European Cricket Network live broadcasts four T10 matches on Day 7 of the 2021 FanCode ECS Malta on Monday 21 June.
The second week of action opens with unbeaten Marsa taking on American University of Malta with both vying for supremacy in Group A, while two winless sides, Southern Crusaders and Royal Strikers, will both be keen to experience the sweet taste of victory on Day 7.
Group A
MARMarsa (4-0, NRR+1.662)
AUMAmerican University of Malta (3-1, NRR+2.112)
AUKAtlas UTC Knights (3-1, NRR+0.450)
SOCSouthern Crusaders (0-4, NRR-0.550)
RSTRoyal Strikers (0-4, NRR-3.745)
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MATCH 25 (ECS21.460)
MARSA (MAR) v AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF MALTA (AUM)
0700 GMT | 0900 CET | 1230 IST
MATCH 26 (ECS21.461)
MARSA (MAR) v AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF MALTA (AUM)
0900 GMT | 1100 CET | 1430 IST
MAR Last Five Matches: W W W W W (Avg Score For 107, Avg Score Against 87)
AUM Last Five Matches: NR W W W L (Avg Score For 100, Avg Score Against 80)
Captain: Haroon Mughal
Wicketkeeper: John Grima
Projected Top Four: Nowell Khosla, Zeeshan Khan, Fanyan Mughal, Haroon Mughal
Projected Opening Bowlers: Noshair Akhter, Waseem Abbas
Spin Options: Sidharth Anand
MARSA Key Players:
Nowell Khosla, right handed opening batsman, natural strokemaker, second highest run scorer in the previous edition amassing 235 runs including 21 maximos. Has had an ordinary tournament with the bat so far scoring just 47 runs in four innings, but is top wicket taker for MAR scalping four victims at a miserly economy rate of FOUR.
Zeeshan Khan, one of the top players for Marsa, is fearless and loves to take on the new ball bowlers, racked up 211 runs in the previous edition. Top run scorer for Marsa with 139 runs from four matches with 11 LONG maximos.
Niraj Khanna, right-handed middle-order batsman has racked up 103 runs in the four games including a crafty half century and was named man of the match for this effort.
Fanyan Mughal, right-handed batsman, left arm fast bowler, death over specialist, scored 164 runs at a SR of 208 and picked up seven wickets in the previous edition. Has picked up three wickets from four matches this time around.
Waseem Abbas, national team opening bowler, gets good movement off the seam, joint leading wicket-taker in the last edition with 10 scalps, his height helps extract good bounce off the pitch that troubles batsmen. He was the hero for his side in the opening game of the season hitting 13 runs from three balls to take Marsa over the line.
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF MALTA (AUM)
Captain: Jit Patel
Wicketkeeper: Darshit Patankar
Projected Top Four: Amandeep Ralhan, Saneesh Kumar, Darshit Patankar, Zoheb Malek
Projected Opening Bowlers: Shubh Patel, Jit Patel
Spin Options: Tarak Shah, Zoheb Malek
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF MALTA Key Players:
Zoheb Malek impressed with 201 runs at the last edition, scoring nearly three times as many runs as any of his teammates. He also picked up four wickets. Has looked solid racking up 62 runs from three innings and is also top wicket taker with four scalps.
Darshit Patankar, the wicket-keeper batsman has mustered 147 runs from four games including two unbeaten fifties at a strike rate of 191. Has been in sublime form and is a must have in your fantasy team.
Shubh Patel, the 25-year old fast bowler was leading wicket taker for AUM last season picking up eight wickets from seven matches. Started the season on a high picking up three wickets in the first game.
Jit Patel, captain, bowling all-rounder, the left-arm medium pacer brings variety to the AUM bowling line-up. Picked up four wickets last season and racked up 55 runs from four innings. Joint top wicket taker for his side picking up four wickets in four matches this term.
Reigning champions Marsa have come out on top in some narrow finishes and will be pushed to the limit to keep their unbeaten record intact against much-improved AUM.
Last time they met: Match abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Match Prediction: Marsa and AUM are likely to share the spoils in two entertaining affairs.
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MATCH 27 (ECS21.462)
ROYAL STRIKERS (RST) v SOUTHERN CRUSADERS (SOC)
1100 GMT | 1300 CET | 1630 IST
MATCH 28 (ECS21.463)
ROYAL STRIKERS (RST) v SOUTHERN CRUSADERS (SOC)
1330 GMT | 1530 CET | 1900 IST
RST Last Five Matches: L L L L (Avg Score For 74, Avg Score Against 111)
SOC Last Five Matches: L L L L L (Avg Score For 88, Avg Score Against 101)
Captain: Savio Thomas
Wicketkeeper: Sanish Mani
Projected Top Four: Sebin Thomas, Kushlesh Koppaka, Livin Varghese, Febin Poulose
Projected Opening Bowlers: Rubin James, Sebin Thomas
Spin Options: Sebin Thomas, Jithin Joy, Clinto Paul
ROYAL STRIKERS Key Players:
Livin Varghese, RHB, top scorer for Royal Strikers in 2020 summer league in Malta, has racked up 52 runs from four innings.
Savio Thomas, captain, leading from the front, top scoring for his side with 59 runs from four matches.
Sebin Thomas is a powerful hitter of the ball, loves taking on the new ball bowlers and will be key in providing brisk starts for his team, has picked up two wickets.
Febin Poulose, hitman of Royal Strikers, can hit big sixes with ease. The right hand batsman will add a lot of value in the RST middle order with his power hitting.
Captain: Michael Goonetilleke
Wicketkeeper: Gopal Thakur
Projected Top Four: Ryan Bastiansz, Michael Goonetilleke, Zeeshan Yousaf, Angelo Delardon
Projected Opening Bowlers: Zeeshan Yousaf, Lakshitha senavirathna
Spin Options: Jojo Thomas, Ryan Bastiansz, Azwan Kamaleen, Eranga Jayawardhana, Aneel Shahid
SOUTHERN CRUSADERS Key Players:
Zeeshan Yousaf, all-rounder, big hitting opener, moves the ball both ways, picked up eight wickets leading the wicket taking charts and piled up 150 runs in the previous edition, is a good outfielder too. Has played good hands in all the games scoring 53 runs in all but will look to score big in the coming matches.
Ryan Ricky Bastiansz, scores quickly, is good off the back foot, mustered 175 runs including 15 towering sixes in the previous edition. He is currently leading the scoring sheets for SOC racking up 60 runs.
Gopal Thakur, go-to-man with the bat for SOC in ECS Malta 2020, leading run-scorer racking up 199 runs with a best of 54.
Jojo Thomas, right arm finger spinner, joint leading wicket taker scalping eight wickets with a best of 2-9 in December 2020. Picked up five wickets in four games leading the wicket taking sheets for SOC with a best return of 3-17.
Southern Crusaders and Royal Strikers are winless having lost all four matches. While SOC have succumbed to defeat in some tight finishes, RST look to be the weakest side in the group and may struggle to see off SOC.
Match Prediction: Southern Crusaders (SOC) to get off the mark with two victories.