Shoot-out With Scotland For National Counties XI In European Championship

National Counties XI booked a meeting with Scotland in Friday’s Dream 11 European T10 Championship eliminator at the Cartama Oval in Malaga.

National Counties, who are representing England at the multi-nation competition, finished third in the Championship table behind hosts Spain and Netherlands after they won both their matches on the final day of group games.

National Counties first beat Scotland by 24 runs after they dismissed them for 69 in a low-scoring contest and then avenged a defeat by Spain on Monday with a thrilling eight runs success.

Against Scotland, bowlers dominated throughout with National Counties battling their way to 93 for eight in their ten overs.

The innings contained only six sixes and two of those were struck by Berkshire’s Andy Rishton who top-scored with 16 from 11 balls.

National Counties emulated Scotland’s disciplined team bowling performance, led by Rishton who took three for 12 in ten balls.

Wiltshire’s Arthur Godsal had undermined the innings with three for 28, including two wickets in his first over, and Wales NC leg-spinner Sam Pearce too the new ball and took two for 14 in his two overs.

While National Counties prepared for their second match of the day, Spain suffered their first defeat of the week when they went down by five wickets to Netherland and Scotland were then beaten by four wickets by Italy.

Scotland’s defeat meant that National Counties were guaranteed third place, but no higher, in the Championship table.

After an outstanding effort from the bowlers against Scotland, it was solid batting that took National Counties to 129 for eight against Spain.

There were sold efforts down the order from Rishton (16), captain Dan Lincoln of Berkshire (21 from ten balls), Godsal (15) and Pearce (18).

But it was Wales NC’s To Bevan who provided the late acceleration as he thumped five sixes from the last two over of the innings to lift National Counties from 94 for seven.

Berkshire paceman Mungo Russell took two wickets at the start of Spain’s innings before Pearce had opener Yasir Ali stumped by Lincoln for a quickfire 21.

Hamza Dar then thumped four successive sixes off Suffolk seamer Ben Claydon before he fell to Berkshire leg-spinner Jafer Chohan for 37 from 12 balls.

Rishton, who shared the new ball with Russell, returned and bowled Spain captain Christian Munoz-Mills for six and Pearce and Chohan both held their nerve in the last two overs.

Spain needed 25 from the last 12 balls with five wickets in hand but Pearce struck twice in three balls to dismiss Lorne Burns and Mohammad Ishan, who struck three sixes in his ten-ball 25.

Chohan was then entrusted with the final over, with Spain requiring 11 for victory, and he dismissed Mohammad Kamran and Gurvinder Singh in the first three of them.