ECL20 ** European Cricket League Elite ** ECL20

GROUP A: Swardeston CC England, FCA 04 United Stars CC Darmstadt Germany, Lund CC Sweden, Helsinki CC Finland

Group A gets underway with Lund from Sweden against Helsinki from Finland in a “Battle of the North” before a genuine sporting classic awaits as English hopes Swardeston face Darmstadt of Germany. While the English champions will be strong favourites to take top billing in Group A, Lund, Helsinki and Darmstadt will all fancy their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals. Of course, Darmstadt will hope to go one better than last year’s German representatives SG Findorff who lost to V.O.C. Rotterdam in the ECL19 Final.

GROUP B: Forfarshire CC Scotland, HBS Crayenhout Netherlands, Cluj CC Romania, Moscow Foxes Russia

Pavel Florin’s Cluj side return for another crack and will be confident of a first win in the competition against the unknown quantity presented by the Moscow Foxes from Russia. In the bigger picture, Scottish champions Forfarshire and HBS Crayenhout of the Netherlands would appear favourites to progress from Group B.

GROUP C: V.O.C. Rotterdam Netherlands, Latina CC Italy, Bjørvika CC Norway, Ostend Exiles Belgium

Naturally, V.O.C. Rotterdam of the Netherlands are strongly fancied to top Group C after reigning supreme at ECL19. The “Kings of Europe” will cherish the opportunity of playing a “Low Country” derby against the Ostend Exiles from Belgium, who along with Latina from Italy and Norway champions Bjørvika will all be eyeing a quarter-final spot.

GROUP D: CIYMS CC Ireland, Skanderborg Stingrays Denmark, Minhaj CC Barcelona Spain, Dreux CC France

All-Ireland champions CIYMS are strong favourites to secure top spot in Group D, but face serious competition from Denmark’s Skanderborg Stingrays. Spanish champions Minhaj Barcelona will no doubt use their local knowledge to their advantage at La Manga Club, while French champions Dreux and history-making batsman Ahmad Nabi are more than capable of springing a surprise along the way.