10:15 PM IST, 6:45 PM LOCAL TIME: Sometimes qualification is earned on the field... and sometimes it arrives through patience, persistence, and a little help from the weather gods. What happened in this crucial final league clash? Unfortunately, not a single ball could decide it. The rain arrived, settled in, and ultimately refused to leave, forcing the match between the Liege Red Lions and Ghent Gladiators to be abandoned. So who benefited? The Ghent Gladiators. Why? Because they entered the game with one more point than the Red Lions and only needed a washout to stay ahead in the standings. It is a cruel ending for Liege, who came into the day knowing victory would send them through to the Super Four. Instead, the shared point wasn't enough. The Gladiators move on. The Red Lions bow out. Sometimes, the toughest opponent in T20 cricket is not the team across from you. It is the weather above you.
What does this mean for the tournament? The Super Four lineup is now officially locked in. Akcel United Brussels finish at the top with 6 points from four matches, having won two games and seen two washed out. Antwerp Anchors follow with 5 points after two wins, one defeat, and one no result. JB Bruges claim third place with 4 points from their four completed league matches. And finally, Ghent Gladiators sneak into the final qualification spot with 3 points, thanks to three no results and this crucial abandoned fixture. The Red Lions, meanwhile, are left wondering what might have been after their earlier defeat to Antwerp Anchors. So, who remains in the hunt for the EUT20 Belgium title? Akcel United Brussels. Antwerp Anchors. JB Bruges. Ghent Gladiators. Four teams remain. The league stage is done. The Super Four awaits. Let the next chapter begin.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Arijit Kundu, and 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!!!!
Well, well, we have some official news. The players and officials are shaking the hands, and the game has been called off. The Ghent Gladiators have qualified, as confirmed by the ground announcer. After this game, they earn four points while the Red Lions earned only three. Due to higher points, the Gladiators qualify for the playoffs as the fourth side.
10:00 PM IST and 6:30 PM Local Time: The two umpires stroll into the field to assess the ground conditions. Certain areas are muggy at the moment, there are certain patches that one of the official pressed with his feet to understand the dampness underneath the soil. At the same time, two of the covers are laid near the square region despite no rain.
9:50 PM IST and 6:20 PM Local Time: The covers have been peeled off. However, the areas around the short mid wicket and bowler's run up from both ends look quite patchy at the moment. While the rain has stopped, a certain shades of grey can be seen some distant away. However, the field is blanketed with clear sky at the moment. The groundsmen are trying to optimise the drainage of the ground with manual labour. We hope for a positive news soon. The inspection is in ten minutes.
9:19 PM IST, 5:49 PM LOCAL TIME: Just as we got a solitary over of action, the unpredictable weather has thrown another curveball. The rain has come down significantly heavier than the previous light drizzle, leaving the umpires with no choice but to call time on the play after just six balls. The players are heading back to the dressing rooms as the ground staff sprint out, pacing the covers securely over the pitch and paying extra attention to protecting those vulnerable bowlers' run-up areas from getting soaked again. It is a deeply frustrating setback, and we are back to playing the waiting game.
OVER 1
Liege Red Lions
3/0
Chris Lynn
1(4)
Faf du Plessis
2(2)
JJ Smuts
0-3(1.0)
0.6 JJ Smuts to Faf du Plessis
1 Sliding in, full and around middle, knocked it down to mid off for a tight single.
0.5 JJ Smuts to Chris Lynn
1 Lynn goes off the mark with a single after facing his fourth ball. Fuller around the off, nurdled around the corner.
0.4 JJ Smuts to Chris Lynn
0 Pushes across, full and around off, dabbed it down to cover off the front foot.
0.3 JJ Smuts to Chris Lynn
0 DROPPED!!! A TOUGH CHANCE IS PUT DOWN!! Short and outside off. Lynn goes back and tries to cut it, but ends up slicing it to cover point, where the fielder dives to his left but fails to hold onto it. Shells down a big chance in the first over itself and Smuts isn't happy with his effort.