European Cricket Network live broadcasts four T10 matches on Day 2 of the 2021 FanCode ECS Czech Republic, Prague on Tuesday 4 May.
Tuesday sees Group B spring into action in the Czech capital.
2020 was a frustrating season of what might have beens for Prague Barbarians Vandals (PBV), defeated by Bohemian CC in the ECN Czech Super Series Final. PBV dominated the T20 League Division One coming through the group stage undefeated, before agonisingly falling short once again in the final to Prague CC Kings. Star all-rounder Sabawoon Davizi was the standout performer at the ECN Czech Super Series and will be one to watch again here in Prague.
Brno Rangers (BRG) put on a strong showing on home soil, winning week 4 of the ECN Czech Super Series. Led by 25-year-old South African Dylan Steyn, key players include Czech National Team spin bowler Naveed Khan and pace bowler Rahat Ali.
One of the newest teams in Prague’s rising cricketing circles, United (UCC) have already shown they are more than capable of competing on this stage, despite going winless at both the ECN Czech Super Series and ECS Prague in October. The Division 2 side will be underdogs, but possess a formidable bowling attack and their batting continues to improve with each and every game. United promise to be a stronger outfit, benefitting from last year's steep learning curve.
Formed in 2019 by a group of former Prague Barbarians members, Prague Spartans Vanguards (PSV) prevailed at week 2 of the ECN Czech Super Series, ultimately finishing third at Championship weekend. PSV have already garnered more silverware than their former club and will look to build on that impressive start after going winless at ECS Prague last October.
Prague CC Rooks (PCR) are reigning Pro40 League Division 1 champions. Prague CC's supposed second string will look to spring a surprise or two under the leadership of Naveen Padmaraju, featuring many wily former Czech National Team Players including Rohit Deshmoyni.
Group B
BRG Brno Rangers (BRG) (0-0, NRR+0.000)
PBVPrague Barbarians Vandals (PBV) (0-0, NRR+0.000)
PCR Prague CC Rooks (PCR) (0-0, NRR+0.000)
PSV Prague Spartans Vanguards (PSV) (0-0, NRR+0.000)
UCCUnited (UCC) (0-0, NRR+0.000)
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MATCH 5 (ECS21.296)
PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS (PSV) v PRAGUE CC ROOKS (PCR)
0700 GMT | 0900 CET | 1230 IST
PSV Last Five Matches: W W W L L (Avg Score For 94, Avg Score Against 100)
PCR Last Five Matches: W W W L (Avg Score For 96, Avg Score Against 94)
PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS (PSV)
Captain: Neeraj Tyagi
Wicketkeeper: Varun Mehta
Projected Top Four: Kranthi Venkataswamy, Satyajit Sengupta, Vyshakh Jagannivasan, Varun Mehta
Projected Opening Bowlers: Neeraj Tyagi, Arman Bhuiyan
Spin Options: Farooq Abdullah
PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS Key Players:
Kranthi Venkataswamy, decent top order batsman, has failed to get going in previous editions but would love to make his mark this time around.
Neeraj Tyagi, captain, right arm fast bowler, quick and accurate with his line and length, top wicket taker at ECN Czech Super Series Week 2 with six scalps from four games at an economy rate of just 3.62!
Satyajit Sengupta, top all-rounder, hasn’t fired with the bat but has been impressive with the ball scalping seven wickets from eight games on the European Cricket platform.
PRAGUE CC ROOKS (PCR)
Captain: Naveen Padmaraju
Wicketkeeper: Jeet Shah
Projected Top Four: Karthick Gopalakrishnan, Jeet Shah, Jinnu Panilet, Kasi Vishwanathan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Rohit Deshmoyni, Naveen Gunasekaran
Spin Options: Abhishek Pal
PRAGUE CC ROOKS Key Players:
Kasi Vishwanathan, star player for PCR, is a sensible batsman, plays according to the situation, capable of hitting lusty blows if needed, can roll his arm over to chip in with a few overs.
Rohit Deshmoyni, top wicket taker at ECN Czech Super Series Week 3 with eight victims to his name with a best return of 3-7, can also be a handy batsman down the order.
Karthick Gopalakrishnan, destructive opening batsman tailor made for T10 format, would be eager to showcase his talent on the European Cricket stage, PCR will rely on him to give them good starts.
Prague CC Rooks were runners-up at ECN Czech Super Series Week 3 and would love to go the distance this time around, while Prague Spartans Vanguards won Week 2 and will look to start 2021 in similar fashion.
Match Prediction: Prague Spartans Vanguards (PSV) to edge a narrow win.
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MATCH 6 (ECS21.297)
UNITED (UCC) v PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS (PSV)
0900 GMT | 1100 CET | 1430 IST
UCC Last Five Matches: L NR L L L (Avg Score For 76, Avg Score Against 106)
PSV Last Five Matches: W W W L L (Avg Score For 94, Avg Score Against 100)
UNITED (UCC)
Captain: Pramod Bagauly
Wicketkeeper: Amit Pangarkar
Projected Top Four: Abhimanyu Singh, Rhuturaj Magare, Pramod Bagauly, Piyushsingh Baghel
Projected Opening Bowlers: Pramod Bagauly, Mustafa Nawab
Spin Options: Abhimanyu Singh, Neelesh Pandit
UNITED Key Players:
Abhimanyu Singh, classy opening batsman, leading run scorer for United, has racked up 159 runs at an average of 32 across two tournaments.
Pramod Bagauly, captain, all-rounder, decent batsman capable of scoring quick runs, can swing the ball both ways, racked up over 50 runs and scalped two wickets at ECS Prague 2020.
Neelesh Pandit, right arm spin bowler, deceptive in the air, scalped four wickets from five games at ECS Prague 2020.
PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS (PSV)
Captain: Neeraj Tyagi
Wicketkeeper: Varun Mehta
Projected Top Four: Kranthi Venkataswamy, Satyajit Sengupta, Vyshakh Jagannivasan, Varun Mehta
Projected Opening Bowlers: Neeraj Tyagi, Arman Bhuiyan
Spin Options: Farooq Abdullah
PRAGUE SPARTANS VANGUARDS Key Players:
Kranthi Venkataswamy, decent top order batsman, has failed to get going in previous editions but would love to make his mark this time around.
Neeraj Tyagi, captain, right arm fast bowler, quick and accurate with his line and length, top wicket taker at ECN Czech Super Series Week 2 with six scalps from four games at an economy rate of just 3.62!
Satyajit Sengupta, top all-rounder, hasn’t fired with the bat but has been impressive with the ball scalping seven wickets from eight games on the European Cricket platform.
United are yet to win a game on the grand European Cricket stage and will be desperate to start off their campaign on a winning note, but UCC have their task cut out against a strong looking PSV side.
Match Prediction: Prague Spartans Vanguards (PSV) to win at a canter.
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MATCH 7 (ECS21.298)
PRAGUE CC ROOKS (PCR) v PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS (PBV)
1100 GMT | 1300 CET | 1630 IST
PCR Last Five Matches: W W W L (Avg Score For 96, Avg Score Against 94)
PBV Last Five Matches: L L W W L (Avg Score For 93, Avg Score Against 85)
PRAGUE CC ROOKS (PCR)
PRAGUE CC ROOKS (PCR)
Captain: Naveen Padmaraju
Wicketkeeper: Jeet Shah
Projected Top Four: Karthick Gopalakrishnan, Jeet Shah, Jinnu Panilet, Kasi Vishwanathan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Rohit Deshmoyni, Naveen Gunasekaran
Spin Options: Abhishek Pal
PRAGUE CC ROOKS Key Players:
Kasi Vishwanathan, star player for PCR, is a sensible batsman, plays according to the situation, capable of hitting lusty blows if needed, can roll his arm over to chip in with a few overs.
Rohit Deshmoyni, top wicket taker at ECN Czech Super Series Week 3 with eight victims to his name with a best return of 3-7, can also be a handy batsman down the order.
Karthick Gopalakrishnan, destructive opening batsman tailor made for T10 format, would be eager to showcase his talent on the European Cricket stage, PCR will rely on him to give them good starts.
PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS (PBV)
Captain: Divyendra Singh
Wicketkeeper: Divyendra Singh
Projected Top Four: Sabawoon Davizi, Divyendra Singh, Sahil Grover, Uday Gali
Projected Opening Bowlers: Piyush Kumar, Sabawoon Davizi
Spin Options: Muralidhara Vandrasi, Amritpal Rai
PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS Key Players:
Sabawoon Davizi, star all-rounder, only player to have ever scored a century and take 4 wickets in a T20I, has amassed 503 runs in 15 matches and scalped 13 wickets at the European Cricket platform.
Divyendra Singh, captain, all-rounder, racked up 166 runs from 10 games at ECN Czech Super Series weekends and also picked up five wickets.
Sagar Madhireddy, medium fast bowler, has good control over the ball, impressed at the ECN Czech Super Series weekends scalping 11 wickets from 10 games at an economy rate of just over seven.
Prague CC Rooks possess the advantage of knowing the conditions but the Vandals are a stronger team with plenty of experience and will be confident of a winning start.
Last time they met: PBV 122 def PCR 96 (28 Jun 2020)
Match Prediction: Prague Barbarians Vandals (PBV) to start off their campaign with a win.
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MATCH 8 (ECS21.299)
PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS (PBV) v UNITED (UCC)
1300 GMT | 1500 CET | 1830 IST
PBV Last Five Matches: L L W W L (Avg Score For 93, Avg Score Against 85)
UCC Last Five Matches: L NR L L L (Avg Score For 76, Avg Score Against 106)
PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS (PBV)
Captain: Divyendra Singh
Wicketkeeper: Divyendra Singh
Projected Top Four: Sabawoon Davizi, Divyendra Singh, Sahil Grover, Uday Gali
Projected Opening Bowlers: Piyush Kumar, Sabawoon Davizi
Spin Options: Muralidhara Vandrasi, Amritpal Rai
PRAGUE BARBARIANS VANDALS Key Players:
Sabawoon Davizi, star all-rounder, only player to have ever scored a century and take 4 wickets in a T20I, has amassed 503 runs in 15 matches and scalped 13 wickets at the European Cricket platform.
Divyendra Singh, captain, all-rounder, racked up 166 runs from 10 games at ECN Czech Super Series weekends and also picked up five wickets.
Sagar Madhireddy, medium fast bowler, has good control over the ball, impressed at the ECN Czech Super Series weekends scalping 11 wickets from 10 games at an economy rate of just over seven.
UNITED (UCC)
Captain: Pramod Bagauly
Wicketkeeper: Amit Pangarkar
Projected Top Four: Abhimanyu Singh, Rhuturaj Magare, Pramod Bagauly, Piyushsingh Baghel
Projected Opening Bowlers: Pramod Bagauly, Mustafa Nawab
Spin Options: Abhimanyu Singh, Neelesh Pandit
UNITED Key Players:
Abhimanyu Singh, classy opening batsman, leading run scorer for United, has racked up 159 runs at an average of 32 across two tournaments.
Pramod Bagauly, captain, all-rounder, decent batsman capable of scoring quick runs, can swing the ball both ways, racked up over 50 runs and scalped two wickets at ECS Prague 2020.
Neelesh Pandit, right arm spin bowler, deceptive in the air, scalped four wickets from five games at ECS Prague 2020.
Prague Barbarian Vandals will look to boost their NRR at an early stage with a big win against a United side which might prove to be the weakest in Group B.
Match Prediction: Prague Barbarians Vandals (PBV) to finish the day on a high with an easy win.