By Lucy Rees
National Counties XI beat hosts Spain on Monday by 93 runs in the first match of their Championship Week in the Dream11 T10 European Championship.
National Counties are representing England and Wales at the 15-nation tournament and qualified for the Championship Week having finished top of Group C.
Wales’ Sam Pearce, Richard Edwards and Tom Bevan are also in Spain playing for NCCA’s England XI.
Pearce, Wales’ captain, has been consistent throughout the tournament after making a decent start with the ball in their opening match against Finland.
At the conclusion of the group stages, he was the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with 15 wickets at an average of 8.53.
NCCA also beat the Netherlands by 4 wickets with Pearce scoring 28* from 10 after bowling one over for 17.
On Monday, Harrison Ward and Dan Lincoln put on an opening partnership of 178 to set up a huge 93 run victory over Spain.
Ward and Lincoln struck 18 sixes and ten fours between them in the T10 contest at the Cartama Oval.
The pair managed five sixes in a seven-ball over from Paul Hennessy and a no-ball making it a very expensive over of 31 runs.
Ward finished on 92* from 31 balls and Lincoln on 82* from 30 balls with National Counties’ total being the third highest in the tournament so far after Netherlands’ 200/1 against Romania and Austria’s 195/4, also against Romania.
Despite Spain’s opener Yasir Ali managing a solid 31, Spain was kept under control by the National Counties’ bowlers and finished on 85 for eight.
Wiltshire’s Arthur Godsal took two for 11 of his two overs, both wickets falling in three balls in his second over.
Pearce then ended the tail by taking three for 22, with two of those being taken in the final over of the match.
When you need a cool head, Sam Pearce is your man!
22* off 10 balls including three consecutive 💣💣💣 to finish the game for @NCCA_uk against @KNCBcricket
🏏🏴🐉 | #Dinkies pic.twitter.com/Z2pT2wwam4
— Wales National County (@WalesNCounty) October 5, 2021
England XI’s match against the Netherlands looked a bit more difficult for the dominant side despite the Netherlands only getting 88/8 off their 10 overs.
With their openers and number three falling short and no one making double figures, the highest score of 30 came from their number seven, Olivier Elenbaas.
England’s Arthur Godsal took two wickets in their innings with Alex Russell, Zaman Akhter and Wales’ Richard Edwards picking up one each.
With Ward and Lincoln falling short for NCCA early in the innings, Alex Mellor (27) and Tom Bevan (15) kept the scoreboard ticking.
Pearce then came in scoring 28* from 10 balls, hitting four sixes.
England take on Belgium later today and Italy on Wednesday.