FanCode ECS Portugal Cartaxo provides an opportunity for seven teams contesting 24 games over six days to establish the Champions. Every game will be live streamed worldwide on the European Cricket Network and on FanCode - a multi-sport aggregator platform, from the house of Dream Sports for the Indian Sub-Continent.
European Cricket Network live broadcasts four T10 matches on Finals Day at the 2021 FanCode ECS Portugal, Cartaxo on Saturday 11 September.
With 20 exciting T10 games in the books, we have reached the business end of the competition with the FanCode ECS Portugal Cartaxo trophy up for grabs . Will the reigning champions Malo retain their title or will we see a new champion crowned in Portugal?
Teams
MAL Malo (4-2, NRR+1.321)
FIG Fighters CC (3-3, NRR+0.406)
OEI Oeiras (3-3, NRR+0.390)
GOR Gorkha 11 (3-3, NRR-0.102)
CK Coimbra Knights (3-3, NRR-0.480)
WLP Wild Panthers (3-3, NRR-1.302)
FRD Friendship CC (2-3, NRR-0.250)
__________________
1ST SEMI FINAL - MATCH 22 (ECS21.745)
MALO (MAL) v GORKHA 11 (GOR)
0930 GMT | 1330 CET | 1700 IST
MAL Last Five Matches: L W W W W (Avg Score For 125, Avg Score Against 108)
GOR Last Five Matches: W L L L W (Avg Score For 99, Avg Score Against 107)
MALO (MAL)
Captain: Mian Mehmood
Wicketkeeper: Jayesh Popat
Projected Top Four: Mian Mehmood, Zulfiqar Shah, Aamer Ikram, Amir Zaib
Projected Opening Bowlers: Najam Shahzad, Syed Maisam
Spin Options: Assad Mehmood
Malo Key Players:
Mian Shahid, captain, top all-rounder, third highest scorer for MAL racking up 112 runs including back-to-back man of the match performances on Wednesday taking his side to two crucial victories.
Najam Shahzad, another star all-rounder, second highest scorer for MAL scoring 137 runs at a strike rate of 211 and has scalped three wickets.
Amir Zaib, the all-rounder, top scorer and wicket taker for MAL mustering 152 runs at a SR of 224 including a 28-ball 67 vs GOR and has picked up SEVEN wickets.
Syed Maisam, a valuable all-rounder, hasn’t been at his best this tournament but managed to contribute with bat and ball on Friday bagging a first man of the match award.
Assad Mehmood, right arm slow bowler, very effective, second highest wicket taker for MAL picking up FIVE wickets with a best return of 3-12.
GORKHA 11 (GOR)
Captain: Madhukar Thapa
Wicketkeeper: Suman Ghimire
Projected Top Four: Suman Ghimire, Imran Khan, Rahul Hudda, Amandeep Ghumman
Projected Opening Bowlers: Imran Khan, Rahul Bhardwaj
Spin Options: Manjit Singh, Saddam Akbory
GORKHA 11 Key Players:
Imran Khan, hard-hitting Portuguese international, second highest scorer for GOR mustering 148 runs in six games including an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls vs Malo. Also picked up FOUR wickets.
Suman Ghimire, solid wicket keeper batsman, highest scorer for GOR racking up 149 runs in six games including a man of the match performance of 69* off 35 balls vs Malo.
Rahul Bhardwaj, experienced right arm medium pacer, highest wicket taker for GOR picking up NINE wickets in six games. Returned tournament best figures of 4-10 vs FRD earlier in the day.
Madhukar Thapa, captain, scalped THREE wickets on Monday at an ER of just 5.75. Second highest wicket taker for GOR picking up EIGHT wickets. He is the most economical GOR bowler this tournament.
Arslan Naeem, the 21-year old medium pacer bowls with good control and has enough pace to trouble batsmen. Third highest wicket taker for GOR so far picking up SEVEN wickets in six games including a best return of 3-10.
Reigning champions Malo have raised their game towards the business end of the competition and will be strong favourites to beat Gorkha 11.
Last time they met: ECS21.726 | GOR 128 def MAL 119 (6 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Malo (MAL) to win comfortably and reach another final in Portugal.
__________________
2ND SEMI FINAL - MATCH 23 (ECS21.746)
FIGHTERS CC (FIG) v OEIRAS (OEI)
1330 GMT | 1530 CET | 1900 IST
FIG Last Five Matches: W L L W W (Avg Score For 115, Avg Score Against 110)
OEI Last Five Matches: L W W L W (Avg Score For 127, Avg Score Against 115)
FIGHTERS CC (FIG)
Captain: Mandeep Singh
Wicketkeeper: Gurlal Singh
Projected Top Four: Gagandeep Singh, Balwinder Singh, Rana Sarwar, Mandeep Singh
Projected Opening Bowlers: Rana Sarwar, Mandeep Singh
Spin Options: Ravi Ravi
FIGHTERS CC Key Players:
Mandeep Singh, talented right handed batsman, top scorer for FIG racking up 148 runs including an unbeaten 73 off 31 balls vs GOR.
Imran Rao, hard hitting right hander, second highest scorer for FIG mustering 125 runs in six games at a strike rate of 202.
Deepu Mansurpuria, vice captain of FIG, hard-hitting batsman, capable of hitting big sixes. Will provide much needed impetus in the middle order. Scored 99 runs and picked up three wickets in four games.
Balwinder Singh, technically sound batsman and a decent medium pacer. Boasts previous ECS experience playing for Austrian Cricket Tigers and Salzburg. Scored 94 runs and is leading wicket taker picking up FIVE wickets.
Varinder Virk, right arm pacer, returned man of the match figures of 2-9 against CK on Tuesday helping his team to a first ever ECS victory.
OEIRAS (OEI)
Captain: Jiteshkumar Balkrishna
Wicketkeeper: Parth Jounjat
Projected Top Four: Kuldeep Gholiya, Conrad Greenshields, Jiteshkumar Balkrishna, Ranjit Narayan
Projected Opening Bowlers: Conrad Greenshields, Jai Mandhan
Spin Options: Paulo Buccimazza, Ranjit Narayan
OEIRAS Key Players:
Conrad Greenshields, quality South African all-rounder, a key man in the OEI lineup. Top scorer in the tournament racking up 238 runs in six innings including an unbeaten 76 off 31 balls vs WLP. Has picked up FIVE wickets with the ball as well.
Ranjit Narayan, experienced all-rounder, joint top wicket taker in the tournament picking up 10 wickets with a best return of 4-17, has racked up 72 runs in five innings.
Kuldeep Gholiya, talented wicket-keeper batsman, didn’t start the tournament well but has looked in fine form lately. Second highest scorer for OEI mustering 137 runs in six games.
Krut Patel, hard-hitting all-rounder, hasn’t batted much in the tournament so far but has shown his skills with the ball picking up SIX wickets in six games.
Jai Mandhan, the right arm pacer has the best economy rate for any OEI bowler, has also scalped SEVEN wickets with a best return of 2-9.
The two sides have had mixed tournaments winning three and losing three. Oeiras have never won a knockout game at an ECN event and would be eager to change that against newcomers Fighters CC.
Last time they met: ECS21.735 | OEI 137 def FIG 100 (8 Sep 2021)
Match Prediction: Oeiras (OEI) to win and reach the final for the first time in an ECN event.
__________________
MATCH 21 (ECS21.744)
GORKHA 11 (GOR) v FRIENDSHIP CC (FRD)
0830 GMT | 1030 CET | 1400 IST
GOR Last Five Matches: W W L L L (Avg Score For 100, Avg Score Against 105)
FRD Last Five Matches: W W L L L (Avg Score For 106, Avg Score Against 106)
GORKHA 11 (GOR)
Captain: Madhukar Thapa
Wicketkeeper: Suman Ghimire
Projected Top Four: Suman Ghimire, Imran Khan, Rahul Hudda, Amandeep Ghumman
Projected Opening Bowlers: Imran Khan, Rahul Bhardwaj
Spin Options: Manjit Singh, Saddam Akbory
GORKHA 11 Key Players:
Imran Khan, hard-hitting Portuguese international, second highest scorer for GOR mustering 138 runs in five games including an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls vs Malo. Also picked up three wickets.
Suman Ghimire, solid wicket keeper batsman, highest scorer for GOR racking up 143 runs in five games including a man of the match performance of 69* off 35 balls vs Malo.
Rahul Bhardwaj, experienced right arm medium pacer, second highest wicket taker for GOR picking up FIVE wickets in five games.
Madhukar Thapa, captain, scalped THREE wickets on Monday at an ER of just 5.75. Joint leading wicket taker for GOR picking up SEVEN wickets. He is the most economical GOR bowler this tournament.
Arslan Naeem, the 21-year old medium pacer bowls with good control and has enough pace to trouble batsmen. Joint top wicket taker for GOR so far picking up SEVEN wickets in five games including a best return of 3-10.
FRIENDSHIP CC (FRD)
Captain: Imtiaz Rana
Wicketkeeper: Mizu Rahman
Projected Top Four: Mizu Rahman, Mohammad Asad, Md Nazrul Islam, Imtiaz Rana
Projected Opening Bowlers: Mohammad Asad, Nazmul Hasan
Spin Options: Md Abdul Motin
FRIENDSHIP CC Key Players:
Md Nazrul Islam, a talented top order batsman with the ability to bowl at any slot with a tight line and length. He could be a game changer. Second highest scorer in the tournament so far mustering 216 runs in five games at a SR of 216 including three fifties and a couple of deserved man of the match awards. Has also picked up two wickets.
Mohammad Asad, Right-hand top-order batsmen and medium fast bowler, he’s also the coach of FRD and can open the innings with both bat and ball. Scored 89 runs in five games and has picked up THREE wickets.
Nazmul Hasan, right-arm pace bowler, bowls fast, has great skills, capable of destroying any top order, can bowl good slower balls too. Picked up a couple of wickets on Monday.
Md Abdul Motin, right arm off-spinner, returned man of the match with tournament best figures of 4-15 vs reigning champs Malo. Top wicket taker for FRD with FIVE wickets to his name. Has also mustered 54 runs.
Both these sides have shared similar fates, starting off with a bang with two straight wins, before faltering badly in their next three games. However, all is not lost for either side as both Friendship CC and Gorkha 11 can still qualify for the semi-finals with a win here ahead of CK and WLP.
Match Prediction: Gorkha 11 (GOR) to win and snatch the last remaining semi-final spot.
__________________
FINAL - MATCH 24 (ECS21.747)
TBC v TBC
1630 GMT | 1830 CET | 2200 IST
STAY TUNED...
