France join Netherlands in Division 1 promotion, Guernsey and Denmark to battle for final spot

• Tahir six-wicket haul helps Italy defend 86 against Sweden
• Guernsey beat France to stay in the hunt for promotion
• Star performances from Ali (101) and Shaheen (6/27) set up convincing win for Denmark over Spain
• Norway keep Belgium at bay to finish third in Group B

Italy vs Sweden

With an opportunity for promotion still in the balance at the start of the day, Sweden won the toss and chose to field against Italy. They were rewarded early on, as opener Saab Mohammed ripped through the Italian top order. Sweden were able to maintain pressure as bowlers Munib Safi (4/11) and Mohammed (3/16) took the bulk of the wickets. Italy were contained throughout and were eventually left stranded on 86 in the 26th over.

Sweden looked in a good position to chase the Italian total at 36/2. However, an exceptional spell of bowling from Tahir (6/21) restricted the chase as wickets tumbled quickly. In the end, a panicked Sweden lost their final 4 wickets for just 6 runs and were bowled out on 79 in the 20th over. The result means that Italy finish third in Group A and will play-off for fifth place on Wednesday, with Sweden competing in the seventh place play-off.

Guernsey vs France

Guernsey got off to an ideal start after winning the toss and choosing to field, dismissing French dangerman Raza early on. It was left to the France middle order to set a competitive score, after early wickets left them on 27/3. Guernsey utilised their spin bowlers in the middle overs, bowling a tight line to create pressure. The French batters rotated the strike and made use of any loose deliveries to build up their total. A regular loss of wickets proved their undoing in the end, as the final wicket fell on 195 in the 47th over.

Guernsey openers Le Tissier (67) and Ellis (57) batted with great patience and determination, accelerating shortly after the lunch interval. Their first wicket partnership of 125 was broken in the 26th over, but the Guernsey chase was well set at that stage. France managed to take a few more wickets to come back into the game, however, Guernsey surpassed the French total in the 43rd over to secure a second-place finish in Group A. Despite the loss, France top the group on net run-rate and gain automatic promotion to the ICC U19 CWC Europe Division 1 in 2019.

Denmark vs Spain

Spain took a wicket with the first ball of the game, after choosing to field. Denmark remained unphased, putting on a 114 partnership for the second wicket within the first 20 overs. Smaller partnerships followed as Spain took wickets at regular intervals. Ali (101) played a patient innings for his side, supported by the lower order, to set the highest team total in the tournament so far. Denmark finished on 292 after losing their final wicket on the last ball of the innings. Having been set an imposing score to chase, Spain struggled to put on the required partnerships.

It was the destructive bowling of Shaheen (6/27) that restricted Spain to 118 all out. The result meant Denmark finish second in Group B and will face Guernsey on Wednesday for a chance to secure the final promotion place.

Belgium vs Norway

Norway came back from the loss of early wickets to post their highest total in the tournament to date. Niazi (79) was the leading run scorer for Norway, supported by contributions from the middle order. Belgium worked hard in the field and were rewarded by regular wickets to keep the Norwegian’s from running away with the match.

Belgium in the reply, once again showed great determination with captain Jain (47) leading from the front. They were outdone by the Norwegian pace bowlers, however, as the required run rate climbed steadily. Despite their fighting effort, Belgium finished the 50 overs 69 runs short of the Norwegian total. Norway finish third in Group B with this result and will play off against Italy for fifth place in the event. Belgium will face Sweden to determine the seventh and eight spots.

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Group standings

Group A

Group B

Ranking Play-Off Fixtures

Final

France vs Netherlands at Saffron Walden CC | Officials: Hassan Adnan, Rakbir Hasan, Sunil Chandiramani

Third Place Play-Off

Guernsey vs Denmark at Felsted School | Officials: Allan Haggo, Heath Kearns, Adriaan van den Dries

Fifth Place Play-Off

Italy vs Norway at Broxbourne CC | Officials: Shaun Els, Lars Andersen, Alex Dowdalls

Seventh Place Play-Off

Sweden vs Belgium at Coggeshall CC | Officials: Paul Reynolds, Pim van Liemt, Ioannis Afthinos