Austria v Croatia: European Championship Division One Twenty20 – Match Recap
Austria crushed Croatia by 51 runs in a Group A match of the European Championship Division One Twenty20, at the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Guernsey-c40999 Rovers Athletic Club Ground, Port Soif, on Friday, July 22, 2011.
The Austrian team batted first and posted a very good total of 176 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The star performer for the team was their captain Amar Naeem, who scored an unbeaten 100. He batted until the end, guiding his team into a very strong position.
In reply, the Croatian batsmen failed to make an impression, as the team was all-out for 125 in 18.5 overs. The team was given a solid start by opening batsman, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Christopher-Pivac-c50972, who was the top scorer of the innings with 64 runs. However, the rest of the
players were unable to make the most of the platform laid by their opener.
Toss was won by Croatia’s skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/John-M-Vujnovich-c68291, who opted to field first. He expected the conditions to favour his bowlers in the first few overs of the game, but the decision didn’t turn out to be a good one at the end of the day.
Austria’s start was not a very good one, as the team lost opening batsman Syed Qamar early. He only managed nine runs in his short stay at the crease.
However, the innings was put on track by the team’s skipper and Simpson-Parker. The pair put together 38 runs for the second wicket partnership, but the latter was run-out after adding 17 runs to the total.
The next man to go was Aman Deep, who failed to make an impression and was sent back to the pavilion after adding just a couple of runs to the total.
Austria had lost three wickets for 56 runs on the board, but the team didn’t lose any wicket after that, as Naeem and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Asif collected an unbeaten 120 runs for the fourth wicket partnership.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Naeem-c78451 remained unbeaten on 100 off just 63 balls with the help of 13 fours and three massive sixes. He got terrific support from Asif, who remained there until the end, scoring 35 runs from 30 balls.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Croatia-c2879’s Pivac was the only bowlers to trouble the opposition, as he picked up one wicket for 14 runs in his spell. The team needed a solid start in order to chase down 177 runs for victory.
They got off to an ideal start, as openers Pivac and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Craig-Sinovich-c51749 put together 84 runs for the first wicket partnership. The latter struggled in his outing and was dismissed after adding 12 runs to the total.
Pivac got out after scoring a quick fire 64 off 46 balls, but the lower-order collapsed and the entire team was bowled out for 125 in the 19th over of the innings.
Austria’s Lakmal Kasturiarachchige did a fabulous job with the ball, picking up five wickets in the match.
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