The European Cricket Network live broadcasts the 2020 European Cricket Series Barcelona November encounter between Falco and Raval Sporting.
Tune in to the live action Wednesday from 8:30am CET * 7:30am UK/GMT * 1pm IST from the Montjuïc ground in Barcelona, Spain.
Team Preview for Falco
Falco CC were the runners-up in the October European Cricket Series Barcelona but they haven't quite recaptured that form this month. With only a 2 and 4 record, they face an uphill battle to even make the finals this time around. This match is a must win for them.
Captain: Kamran Raja
Main Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Key Players:
Awais Ahmed is the Spanish national wicketkeeper who will open the batting for Falco and was the leading run-scorer last month’s series across all teams. He hasn't quite recaptured the dizzy heights of October although he's still Falco's leading batsman in this series, scoring 115 runs which included one standout innings of 58. He is capable of improvement and if he starts playing to his potential then Falco are every chance to make the final four.
Shahbaz Ahmed is another one who hasn’t quite found the form that had him monikered as Falco’s “Magic Man” last month. He took a hat trick against Raval Sporting last time these teams played and I’m sure that’s playing on the mind of the opposition in this rematch.
Muhammad Sheraz has bowled well for Falco in November. With six wickets, he is their leading wicket-taker in this European Cricket Series and if Falco are able to progress to the next stage they owe him a debt of gratitude for the hard work he has put in!
Team Preview for Raval Sporting
Raval Sporting CC are another team that's made a slow start to the series, with only one win out of four matches which would disappoint them after they had a winning record in October. Similarly to Falco, any chance of Finals Friday action will be snuffed out with a loss in this match.
Captain: Ishan Patel
Main Wicketkeeper: Kishitij Patel
Key Players:
Kishitij Patel is in a purple patch in this November European Cricket Series. He is their leading run-scorer with 139 runs at an average of 46. As the form batsman of the team, he needs to keep it up if Raval Sporting are to push for higher honours.
Abishek Borikar continues to impress me. He does his best to keep his cool under pressure and is their leading wicket-taker, although he has been a little expensive at times. Hopefully he can keep things a bit tighter while continuing to strike regularly for his team.
Manish Manwani has been reliable with the ball, with four wickets for the tournament but is struggling with bat in hand. After a good innings of 30 not out in his first match, his innings since read 1,0,0. Now that is a type of ‘hundred’ that you don’t want as a batsman! He is a good batsman though and early dismissals are always a risk in T10 cricket – it’s just a shame that he has copped a few in a row!
Mr Maximo’s tip: FALCO
Both these teams will enter this game desperate for a win. Falco have underperformed in this series after they were red hot this time last month, while Raval Sporting would also be disappointed after a promising showing in October.
These teams last met on 21st October 2020, when Falco recorded a handsome victory 163-93. Check out the scorecard from that match here.
I think Falco can up their game and repeat the victory in this match, albeit perhaps not quite so convincingly. It sure will be an interesting start to the day – with four more matches of crash and bash cricket on the cards, you don’t want to miss the European Cricket Series!
Tune in to the European Cricket Network to catch all of the action, available on FanCode on the Indian subcontinent and Sports Flick if you’re watching from anywhere else around the world.
