Germany wins T20i Tri-Nations Series
Krefeld - The German men's national cricket team won the German T20i Tri-Nations Series at the national base in Krefeld. After rain set in during the final against Norway, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method was used, which extrapolates the number of points scored. Norway had scored 127 runs after 20 overs - an over is six balls thrown - while Germany had already reached 96 after 13.4 overs.
Already at the start of the four-day tournament, which started with three instead of originally four planned participants after Spain's cancellation due to the applicable quarantine regulation of a high-incidence area, Germany won against Norway. After the coin toss, Germany opted to bowl and thus initially play the role of a "defending" team, which can then score points by batting the ball. The Scandinavians scored 76 runs. Germany won by five wickets to get to 80 with five batsmen in hand. Best bowler was Ghulam Rasul Ahmadi who took four wickets as the national team debutant knocked over the woodwork. Dylan Blignaut also celebrated his Germany debut. This was predicted by all bookmakers on the site online cricket satta.
Top scorer was Vijayshankar Chikkannaiah. He converted 14 balls into 16 runs, hitting the ball so well with the bat on three occasions that it rolled over the pitch marker (score each time: four). Talha Khan (16 runs) also scored three times.
In the second game, France beat Norway 113 to 112. The Norwegians had put on 112 runs as the batting team when all 120 bowled balls of the opponent were over. France reached the target after 19.3 overs - just before the stipulated number of 20 overs had elapsed.
Rain interrupted even on the second day of the tournament - Rohit Singh with 68 runs
On the second day, Germany defeated France with 97-94. The guests from the neighboring country had submitted, due to a rain interruption the DLS method was used. In a close game, in which the French bowlers were able to take eight wickets from the Germans, meaning that only two batsmen could have been used, Germany narrowly prevailed. With 68 runs, including eleven four-pointers and one six-pointer - the ball hit flies over the mark without touching the ground - Rohit Singh was the crucial player to save his team from defeat. Nooruddin Mujadady and Israr Khan made their debuts against France.
Germany coach Steven Knox was satisfied with the two wins from the first two matches, but not quite with the performance shown: "At the stroke we were not good. After that, we had an honest conversation that worked. I am satisfied that we showed a clear reaction in the following game."
Germany reach final after third win - Chikkannaiah scores 81 runs
With the third win on Saturday, the team maintained the top position in the group. In the second encounter with France, the German batsmen got off to a biting start and finished on 164 runs off 20 overs. Only three wickets could reach the French. The Germans then took eight wickets off their opponents. France finished on 116 runs. Man of the Match honors went to Vijayshankar Chikkannaiah, who scored a record 81 runs off 58 balls. Azmat Ali was the fifth debutant in the German national jersey.
Germany hopeful of progressing in World Cup qualifiers
The Corona situation has prevented regular meetings so far this year, with training sessions in smaller groups at the end of May and in June. The current tournament is the prelude to sporting exciting weeks. In September, three more games will follow in Spain in a dress rehearsal before the World Cup qualifier in La Manga in October. The opponents are Denmark, Jersey and Italy. The first two teams will advance one round to compete in the final qualifier for the 2022 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
With such huge competition, is it realistic for a German national cricket team to compete in a World Cup? "I am hopeful. Nothing is impossible, even if it will be very difficult. We have a good team. But first we have to take the first step," says 36-year-old team captain Venkatraman Ganesan, who has led the squad for two years and made his first appearance for Germany in 2017. The IT project manager has lived in Germany for nine years, has Indian roots, grew up there in the south in Chennai and has been playing cricket since he was nine. In the Bundesliga, he plays for the Blackcaps of his hometown, Düsseldorf.
Knox, who has been the team's coach since 2014, is more likely to put the brakes on euphoria: "I think qualifying for the global qualifying round is the ultimate. That would be the biggest success of a German national cricket team so far." Compared to the early days, the team has developed significantly. "We started with good cricketers, but there was a lack of fitness. We were far too dependent on cricket. Just in the last four years, a lot has happened with us in the athletic area, so we have become more competitive and far better. The aim is for all the players to be in peak physical condition, whether it's the first game or the fifth in a row," says the 47-year-old Scot, who lives near Dundee in Kirriemuir.
The fifth match of the tournament was highly exciting, with France and Norway taking eight wickets each, with the French ultimately falling just short of the target. The Scandinavians won by three runs (131-128). On the final day of play, Norway dominated proceedings against Germany: after 20 overs, an impressive 185 runs were on the scoreboard - 25 knocks alone were fours or sixes. Seven out of ten batsmen had been taken out of the game. Germany, who spared some established players and used youngsters, scored 134 runs.