182/8 (20.0)
CR : 9.10
221/6 (20.0)
CR : 11.05
Antwerp Anchors won by 39 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Martin Guptill
114(58)
19.6
W
Hardus Viljoen to Danru Ferns
GONEE!! HARDUS VILJOEN FINISHES OFF THE GAME WITH A WICKET AND THE ANTWERP ANCHORS WIN BY 39 RUNS! It has been an absolutely clinical effort from them and they've absolutely outplayed the Ackel United Brussels. It was a good length delivery and at the stumps. Ferns backed away and swung hard at it. He got a leading edge and it went towards fine leg aerially. Mark Watt ran in from the boundary and took it easily in the end.
Viljoen signs off on a positive note!
D Ferns 0(2)
c M Watt b H Viljoen
4s/6s
0/0
SR
0.00
Over 20
Akcel United Brussels 182/8
Danru Ferns0(2)
Jack Jarvis28(13)
Hardus Viljoen1-47(4.0)
ANA won by 39 runs
7:20 PM IST, 3:50 PM Local Time | Antwerp Anchors seal a dominant victory in the first playoff league stage match! They defeat Akcel United Brussels by 39 runs to win the contest!
Akcel United Brussels won the toss and elected to bowl first! However, the opposition skipper, Martin Guptill had other ideas as he smashed 114 runs off 58 runs, and along with JJ Smits' late innings cameo of 40 runs off 17 balls helped Antwerp Anchors establish a monstrous total of 221/6 at the end of their 20 overs.
Khalid Ahmadi's final double-wicket over meant he finished with 2/43 from 4 overs.
Come the chase, the mission for Roy and Hales was simple with 222 to chase. They gave their team the perfect start with a cracking opening partnership of 56 runs. However, once Wiese removed Hales from the equation, the floodgates opened.
The pitch started to turn and grip, and Moeen Ali's introduction meant it was time for spin to perform. The English veteran went onto pick up crucial wickets of Roy, Roussouw, Rogers and finish with a maiden over with the figures of 3/16 from 4 overs. Mark Watt from the other end complimented Ali well with the figures of 1/38.
Smit, Luus, Viljoen picked up a wicket each to round up a good bowling effort by Antwerp Anchors. While 40 remained the highest individual score for Brussels in this knock, achieved by Roy and Phillips' late innings knock.
However, in the end the total was always too far away from Brussels as they succumbed to a 39 run defeat today.
Akcel United Brussels won the toss and elected to bowl first! However, the opposition skipper, Martin Guptill had other ideas as he smashed 114 runs off 58 runs, and along with JJ Smits' late innings cameo of 40 runs off 17 balls helped Antwerp Anchors establish a monstrous total of 221/6 at the end of their 20 overs.
Khalid Ahmadi's final double-wicket over meant he finished with 2/43 from 4 overs.
Come the chase, the mission for Roy and Hales was simple with 222 to chase. They gave their team the perfect start with a cracking opening partnership of 56 runs. However, once Wiese removed Hales from the equation, the floodgates opened.
The pitch started to turn and grip, and Moeen Ali's introduction meant it was time for spin to perform. The English veteran went onto pick up crucial wickets of Roy, Roussouw, Rogers and finish with a maiden over with the figures of 3/16 from 4 overs. Mark Watt from the other end complimented Ali well with the figures of 1/38.
Smit, Luus, Viljoen picked up a wicket each to round up a good bowling effort by Antwerp Anchors. While 40 remained the highest individual score for Brussels in this knock, achieved by Roy and Phillips' late innings knock.
However, in the end the total was always too far away from Brussels as they succumbed to a 39 run defeat today.
Rilee Rossouw (Akcel United Brussels' Captain): "(Reaction from the match) Disappointed, thought Guptill played exceptionally well. We were playing catch-up, stumbled, and eventually could not recover.
(Learnings from today) We need to adjust to conditions. Today, it played a lot better, but these things keep happening. Tomorrow, we will be better.
(Message to the team) Things can change quickly in a short period of time, just be positive, and do your best."
(Learnings from today) We need to adjust to conditions. Today, it played a lot better, but these things keep happening. Tomorrow, we will be better.
(Message to the team) Things can change quickly in a short period of time, just be positive, and do your best."
Player of the Match | Martin Guptill
Martin Guptill (Antwerp Anchors Captain and Player of the match) - "We played collectively as a team today. We are heading in the right direction and peaking at the right moment.
We began well and had a great partnership in the middle which helped us to go out there and put on a big score on the board.
We will hope that the wicket plays well tomorrow as well and then come back and continue to keep up the momentum.
We began well and had a great partnership in the middle which helped us to go out there and put on a big score on the board.
We will hope that the wicket plays well tomorrow as well and then come back and continue to keep up the momentum.
That's it from this match folks! A maiden individual century in EUT20 Belgium 2026 and the playoffs are off to a perfect start. Hop tabs to join our coverage from Match 2 of the first playoff day!
For now, I am Anirudh Modi, signing off along wih my colleagues Soumarya Dutta and Paras Yadav! See you at the next one.
For now, I am Anirudh Modi, signing off along wih my colleagues Soumarya Dutta and Paras Yadav! See you at the next one.