The fourth day of the FanCode ECS Spain Barcelona promises five Group B matchups with a clash of two unbeaten teams to round off what is sure to be a fantastic day of cricket.
Group B
PIC Pak I Care (2-0 +4.000)
RIW Ripoll Warriors (2-0 +1.267)
BAR Barna Royals (1-0 +1.000)
CLI City Lions (0-1 -1.000)
HIS Hira Sabadell (0-2 -1.850)
PAK Pakcelona (0-2 -3.546)
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MATCH 16 (ECS21.016)
CITY LIONS (CLI) v PAKCELONA (PAK)
0730 GMT | 0830 CET | 1300 IST
CLI Last Five Matches: L (Avg Score For 76, Avg Score Against 86)
PAK Last Five Matches: W L L L L (Avg Score For 102, Avg Score Against 117)
CITY LIONS (CLI)
Captain: Amar Shakoor
Wicketkeeper: Kashif Ali
Projected Top Four: Sikandar Raja, Abid Hussain, Mubashar Ali, Kashif Ali
Projected Opening Bowlers: Amar Shakoor, Nadeem Razzaq
Spin Options: Ibrar Hussain
CITY LIONS Key Players:
Sikandar Raja grabbed three wickets for just 14 runs on his ECS debut against Barna Royals.
Zahid Nawaz bowled with great control, conceding just eight runs and picking up two crucial wickets.
Irfan Muhammad kept his team in the hunt with some lusty blows. Unbeaten on 26 off 18 balls, he might bat up the order next game.
Ibrar Hussain, the talented spinner has grabbed 27 wickets from 21 matches with best figures of 3-8.
PAKCELONA (PAK)
Captain: Raja Khaliq
Wicketkeeper: Shahid Iqbal
Projected Top Four: Ishtiaq Nazir, Shahzad Khan, Shahid Iqbal, Nouman Rukhsar
Projected Opening Bowlers: Shahzad Khan, Raja Khaliq
Spin Options: Raja Khaliq
PAKCELONA Key Players:
Nouman Rukhsar, all-rounder, scored some handy runs down the order and also picked up two wickets.
Raja Khaliq scalped three wickets from 2 matches with a best of 2-28 against Pak I Care.
Shahzad Khan, all-rounder, was the leading wicket-taker for Pakcelona at ECS Barcelona 2020 with 9 scalps from 7 games. He looked good during his short stay at the crease.
After losing two games on the trot, Pakcelona will look to bounce back and get their season on track with a win against City Lions. Newcomers CLI are searching for their first ever ECS win.
Match Prediction: PAKCELONA (PAK) to win comprehensively.
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MATCH 17 (ECS21.017)
PAKCELONA (PAK) v BARNA ROYALS (BAR)
0930 GMT | 1030 CET | 1500 IST
PAK Last Five Matches: W L L L L (Avg Score For 102, Avg Score Against 117)
BAR Last Five Matches: W (Avg Score For 86, Avg Score Against 76)
PAKCELONA (PAK)
Captain: Raja Khaliq
Wicketkeeper: Shahid Iqbal
Projected Top Four: Ishtiaq Nazir, Shahzad Khan, Shahid Iqbal, Nouman Rukhsar
Projected Opening Bowlers: Shahzad Khan, Raja Khaliq
Spin Options: Raja Khaliq
PAKCELONA Key Players:
Nouman Rukhsar, all-rounder, scored some handy runs down the order and also picked up two wickets.
Raja Khaliq scalped three wickets from 2 matches with a best of 2-28 against Pak I Care.
Shahzad Khan, all-rounder, was the leading wicket-taker for Pakcelona at ECS Barcelona 2020 with 9 scalps from 7 games. He looked good during his short stay at the crease.
BARNA ROYALS (BAR)
Captain: Nabeel Qaiser
Wicketkeeper: Taqqi ul-Mazhar
Projected Top Four: Syed Gulraiz Hussain, Sharjeel Qaiser, Nabeel Qaiser, Taqqi ul-Mazhar
Projected Opening Bowlers: Hamza Azhar, Waqas Anwar
Spin Options: Usama Shahzad
BARNA ROYALS Key Players:
Syed Gulraiz Hussain showed promise, scoring a quickfire 19 including two sixes and a four.
Hamza Azhar was on fire with the new ball picking up two wickets in the powerplay.
Waqas Anwar was right on the money, bowling tight lines. He gave away just eight runs and picked up two wickets.
Barna Royals started off their ECS journey with a thumping win over fellow debutants, City Lions. BAR will be confident of beating out-of-form Pakcelona to move up the points table.
Match Prediction: BARNA ROYALS (BAR) to edge a tight finish.
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MATCH 18 (ECS21.018)
PAK I CARE (PIC) v CITY LIONS (CLI)
1130 GMT | 1230 CET | 1700 IST
PIC Last Five Matches: W L W W W (Avg Score For 139, Avg Score Against 118)
CLI Last Five Matches: L (Avg Score For 76, Avg Score Against 86)
PAK I CARE (PIC)
Captain: Sheroz Ahmed
Wicketkeeper: Muhammad Ihsan
Projected Top Four: Muhammad Ihsan, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Asim Butt
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Jafri
Spin Options: Sikandar Ali
PAK I CARE Key Players:
Muhammad Ihsan was at his brutal best smashing five sixes in the very first over of Match 7. The MVP ECS Barcelona went on to score a magnificent 74 not out in just 33 balls.
Muhammad Yasin, LHB, was in ominous hitting form, mustering 57 runs in two games at a strike rate of over 247!
Muhammad Jafri has a similar action to former Pakistani bowler, Muhammad Asif and like him, can swing the ball both ways. Jafri scalped four wickets from two games including 3-11 against Pakcelona.
CITY LIONS (CLI)
Captain: Amar Shakoor
Wicketkeeper: Kashif Ali
Projected Top Four: Sikandar Raja, Abid Hussain, Mubashar Ali, Kashif Ali
Projected Opening Bowlers: Amar Shakoor, Nadeem Razzaq
Spin Options: Ibrar Hussain
CITY LIONS Key Players:
Sikandar Raja grabbed three wickets for just 14 runs on his ECS debut against Barna Royals.
Zahid Nawaz bowled with great control, conceding just eight runs and picking up two crucial wickets.
Irfan Muhammad kept his team in the hunt with some lusty blows. Unbeaten on 26 off 18 balls, he might bat up the order next game.
Ibrar Hussain, the talented spinner has grabbed 27 wickets from 21 matches with best figures of 3-8.
Pak I Care have racked up over 250 runs in two games and are one of the most destructive teams in this ECS edition. Having narrowly missed out on the highest ever powerplay score in ECS on both occasions on Day 2, PIC will be looking to break the record at the third attempt.
Match Prediction: PAK I CARE (PIC) to romp home in style.
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MATCH 19 (ECS21.019)
RIPOLL WARRIORS (RIW) v BARNA ROYALS (BAR)
1330 GMT | 1430 CET | 1900 IST
RIW Last Five Matches: W W (Avg Score For 89, Avg Score Against 76)
BAR Last Five Matches: W (Avg Score For 86, Avg Score Against 76)
RIPOLL WARRIORS (RIW)
Captain: Waqar Iqbal
Wicketkeeper: Waqar Iqbal
Projected Top Four: Prince Dhiman, Waqar Ali, Mohsin Ali, Imran Hussain
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Nazim, Aqtadar Iqbal
RIPOLL WARRIORS Key Players:
Prince Dhiman took his side to victory with a classy 58 off just 29 balls against Pakcelona.
Aqtadar Iqbal, left arm medium pacer, loves to roll his fingers over the seam to deceive batsmen. He has two wickets from two games at an economy rate of just 5.50.
Amir Shahzad picked up three wickets from two matches including a match defining 2-15 against HIS.
BARNA ROYALS (BAR)
Captain: Nabeel Qaiser
Wicketkeeper: Taqqi ul-Mazhar
Projected Top Four: Syed Gulraiz Hussain, Sharjeel Qaiser, Nabeel Qaiser, Taqqi ul-Mazhar
Projected Opening Bowlers: Hamza Azhar, Waqas Anwar
Spin Options: Usama Shahzad
BARNA ROYALS Key Players:
Shafat Ali Syed, Spanish International, is a hard-hitting all-rounder with a total of 263 runs to his name at a strike rate of 199 in 21 ECS matches. He also has five wickets.
Syed Gulraiz Hussain showed promise at the top scoring a quickfire 19 which included two sixes and a four.
Hamza Azhar was on fire with the new ball picking up two wickets in the powerplay.
Waqas Anwar was right on the money, bowling tight lines. He gave away just eight runs and picked up two wickets.
With both starting their ECS campaigns on a positive note, these two new teams will battle it out for top billing in Group B. This game promises to be full of action-packed drama.
Match Prediction: RIPOLL WARRIORS (RIW) to edge an exciting contest.
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MATCH 20 (ECS21.020)
PAK I CARE (PIC) v RIPOLL WARRIORS (RIW)
1530 GMT | 1630 CET | 2100 IST
PIC Last Five Matches: W L W W W (Avg Score For 139, Avg Score Against 118)
RIW Last Five Matches: W W (Avg Score For 89, Avg Score Against 76)
PAK I CARE (PIC)
Captain: Sheroz Ahmed
Wicketkeeper: Muhammad Ihsan
Projected Top Four: Muhammad Ihsan, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Asim Butt
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Kamran, Muhammad Jafri
Spin Options: Sikandar Ali
PAK I CARE Key Players:
Muhammad Ihsan was at his brutal best smashing five sixes in the very first over of Match 7. The MVP ECS Barcelona went on to score a magnificent 74 not out in just 33 balls.
Muhammad Yasin, LHB, was in ominous hitting form, mustering 57 runs in two games at a strike rate of over 247!
Muhammad Jafri has a similar action to former Pakistani bowler, Muhammad Asif and like him, can swing the ball both ways. Jafri scalped four wickets from two games including 3-11 against Pakcelona.
RIPOLL WARRIORS (RIW)
Captain: Waqar Iqbal
Wicketkeeper: Waqar Iqbal
Projected Top Four: Prince Dhiman, Waqar Ali, Mohsin Ali, Imran Hussain
Projected Opening Bowlers: Muhammad Nazim, Aqtadar Iqbal
RIPOLL WARRIORS Key Players:
Prince Dhiman took his side home with a classy 58 off just 29 balls against Pakcelona.
Aqtadar Iqbal, left arm medium pacer, loves to roll his fingers on the seam to deceive batsmen. He has two wickets from two games at an economy rate of just 5.50.
Amir Shahzad picked up three wickets from two matches including a match defining 2-15 spell against HIS.
After an impressive debut, Ripoll Warriors will have their task cut out against one of the favourites to clinch the title, Pak I Care. With two wins in as many games, both teams will be confident of sneaking a win.
Match Prediction: PAK I CARE (PIC) to prevail in a last over thriller.
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