166/6 (20.0)
CR : 8.30
166/6 (20.0)
CR : 8.30
JB Bruges won in superover 🏆
Player of the Match
Nikhil Chaudhary
1/15 & 2/334(24)
Over 1
JB Bruges 4/1
Lahiru Milantha2(3)
Rassie van der Dussen1(1)
JJ Smuts1-3(1.0)
JBB won in superover
7:51 PM IST, 4:21 PM LOCAL TIME: Cricket has a funny way of teaching life... when victory seems certain, destiny sometimes asks for one more question. What a game. What a finish. What a tale of nerve. JB Bruges posted 166/6 from their 20 overs, built around useful contributions from Rassie van der Dussen (37), Nikhil Chaudhary (34), Gulshan Jha (29), and Lahiru Milantha (26). In reply, the Ghent Gladiators matched them run for run, finishing on exactly 166/6 themselves. The chase was controlled for long periods. Then it wobbled. Then it twisted. Then it exploded into a Super Over. And when the dust settled, JB Bruges somehow pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. The emotions? Absolutely priceless.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did the first innings unfold? Steadily at first. Explosively at the end. Milantha got things moving with a boundary off the very first ball of the match, but Ali Khan struck an early blow when Colin Munro fell for 11 at 18/1 in the third over. The key partnership came through Milantha and Rassie, who added 42 runs for the second wicket. Rassie looked fluent throughout, striking five fours and a six in his 37 off 24 balls. At the end of the Powerplay, Bruges were 42/1. Not spectacular. Not struggling. Just waiting for someone to seize the moment.
Who controlled the middle overs? For a while, it was Bruges. Then the Gladiators hit back. Rassie and Milantha guided the score to 77/2 at the 10-over strategic timeout before Hadisullah Tarakhel broke the stand. Milantha's innings ended in unusual fashion, stumped for 26 after failing to drag his bat back behind the crease. The hundred arrived in 13 overs, but wickets continued to fall. Ishan Pandey managed only 3 before Richie Berrington produced a magnificent relay catch at the rope. At 106/4 after 15 overs, the innings was balanced delicately between acceleration and collapse.
Did Bruges finish strongly? They certainly did. Nikhil Chaudhary played a valuable hand of 34 from 24 balls before Dwaine Pretorius removed him at 130/5 in the seventeenth over. Gulshan Jha initially struggled to rotate strike but found his rhythm when it mattered most, hammering 29 from 20 deliveries. The 150 came up in 18.3 overs, and then the floodgates opened. Jack Wildermuth's unbeaten 13 from just 9 balls helped Bruges collect a massive 31 runs from the final two overs. Their final score of 166/6 looked competitive. But was it enough? That question lingered at the innings break.
Now... THE CHASE!!!
How did the Gladiators approach the chase? With patience. With confidence. And with an unbeaten opening stand through the Powerplay. The first over yielded only 2 runs, but Josh Brown soon found his range, smashing two sixes on his way to 25. Sam Harper was even more impressive, peppering the boundary rope with elegant strokeplay. The fifth over alone produced 13 runs, and the Powerplay ended at a healthy 46/0. Bruges searched desperately for a breakthrough. Nothing worked. At that point, the Gladiators looked firmly in command.
When did Bruges finally find a way back? Through Thomas Kaber. The leg-spinner delivered the breakthrough his team desperately needed. Brown charged down the track and was beaten by a turning delivery that crashed into middle stump. The opening stand ended at 47. Yet even then, the Gladiators refused to slow down. Temba Bavuma arrived and immediately launched a towering six during a 13-run eighth over. The team fifty came up in the seventh over, and by the strategic timeout, they were 82/1 after 10 overs. Harper was cruising on 35. Bavuma was flying on 20. The equation? Just 85 needed from 60 balls.
Was there one over that changed everything? Yes. The Kaber over. The score crossed 100 in 12.1 overs, but then the leg-spinner struck twice. First, Bavuma miscued to deep square leg and departed. Then Richie Berrington chopped on against a beauty that spun back sharply into the stumps. Suddenly, the chase had life again. The Gladiators slipped to 124/3 after 15 overs. Yet Harper remained. Bruges then committed another costly error, dropping Harper not once but multiple times. He punished them mercilessly. His brilliant 75 kept the chase alive and pushed the Gladiators to the brink of victory.
So how did a winning position become a Super Over? Pure drama. Wayne Parnell's tactical gamble paid off when he handed the ball to Nikhil Chaudhary, who removed Harper for a magnificent 75. The penultimate over yielded only 2 runs and two wickets, including a bizarre run-out involving JJ Smuts. Suddenly, the Gladiators needed 10 from the final over. Ben Manenti smashed a crucial six off the fifth ball after three dots had built immense pressure. Then came the final-ball scramble. Two runs were needed. They went for it. The throw came in. The bails were whipped off. Manenti was short. Scores level. 166 each. We were heading to a Super Over.
And what happened in the final act (Super Over)? More chaos. More courage. Harper and Manenti walked out for the Gladiators, but Nikhil delivered a masterclass. Single. Two. Wicket. Wicket. The Gladiators could manage only 3 runs. Bruges needed 4 to win. Easy? Not quite. A dot ball. A wicket. Another dot. Then 2 runs. Then a leg bye. Suddenly, 1 was needed from the final ball. Every heartbeat in the ground seemed audible. Rassie van der Dussen calmly nudged a single. Game over. JB Bruges completed one of the great escapes. Cricket won. The spectators won. And if this match taught us anything, it is this - never leave early, because this game always saves its best punchline for the very end.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did the first innings unfold? Steadily at first. Explosively at the end. Milantha got things moving with a boundary off the very first ball of the match, but Ali Khan struck an early blow when Colin Munro fell for 11 at 18/1 in the third over. The key partnership came through Milantha and Rassie, who added 42 runs for the second wicket. Rassie looked fluent throughout, striking five fours and a six in his 37 off 24 balls. At the end of the Powerplay, Bruges were 42/1. Not spectacular. Not struggling. Just waiting for someone to seize the moment.
Who controlled the middle overs? For a while, it was Bruges. Then the Gladiators hit back. Rassie and Milantha guided the score to 77/2 at the 10-over strategic timeout before Hadisullah Tarakhel broke the stand. Milantha's innings ended in unusual fashion, stumped for 26 after failing to drag his bat back behind the crease. The hundred arrived in 13 overs, but wickets continued to fall. Ishan Pandey managed only 3 before Richie Berrington produced a magnificent relay catch at the rope. At 106/4 after 15 overs, the innings was balanced delicately between acceleration and collapse.
Did Bruges finish strongly? They certainly did. Nikhil Chaudhary played a valuable hand of 34 from 24 balls before Dwaine Pretorius removed him at 130/5 in the seventeenth over. Gulshan Jha initially struggled to rotate strike but found his rhythm when it mattered most, hammering 29 from 20 deliveries. The 150 came up in 18.3 overs, and then the floodgates opened. Jack Wildermuth's unbeaten 13 from just 9 balls helped Bruges collect a massive 31 runs from the final two overs. Their final score of 166/6 looked competitive. But was it enough? That question lingered at the innings break.
Now... THE CHASE!!!
How did the Gladiators approach the chase? With patience. With confidence. And with an unbeaten opening stand through the Powerplay. The first over yielded only 2 runs, but Josh Brown soon found his range, smashing two sixes on his way to 25. Sam Harper was even more impressive, peppering the boundary rope with elegant strokeplay. The fifth over alone produced 13 runs, and the Powerplay ended at a healthy 46/0. Bruges searched desperately for a breakthrough. Nothing worked. At that point, the Gladiators looked firmly in command.
When did Bruges finally find a way back? Through Thomas Kaber. The leg-spinner delivered the breakthrough his team desperately needed. Brown charged down the track and was beaten by a turning delivery that crashed into middle stump. The opening stand ended at 47. Yet even then, the Gladiators refused to slow down. Temba Bavuma arrived and immediately launched a towering six during a 13-run eighth over. The team fifty came up in the seventh over, and by the strategic timeout, they were 82/1 after 10 overs. Harper was cruising on 35. Bavuma was flying on 20. The equation? Just 85 needed from 60 balls.
Was there one over that changed everything? Yes. The Kaber over. The score crossed 100 in 12.1 overs, but then the leg-spinner struck twice. First, Bavuma miscued to deep square leg and departed. Then Richie Berrington chopped on against a beauty that spun back sharply into the stumps. Suddenly, the chase had life again. The Gladiators slipped to 124/3 after 15 overs. Yet Harper remained. Bruges then committed another costly error, dropping Harper not once but multiple times. He punished them mercilessly. His brilliant 75 kept the chase alive and pushed the Gladiators to the brink of victory.
So how did a winning position become a Super Over? Pure drama. Wayne Parnell's tactical gamble paid off when he handed the ball to Nikhil Chaudhary, who removed Harper for a magnificent 75. The penultimate over yielded only 2 runs and two wickets, including a bizarre run-out involving JJ Smuts. Suddenly, the Gladiators needed 10 from the final over. Ben Manenti smashed a crucial six off the fifth ball after three dots had built immense pressure. Then came the final-ball scramble. Two runs were needed. They went for it. The throw came in. The bails were whipped off. Manenti was short. Scores level. 166 each. We were heading to a Super Over.
And what happened in the final act (Super Over)? More chaos. More courage. Harper and Manenti walked out for the Gladiators, but Nikhil delivered a masterclass. Single. Two. Wicket. Wicket. The Gladiators could manage only 3 runs. Bruges needed 4 to win. Easy? Not quite. A dot ball. A wicket. Another dot. Then 2 runs. Then a leg bye. Suddenly, 1 was needed from the final ball. Every heartbeat in the ground seemed audible. Rassie van der Dussen calmly nudged a single. Game over. JB Bruges completed one of the great escapes. Cricket won. The spectators won. And if this match taught us anything, it is this - never leave early, because this game always saves its best punchline for the very end.
Temba Bavuma (Ghent Gladiators Captain): (On the match) "Yeah, good game, I guess, for the fans. I think if you look at where we got ourselves with the bat, you probably would have thought that we would have gotten ourselves over the line. But cricket being cricket, we just weren't good enough on the day. But I think for the fans, it was an exciting game of cricket.
(On the learnings from the game) Be ruthless. I think the partnership with Harper and myself, that could have extended by another three or four overs. I think the result would have been different. I thought the wicket played a lot better compared to yesterday. But yeah, I think as a team, we just need to keep growing, keep looking out for those combinations, especially the batting combinations. Just look forward to getting better.
(On resetting for the upcoming games) Yeah, look, we've got George Munsey. He joins us tomorrow, so I'm sure he'll be a booster to the team. It's only our first full game, so I think we've got to keep that perspective as well. But I think, yeah, guys, let's just look at ways as to how they can improve individually. Like I said, just be a lot more ruthless. I thought the bowling was decent in patches. And I think with the bat, like I said, I don't think the game should have gotten to a Super Over."
(On the learnings from the game) Be ruthless. I think the partnership with Harper and myself, that could have extended by another three or four overs. I think the result would have been different. I thought the wicket played a lot better compared to yesterday. But yeah, I think as a team, we just need to keep growing, keep looking out for those combinations, especially the batting combinations. Just look forward to getting better.
(On resetting for the upcoming games) Yeah, look, we've got George Munsey. He joins us tomorrow, so I'm sure he'll be a booster to the team. It's only our first full game, so I think we've got to keep that perspective as well. But I think, yeah, guys, let's just look at ways as to how they can improve individually. Like I said, just be a lot more ruthless. I thought the bowling was decent in patches. And I think with the bat, like I said, I don't think the game should have gotten to a Super Over."
Time for the Post-Match Presentations...
Sam Harper (Ghent Gladiators): (On his innings) "Yeah, it was tough at times, but it's great to be playing cricket here in Brussels in Belgium. Good to see the competition underway and everyone's having a good time.
(On the result and moving forward) Well, yeah, I think the good thing about this tournament is that we play tomorrow and the next day and the next day, so the games keep coming. So yeah, we've got a good squad, and hopefully we can play some good cricket tomorrow."
(On the result and moving forward) Well, yeah, I think the good thing about this tournament is that we play tomorrow and the next day and the next day, so the games keep coming. So yeah, we've got a good squad, and hopefully we can play some good cricket tomorrow."
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: NIKHIL CHAUDHARY
Nikhil Chaudhary (Player of the Match): (What did he have for breakfast?) "Nothing much and less sleep as well from the last couple of days, but yeah, after the last game, it's good to have the first win on the board. And then probably we'll just end up in the first three teams, so we don't have to play more games.
(On his experience in Belgium) Yeah, it's my first time in Europe, so I'm definitely enjoying it. It's a great setup from all the guys. Even the groundsman is working pretty hard here. From the last couple of days, it's been raining, so yeah, it's been great."
(On his experience in Belgium) Yeah, it's my first time in Europe, so I'm definitely enjoying it. It's a great setup from all the guys. Even the groundsman is working pretty hard here. From the last couple of days, it's been raining, so yeah, it's been great."
Wayne Parnell (JB Bruges Captain): (On the emotions after the win and Super Over) "Yeah, I think obviously up and down. We were in it, then we were out of it, and then back in it, and then ready for the Super Over. I think credit to everyone for staying calm at the back end. Obviously, when the game gets really close, it almost feels like it's moving at 100 miles an hour. So from our little senior group there, we just told everyone to stay calm, take it all the way to the end, and you never know what happens. I think while it's the last over there, beautiful."
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with the scorer Paras Yadav. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!