The Press Box

Cricket Wales shocked and impressed by Franchise interest
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Rumours abound that high-up members of the Welsh Cricket Board are overwhelmed by the interest in 'franchising' teams in the recently announced Princes Gate Championship.

It was felt that the fact the tournament would only be in 4-day format, rather than white ball. would reduce interest in franchise teams from across the cricketing world. However, it now appears that the board were fundamentally unprepared for the interest that the competition announcement has caused. While the original aim was to keep most things in house, it now appears that the board are scrambling through different plans. It appears everything might be up in the air now, from the fact it was intended to be a four-team tournament, to how many overseas players may be allowed in the sides. One prominent board member spoke to use on the pretext of anonymity saying:

"We could get anything here, from having all our players treated as domestic players in their leagues to overseas test tours for the next decade. We could rinse the bar-stewards for all they've got!"

What we do know for sure is that announcements about the locations of the four teams has been delayed, which has heightened the tension around some of the clubs that were hoping to be involved. Whilst those in Cardiff are confident of getting a team, those in Swansea, Colwyn Bay and Newport, who were all expecting to be successful are now worried that they may not be successful.
 
EXCLUSIVE: RAJA CASABLANCA TO BUY CARDIFF FRANCHISE
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The announcement of Wales' test series against Morocco has spread rumours that they are one of the countries involved with the deals to own franchises in the new Princes Gate competition. We can exclusively reveal that there has been conversations between the Welsh Cricket Board, the Moroccan Cricket Federation and the owners of football club Raja Casablanca about purchasing both the Casablanca-based team in Morocco and a welsh franchise.

Thanks to a freedom of information request, we can reveal that the term 'Raja Caerdydd' has been trademarked as well as the logo you can see below, meaning that the Cardiff based team may well become part of a Raja 'stable' of teams.

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The Raja cricket logo that has been trademarked in both the UK & Morocco
It remains to be seen if the other franchises will also be outsourced to foreign entities but eyes have been cast to Sri Lanka where Wales captain Dai Carlson, opener Andrew Salt and all-rounder Zinzan Taylor have all agreed to deals to join the new Lanka Premier League.

Reports are also springing out of Colwyn Bay where they are worried that being given the honour of hosting the first test of the series is in readiness to cushion the blow of missing out on a team in the entire competition.
 
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Raja Casablanca buy Cardiff in new Welsh competition
Tangier Gazette
December 9, 2001

As confirmed previously by the Welsh Cricket Board, Raja Club Athletic, the parent company owning Raja Casablanca in the Al Botola and Moroccan Cup cricket tournaments in Morocco, have expended their presence in the cricketing landscape by purchasing a team in a new cricket competition set to be launched by the Welsh Cricket Board... [read more]
 
INDIAN DOMESTIC SEASON 2001-02
  • Contract between North Korean player 'Sok Se-Yoon' and team 'Guwahati' has been broken... There is speculation that, this might be a result of Political tension and disbanded of DKCC in North Korea... Team Guwahati also informed us that, they signed Jamaican player 'Gayle Storm' for the remaining domestic cricket season...
 
Morocco and Spain to co-host the Knockout Trophy in April
Morocco and Spain's intercontinental bid emerged victorious with an overwhelming tally of 15 votes​

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WCC President Müller Schwanstegger presided over the Annual Summit © WCC Press, January 1, 2002

News emerging from World Cricket Conference's second-only Annual Summit confirms the selection of Morocco and Spain as tournament hosts for the upcoming edition of the Knockout Trophy scheduled in April. Following a vote conducted to find a replacement host after France were stripped of hosting rights due to failure in securing tax exemptions, Morocco and Spain's intercontinental bid emerged victorious with an overwhelming tally of 15 votes in contrast to Norway's 6 and Denmark's 5 votes, respectively.

While the trend of European nations hosting most major WCC events continues, it is a pleasant addition to see an African nation be given the same level of gravitas as their Spanish counterparts. Morocco will be greatly relieved to see their bid emerge victorious as it guarantees them a place in the tournament despite them currently sitting outside of the Top-16. Spain were always a shoo-in given their world ranking in the ODI format, and their performances at the international stage, but an added bonus of playing the tournament in familiar conditions, on home turf will positively aid the runners-up from the last edition, possibly even giving them the little push they need to cross the finish line and right their wrong.
 

Wales to Host Europa League?
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Our sources have found communication between the Cricket Wales and England Cricket into the feasibility of a bid for the 2002 Europa League, the Test Cricket 'European Championship'.

With announcements due to the dates of the three home Test series against Morocco, Vanuatu and Niue, things were expected to be quite quiet in the upcoming winter months but we believe that both boards are giving serious thoughts to the possibility of playing host to Europe's cricketing heavyweights. What we don't know at this stage is how many of Wales' grounds will be used as part of the bid, considering the amount of vastly bigger capacity grounds on the Eastern side of Offa's Dyke.

Our online poll suggests that support is split, with plenty of comments worried that Wales will form little more than a 'token' part of the bid, with no games outside of Cardiff.
 
INDIAN DOMESTIC SEASON 2001-02
  • Cricket Board of India decided to shift Chandigarh Cricket Club to Hyderabad... Officials said, "We have greater plan to improve and establish Indian domestic cricket to more audience centric and financially stable... Moving cricket club to Hyderabad is part of that greater plan"... Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad also known as Fateh Maidan selected as Home ground for Hyderabad Cricket Club activities and matches...
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WCC confirm official “T20I” status for Commonwealth Games
This decision confirms the introduction of an official third format of cricket, a brainchild of the current WCC President Müller Schwanstegger himself​

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The visionary WCC President Müller Schwanstegger captured in all his glory © WCC Press, February 13, 2002

World Cricket Conference officials confirmed in a press release that the format of matches at the 2002 Commonwealth Games will officially be given a new Twenty20 International (or T20I) status, completely separate from One-Day Internationals (ODIs). This decision confirms the introduction of an official third format of cricket, a brainchild of the current WCC President Müller Schwanstegger himself. While teams will still have to qualify for the tournament on the basis of their ODI rankings (as there is no system in place for T20I cricket currently), matches played at the tournament will be sanctioned as T20Is.

It is most likely done to set a precedent for the cricket tournament at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and possibly a qualification route for the games themselves. It remains to be seen if the format will take off commercially and be accepted as a third format by nations in the FTP calendar, whether it be in bilateral series or multilateral tournaments.
 
WCC Knockout Trophy all set to commence on the 11th; final on the 28th
One of cricket's major flagship events, the WCC Knockout Trophy kicks-off in Morocco this Thursday​

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WCC Knockout Trophy trophy pictured during the Nokia Knockout Trophy World Tour © WCC Press, March 15, 2002

One of cricket's major flagship events, the WCC Knockout Trophy kicks-off in Morocco this Thursday. The tournament will feature 16 teams battling it out in, as the name suggests, a knockout tournament played over a little more than two weeks. Morocco and Spain will co-host the event with the Grand Stade de Casablanca in Casablanca hosting the final.

Team Previews

Denmark: Defending Champions

Denmark, the victors of the previous Knockout Trophy will defend their title as the No. 2 ODI side in the world. They became World No. 1s after winning the Knockout Trophy, but were subsequently dethroned by the Netherlands last year, when the Dutch defeated the Danes in the final of the European Championship. In 2000, Denmark went on a dream run which culminated in the fairytale ending of Niels Håkansson's career being realized. Despite not having the first true great of Denmark cricket in the squad for the tournament, the current Danish side is a lot stronger, and a lot more talented than the one which won last time around. Consisting of ODI stalwarts Aksel Johansson and William Gunnarsson, Denmark's batting is lit with cricket's brightest ornaments. Spearheads Martin Lundgren and Felix Nørregaard make up the two front ends, while Oliver Johansson, August Eklund and Chris Fredriksson complete the five-pronged quindent that is the Danish bowling attack. With a squad like theirs, Denmark are certain favourites to win and defend their title.

Spain: Previous Finalists, Current Favorites

Spain have had their hearts broken on two occasions by the Danes. First, it was the Knockout Trophy final in 2000, where Spain fell short by 25 runs. A year later, their wounds were spliced open yet again when Denmark defeated them in the semi-final of the European Championship by 6 wickets. There's a saying about a third attempt being a lot more fruitful than the preceding two, but it will still take a great deal for the Spanish to finally exorcise their demons and get one up on Denmark. They've got a settled squad, they've got two of ODI's best batters in Heinrich Silva and Riley Delgado, they've got Vasil Perez's wizardry, and now, they've got something they didn't have before - home-field advantage.

Morocco: Bullies at Home

Alongside Spain, Morocco are also the hosts for the Knockout Trophy. The Moroccans have proven to be wildly inconsistent with their performances on international level. Coming off the incredible high of winning their first major international honours at the Casablanca Cup, this is somehow the same Moroccan squad that conceded the highest total in ODI history less than two weeks prior to their win. No doubt the home-field advantage will aid the Moroccans greatly, and while they possess uber-talented players like Hervé Hocquard and El Mahi Khatibi, it should be noted that they are somewhat unproven at the grandest stage. One thing is for certain however, they all play like there's no tomorrow at home.

India: Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

In all major events outside of ASCON, India have greatly underdelivered considering the talent and resources they posses. India are easily one of the biggest cricketing nations in the world, but so far, they have very little to show for it except back-to-back Asia Cup victories in a region where they are the sharks in a very small pond. In the previous Knockout Trophy, they were unbelievable unlucky to have been bounced out after the first game of the tournament, losing to hosts Greece due to a demon-possessed Achilleas Paterakos cameo. While they've had shortcomings in the Nations League as well, they have also improved substantially with each passing global event. They are a well-rounded team in almost every aspect of the game, but whether the Knockout Trophy proves to be the place where they finally break their jinx remains to be seen.

Guernsey: Turning Fortunes, One Format at a Time

The reigning, defending, two-time World Champions of Test cricket have always overdelivered at global events. They've won two out of the three they've competed in, and finished third in the third. Their image, particularly in the limited-overs format, is marred somewhat by their inconsistent performances in bilateral cricket and early exists in the European Championship. They were also plagued by internal issues amongst their cricketer's following Harry Wroetoshaw's stripping of the captaincy, which many believe, created a divide in their dressing room. They also fell down the ladder in Test cricket, first by being dethroned by Canada as the World No. 1s, then by Japan stunning them in the last Test they played. They certainly posses the individual star-power to go the distance, but with their current form and recent performances, it will be somewhat of a shock if they do.

South Africa: Kings of the Jungle

Two-time Africa Cup of Nations winners and one-time Sahara Shield winners, South Africa will be facing Guernsey in the Round of 16 contest. And rather unsurprisingly, the South Africans are being pitched as the favorites. South Africa have had a rapid rise despite playing most of their cricket exclusively with other African nations. Their captain Rudi Struwig has risen from a star-performer to a potential All-Time Great. He currently sits as the second-best ODI bowler in the world with a career-best rating of 138. He has also overtaken Felix Nørregaard as the highest wicket-taker in ODI cricket history, currently sitting at 73 wickets at an average of 17.60 with three 4-fers and four 5-fers to his name. And while his brother Pierre Struwig has had mixed fortunes, the duo form a formidable attack for South Africa. Their batting is greatly reliant on Jacques Coetzee and Siya Ndlala, neither of whom have had innings that would inspire any fear or jitters amongst the South African camp. If anything, it has inspired confidence, particularly with their recent total of 418/3 in the Africa Cup of Nations Final against Morocco. It would be downright foolish to expect them to finish anywhere below the final-four, at the very least.

Netherlands: Will the Dutch Show Up?

It is a sad state of affairs where the best-ranked ODI side in the world has not been able to field a playing XI for over 7 months due to a lack of funds. The Netherlands have not hosted any nations for bilateral cricket, nor have they travelled to any nations for bilateral cricket due to a financial crisis ravaging their board entirely. And to make matters even worse, it seems like the World Cricket Conference has taken a backseat and left them by themselves. Their status for the upcoming tournament is unknown, but if they do fail to show up, it will be a tragedy to see the likes of Faas Vermeulen and Rens de Wit miss out on an appearance at a global event like the Knockout Trophy.

Canada: America's Finest

Canada have had a steady rise in the World of Cricket, with the pinnacle of their affairs being the dethroning of Guernsey as the No. 1 Ranked side in the World Test Rankings, in the same year where the latter successfully defended their Nations League title. Canada's limited-overs fortunes have admittedly been a mixed bag, and they have been overly reliant on their captain Martin Terry in both facets of the game. They qualified for the tournament after registering a win against Malta a mere three days before the cut-off deadline. They are however, still the best side in either of the Americas by a country mile. While they have not really turned up at a global event, it would be harsh to judge this current Canadian crop by standards from years ago.

England: Explosive Debut

In the Knockout Trophy in Greece, England forfeited their Round of 16 match against Norway due to an undisclosed reasons. The alleged reason for their forfeit was reported by an insider who leaked the news, but it was never officially confirmed by England Cricket. While the merits of that report have been profusely refuted, it should be noted that England will be traveling for this year's tournament with an accompanying team chef. England have been a force to reckon with despite being relative newbies. They had a memorable debut in the European Championship last year, only missing out on a semi-final berth by bare margins, and have gradually improved ever since. But considering the level of competition, especially amongst the top-rung teams, the likes of WG Charles and Richard Head will have to turn superhuman to take England all the way.

Niue: Island in the Sun

Of all the top teams in cricket today, Niue are the lowest-ranked in the ODI Rankings despite being two-time Nations Cup winners. Niue also hold the unfortunate record of having suffered the most losses in ODI cricket history. But since the establishment of newly-minted domestic competitions last year, they have improved drastically. Jayson Okesene and Talaititama Holo have taken up the mantle of responsibility to become pillars of the team, holding them up to world-beating standards. They have had two Test series victories, and two Test series losses since the start of the year, but their most noteworthy outing in recent memory was their Nations Cup win in December. Niue's ODI outfit has formed slowly, but it has taken shape to become a serious threat. They still hold a repugnant record against the top-top teams, but underestimating them would be immensely foolish.

Norway: The Actual Underdogs

Norway will be playing in their second Knockout Trophy, and while their performance in the first hardly made any headlines, it should be noted that it took a full-strength Guernsey to knock them out of the tournament with a 1-run defeat. And even that was mostly due to their own batter Adam Solheim failing to hold his nerves and choking more than anything else. Norway, despite having not many notable individual performers in their team, have always overshot and given serious competition to the best sides in the world. Whether it be Guernsey in the Knockout Trophy, or India in the Nations League. Winning the Knockout Trophy would be a genuine underdog fairytale for them, the kind that can inspire generations.

First Timer's Club: Malta, Sri Lanka, Finland, Vanuatu and Italy

Malta, in their debut year, gave the world WCC Club World Cup runners-up. The squad of their 50-over champions Hamrun Spartans consisted of many national players, but the clear standouts were their uncapped locals who led them to silver in a debut Club World Cup. Since then, Hamrun Spartans' Joseph Porsella has gone on to become a permanent member of the Maltese national side, and has inarguably been their best batter, while Zakkarija Bellizzi has made a strong case for selection with consistent performances. It is only a matter of time before he earns a national call-up as well.

Sri Lanka, the newest addition from Asia, will be taking the spot that is usually reserved for Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh had an abysmal Asia Cup last year, as a result of which Sri Lanka finished above them in their debut season, allowing them to hold on to a higher ranking in the ODI Rankings and qualify for the Knockout Trophy. With the likes of Prabath Vimukthi and Himal Wickrema being mainstays in their batting and bowling departments respectively, they still have much to prove at the global stage. Their most notable international success came earlier in the year, when they defeated newcomers China 2-1 in a 5-match Test series at home.

Kauko Hossi, one of the greatest batters in the world (without a doubt), will be pivotal in determining how far the Finnish go. Thus far, Kauko Hossi has been held back from true greatness by his teammates who have fallen apart at the most inopportune moments. Their captain Manne Rautiainen has performed well in small doses too, but Kauko Hossi has been in a league all to himself. Finland will rely on him to conjure up magic if they wish to go far. All he needs in return, is support from the rest of the team.

Vanuatu, Oceania's quickest-rising cricketing nation will be making their Knockout Trophy debut, playing against hosts Spain in a Round of 16 match. It is going to be an uphill task, no doubt, but they are more than capable of pulling off a heist. Mark Mansale has been one of the best all-rounders in the world recently, and a lot will rely on how he performs from the get-go. Spain have the arsenal to disarm pretty much anybody, so beating them will be far from a cakewalk for the debuting Vanuatuans. If they can topple the likes of New Zealand and Niue, then they can surely upset the Spaniards.

Italy, the lowest-ranked side coming into the tournament, have an egregious road-to-final ahead of them. In their Round of 16 match, they will have to defeat hosts and homeground bullies Morocco. Should they succeed, their road to the final will truly begin with them facing either the Netherlands or Niue in the quarter-finals, most-likely India in the semi-finals, and any nation from Spain, Denmark, Finland, Guernsey, South Africa and Canada in the final. Not only are they the lowest-ranked side, the seeds have aligned so they have to face the top-ranked sides. Even in case of upsets, they are not ending up with Sri Lanka or England or Norway opposite them. To win this, they well-and-truly have to do the impossible.
 
Controversy Erupts: The Netherlands and Spain pull-out of Knockout Trophy mere days before opener
It is being reported that both nations have pulled out due to different reasons, but both relating to funds​

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Reigning European Champions and previous Knockout Trophy Runners-up will not feature in this year's tournament

In a bizarre turn of events, it has been confirmed by a WCC spokesperson that two of cricket's biggest powerhouses in the Netherlands and Spain have pulled out of the upcoming Knockout Trophy mere days before its commencement. It is being reported that both nations have pulled out due to different reasons, but both relating to funds.

KNCB files for bankruptcy

As rumoured before, the KNCB had been going through a financial crisis that had ravaged them entirely. As a result of which, they were unable to conduct domestic tournaments and schedule any cricket matches internationally. The World Cricket Conference did not intervene with financial aid, and KNCB's subsequent failure to find sponsors and financiers has led Dutch cricket to go broke. It is a tragic state of affairs that the current No. 1 side in ODI cricket has filed for bankruptcy. It is somewhat similar to what New Zealand went through two years ago during (coincidentally) the Knockout Trophy, but at least the Kiwis blew their finances on hosting the Cricket World Cup next year. New Zealand have recovered financially and are back to playing internationally, even if they don't host cricket matches at a domestic level. KNCB's bankruptcy may even lead to an exodus of Dutch cricketers going abroad to different countries to find clubs to play for. Dutch cricket is in a state of grave danger, and seeing them go extinct after seeing them rise to the ranks the way they did in only their second year would be a great tragedy for the Netherlands as a country, and for cricket as a sport.

Spanish players boycott Cricket España

In a stunning revelation, it was revealed that Cricket España has not paid their players for the last 6 months. It is believed that Spanish cricketers were offered brand new central contracts earlier last year, but they were rejected unanimously over a financial dispute. Spanish cricketers demanded a percentage of the revenue Spain gets from the World Cricket Conference, and a percentage of the revenue Cricket España earns from their sponsors, but that request was repeatedly rejected by Cricket España. This dispute led to the Spanish cricketers playing cricket for Cricket España without receiving their monthly retainer fee, daily allowances and sponsorship money for nearly 6 months. Spanish players even wore the names and logos of Cricket España's sponsors on their jerseys in every match they played in during this time period.

Reportedly, the Spanish cricketers communicated that they would boycott the upcoming Knockout Trophy as early as February if a deal was not reached. Their decision did not prove to be enough of a threat to make Cricket España budge, so the Spanish players are actually going through with their boycott, which has now resulted in Spain having to pull out of the Knockout Trophy mere days before its scheduled start. The tournament will still be partially held in Spain, but Spain will not compete in the Knockout Trophy.

An event that will mark the first time a WCC Global Event is hosted in Spain, but due to unfortunate circumstances, it will not see a Spanish team take part in the tournament.

WCC left scrambling

With both withdrawals coming mere days before the start of the tournament, it has left WCC's Technical Committee scrambling for replacements. As per WCC laws, in the case of a withdrawal in any WCC global event, the next best-ranked side in the rankings as of the cut-off date in the respective format is offered a place in the tournament, should they accept it. Currently, those two teams would be Greece and China, the 16th and 17th ranked nations in the World ODI Rankings as of April 1st. Cricket boards and government of both nations have been contacted in regards to their participation in the tournament, as have been the Moroccan and Spanish governments to issue visas on a first-priority basis to China. Greece were in Morocco two days ago, playing in the Casablanca Cup, and were scheduled to leave the country on the 10th. But with this news breaking, their stay is going to be prolonged for just a little while longer. The Chinese Cricket Association has been very cooperative in their communications with the WCC, and have supposedly even submitted their 15-player squad to the Technical Committee of the tournament, which awaits approval. If all processes go through as planned, the Chinese players will arrive in Spain on the 12th, a day after the Knockout Trophy begins, and they will play their Round of 16 match against Vanuatu on the 15th.

An admittedly bizarre situation by all accounts, but it has only added to the chaos of the Knockout Trophy.
 








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Official statement from ECB board of directors

The fiasco involving the Spanish and Dutch board’s effectively going into administration and ceasing to function, as well as having two hosts pull out of their own tournaments is a massive indictment against Müller Schwanstegger’s presidency of the WCC and points towards a potential deeper conspiracy. As a result, the ECB also call for a vote of no confidence and independent inquiry in his position.
 
Knockout Trophy: Six European nations among eight Round of 16 exits
Guernsey were bowled out for 181, the lowest score by any team in the first round​

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Tom Nightingale had his timbers disturbed on the second delivery of the match © LaSexta, April 17, 2002

Despite being the biggest continent in the world of cricket, Europe suffered six eliminations in the Round of 16, including a shocking exit for World Test Champions Guernsey.

Round of 16 Recap

Morocco vs Italy: Left stranded on 99*

Morocco kicked-off the Knockout Trophy with an emphatic win against the lowest-ranked side coming into this tournament, Italy. El Mahi Khatibi's 5-wicket haul set-up a relatively simplistic run-chase for the Moroccans despite stoic knocks from Antonio Minuzzi and Riccardo Mastromonaco. With a target of 255 ahead of them, the Moroccans struck the Italians all over the High Atlas Cricket Ground to secure an 8-wicket victory with 41 deliveries to spare. Moulham Assaraf was the star of the run-chase, but he was left stranded on 99 not out as Zamen Ibn Al-Hasan hit the winning runs from the other. Morocco advanced to the quarter-finals as Italy were bounced out in the first round.

China vs Niue: In and Out

China replaced the Netherlands after their controversial withdrawal from the tournament mere days before its start, but their journey was cut right where it should have begun by Niue. A strong batting performance helped Niue finish with an intimidating 339/3 on a pitch with no discernible help for batters. Jayson Okesene and Dalton Nemani lit up Niue's innings with extravagant hitting, adding 152 runs in the last 15.0 overs. Bai Chun, an opening-batter on international debut, churned out the best figures for China with his part-time wibbly-wobblies fetching him a couple of scalps. China began their run-chase by losing Bai Chun in the first over of the innings, and even though Du Wei's resilient fightback and valuable contributions from the lower-order batters gave China a firm standing ground, the Niuean bowlers were just a little too hot for the rest of the team to handle. Talaititama Holo was once again the pick of the bowlers for Niue, claiming 4 wickets for 46 runs in 9.5 overs.

India vs Sri Lanka: Demons Exorcised

India exorcised the demons of their stunning Round of 16 exit at the hands of Greece in only acceptable way, with a 10-wicket thumping against their Asian rivals Sri Lanka. Silva Jayasinha led from the front to score a vital 71, but Sri Lanka could still only muster up a total of 192 before being bowled out by a rampant Indian attack. Milkha Singh and Pramod Krishnakumar bagged 3 wickets apiece while Mayas Kumble, the No. 1 ODI Bowler in the World, went wicketless. India's run-chase was an agonizing watch for any Sri Lankan fan, as Shubman Kotak and Kannaur Lokesh powered the two-time Asian champions to a 10-wicket win with a grand total 132 deliveries to spare. Kannaur Lokesh raced to a hundred off just 78 deliveries, hitting 19 fours and 1 six, and bagging the Player of the Match award in doing so.

England vs Norway: An English Classic

England overcame a slightly overpowering Norwegian side on the back of a classy hundred from WG Charles, and ruthless hitting from Richard Head. English bowling failed to restrict Norway on an admittedly batting-friendly turf. Oliver Svendsen and Oskar Nøstbakken laid the foundation of a huge score with a 179-run opening-wicket stand, but England managed to pull things back somewhat towards the end with channel bowling. While not many wickets fell, Norway were shortchanged a good 20-30 runs on a wicket as good as Casablanca's. And in the end, that proved to be the difference-maker as the English overcame Norway's 323 with 5 wickets and 15 deliveries still in the bag. Solid top-order contributions from all three of England's top-order batters, accompanied by a purist hundred from their middle-order maestro WG Charles, and unrelenting stroke-play from Harold Davidson and captain Richard Head ensured the win, and a quarter-final berth for England.

Greece vs Vanuatu: Final Nailin in the Coffin

Vanuatu advanced to the quarter-finals after securing a comfortable 71-run win over the Greeks, who only came in after hosts Spain withdrew from the tournament. After choosing to bat first, Vanuatu posted an intimidating 345/5 with Nailin Bani's maiden ODI hundred headlining the batting card. Greece's bowling was over-reliant on Dimitris Perropoulos, the former World No. 1 ODI Bowler, and it really showed. While the legbreak magician registered the best figures of the match, a lack of support from other bowlers meant a tough run-chase was on the cards for the Greeks. And with a top-order simply failing to show-up, and a lower-order stuck up, Greece were done for.

Denmark vs Finland: Title Defense Begins

Denmark began their title defense in another one-sided contest in the Round of 16. Finland were outplayed and outmatched to a 7-wicket defeat in the end. A clinical bowling performance saw Finland get bowled out for 206 despite Kauko Hossi's best efforts, which in response saw Chris Mattsson and Jørn Storgaard power Denmark to a 7-wicket win with ease. Chris Mattsson raced to a hundred in no time, and Jørn Storgaard played like a surgeon, piercing the in-field for 13 boundaries without much of a challenge.

Guernsey vs South Africa: Struck Down by White Lightning

The Struwig Brothers were all over, arguably, the best batting-side in the tournament. Guernsey were bowled out for 181, the lowest score by any team in the first round. Quite stunning considering the prowess of Guernsey's batters, but they were simply undone by two pacers in red-hot form on an out-and-out bowling wicket. Rudi Struwig and Pierre Struwig claimed all 10 wickets between themselves to set-up a simple run-chase against a Patrick Duncan-less Guernsey attack. Even though Harrison Willis bagged 2 major scalps, they were simply not enough to pose a challenge to South Africa, who in the end, steamrolled Guernsey for a 7-wicket thumping.

Canada vs Malta: A Hundred in Vain

Canada qualified for the tournament and subsequently drew Malta in the Round of 16 following their 3-match ODI series against the same opposition. The result of their meeting in the Round of 16 was no different than that of the ODI series, as Canada secured a comfortable win once more against a one-man band Maltese side being held together by their wicket-keeper batter Joseph Porsella. He scored a run-a-ball hundred and Malta could only still get to a modest 229 before being bowled out in the 47th-over. A total which did not faze Canada, who completed the run-chase with Martin Terry's 71 not out being the top score of the innings.
 

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