European cricket continued this week, where silverware was won in the region’s north.
Svanholm collected the first silverware of the Danish season when they triumphed over KB and Skanderborg to win the triangular finals day of the T20 Cup at Køge on Saturday.
In a low-scoring opening game Svanholm did well to defend a relatively modest 112 for eight, to which Mads Henrikson contributed 31 and Musa Mahmood 27, and despite a fighting 40 not out from Amjad Khan KB were stranded on 102 for nine at the end of their 20 overs. Hamid Shah was a key factor in the win, taking three for 18 in four overs.
If the bowlers had been on top in that match, it was the batters who dominated in the second, as KB ran up a much more challenging 169 for seven, Saif Ahmad making 54 and Lucky Ali 33. But Kamran Mahmood nevertheless produced a remarkable performance for Skanderborg with five for 6 in three overs – including both Saif and Ali – in the closing stages.
It was a big target but Nikolaj Damgaard made 31 and Sangeev Thanikaithasan and as the final over began Skanderborg required 15 for victory with Oliver Hald and Michael Pedersen at the crease and four wickets in hand.
A six and a four by Hald reduced the equation to three from two, but Amjad bowled Hald with the penultimate ball, and the last produced just two to leave the sides level – and no Super Over to break the tie.
Svanholm seemed to have taken control of the final match when they dismissed Skanderborg for just 90, and Saud Munir’s unbeaten 52 ensured that they cruised to an 8-wicket victory, and the title, in just 11.4 overs.
There was Elite Division action on Sunday, when the two winless sides so far, Soraner and Albertslund, met in Sorø.
Winning the toss, Albertslund were teetering at 118 for six, Venugopal Nagaraj taking three for 35, but Saad Amjad (47) shared a 66-run seventh-wicket stand with Imran Sahi, and after Saad’s removal Imran and Yasir Ayub added a further, unbroken 97 for the eighth.
Imran ended with 65 not out, while Yasir contributed an aggressive 38-ball 49 not out.
Soraner collapsed to 27 for five in just nine overs, Yasir claiming three of them at a cost of just 12 runs and Muhammad Atif the other two, but Ravikiran Shetty and Parag Naithani doubled the total, and then Naithani (39) and Naveen Bobburi (31) added 61 for the seventh wicket.
It was all in vain, however, as once they were separated the rest of the wickets fell quickly, and Soraner were all out for 158.
In Italy, the quarter-finalists in the T20 Cup were decided on Sunday.
A thrilling local derby at the Ovale Vivian Richards saw Roma, who had posted 210 for six, hold off a determined challenge from Royal Roma, who finished just four runs short of victory on 207 for six.
At Settimo Milanese, though, Bergamo United found that their 215 for five was insufficient, as Fresh Tropical reached their target for the loss of six wickets with ten deliveries to spare.
United’s local rivals, Bergamo CC, were more successful at Tremore Cremasco, holding Cantù to 125 for nine and losing just two wickets as they knocked off the runs in 18.3 overs.
Padova had an even easier victory over Lucca in Padua, needing only 13.1 overs to overtake Lucca’s 156 for six with nine wickets in hand.
Elsewhere, Brescia’s 203 for seven at San Gervasio was more than enough against Kings Xi, who were dismissed for 68, while in Viterbo Venezia could only manage 83 in reply to Neptunia’s 117 all out.
Jinnah completed a six-wicket victory over Cricket Stars at Spilamberto after bowling their opponents out for 105, and at the Campo di Carne Napoli, chasing Asian Latina’s 164 for eight, closed on 127 for eight.
In the Czech Republic, Brno Rangers stayed on top of Division 1 by dismissing Vinohrady Rossos for 90 after having themselves been bowled out for 110.
It was a very different story at Vinor, where Prague Kings posted 158 for two, Hilal Ahmad making a run-a-ball 67 and Arun Ashokan a 43-ball 66 not out, only to see Spartans Vanguards recover from 12 for two to win by eight wickets with 11 deliveries to spare.
Viyshakh Jagannivasan (51 not out) and Player of the Match Sahil Grover (88 not out from 57 balls) shared an unbroken stand of 147 to steer their side to victory.
Bohemians stayed in touch with the leaders with a 75-run win over Barbarians Vandals.
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