.
Clayton Floyd, talented all-rounder and canny left-arm spinner. Mustered 115 off just 35 balls vs Romania on Tuesday racking up an historic first ever T10 international hundred. His knock included 15 towering maximos. Top scorer in the tournament amassing 245 runs in seven innings and has taken NINE wickets.
Julian De Mey, slow left arm orthodox, highly effective in the middle overs, top wicket taker for NED XI scalping 12 wickets in eight 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 EIGHT wickets in seven games.
AUSTRIA (AUT)
Captain: Razmal Shigiwal
Wicketkeeper: Abrar Bilal
Projected Top Order: Iqbal Hossain, Zeeshan Goraya, Razmal Shigiwal, Abrar Bilal, Mirza Ahsan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Aqib Iqbal, Sahel Zadran
Spin Options: Sahel Zadran, Sahil Momin, Abdullah Akbarjan, Iqbal Hossain
AUSTRIA Key Players:
Abdullah Akbarjan, talented left-arm slow bowler with good pace variations, is generally very economical, scalped TWO HAT-TRICKS at FanCode ECS Austria Vienna. He is a handy batsman too. Leading wicket taker for AUT picking up NINE wickets.
Razmal Shigiwal, hard hitting batsman, started off with a bang plundering 96 runs in just 28 balls including 11 HUGE maximos against Romania. Second highest scorer for Austria mustering 198 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 211.
Iqbal Hossain, aggressive opening batsman, second highest scorer in the tournament, hammered 235 runs in six games at a strike rate of over 224 including a blistering 64* off 29 balls vs HUN. Has bagged three man of the match awards.
Noor Khan, right arm medium pacer with plenty of ECS experience, joint second highest wicket taker for Austria scalping SIX wickets in eight games. He is also a handy batsman.
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 SEVEN wickets with a best return of 3-4.
Netherlands XI beat Austria twice easily in the group stages, the only side to overcome the second placed Austrians. Despite losing to Portugal on Thursday, NED XI will be huge favourites to seal their spot at Championship Week by winning the opening Qualifier. Austria’s best chance is to bat first and post a challenging target of 125+.
Last time they met: ECC21.035 | NED XI 158 def AUT 68 (22 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Netherlands XI (NED XI) to go straight to the Final with a comprehensive win.
