Steven Smith Stars as Amsterdam Flames Storm Into ETPL Final
Amsterdam Flames advanced to the finals of the ETPL by defeating Belfast Wolves in the Qualifier match. The team posted 166/7 after being sent to bat first, as Smith scored a half-century. Maxwell took the game close, but Belfast Wolves ended up grabbing the victory.
Pitch and Weather
The match will be played at The Village, which is expected to offer a good T20 surface. The new ball will be able to provide some movement to the seamers, while spinners and cutters will be able to do well in the middle overs when the pitch slows down. Batsmen will be able to do well when they settle, as the shorter boundaries will reward them even for the mishits. With moderate September humidity and a breeze around Malahide, the powerplay should favour disciplined seam bowling.
Toss
Belfast Wolves win the toss and decide to bowl first. The team backs it's experienced bowling line-up, which could help them to restrict Amsterdam Flames to a low total.
Lineups
Amsterdam Flames: Yuvraj Samra, Steven Smith, Bas de Leede, Curtis Campher, Tim David, Michael Bracewell, Scott Edwards (C), Jordan Neill, Tim Pringle, David Payne, Aryan Dutt
Belfast Wolves: Paul Stirling, Ben Manenti, Lorcan Tucker, Mark Chapman, Glenn Maxwell (C), David Miller, Chris Jordan, Mark Adair, Gavin Hoey, Fred Klaassen, Matthew Humphreys
Match Report
Amsterdam Flames went on to post 166/7 after being sent to bat first, as the Village offered more grip rather than the boundaries. Yuvraj Samra lost his wicket early to Fred Klaassen, but Steven Smith and Bas de Leede went on to rebuild carefully. They rotated strike before accelerating well, as Smith scored 54 runs off 39 balls and de Leede added 31.
Belfast brought down Ben Manenti in the sixth over to slow down the scoring rate. He conceded just 19 runs in four overs and even removed de Leede. Maxwell used Chris Jordan to prevent Tim David from his early acceleration. Michael Bracewell and Tim David had a 47-run stand, which took Amsterdam beyond 150, as Mark Adair removed them in the 18th over.
Belfast started the chase well as Paul Stirling smashed three fours against David Payne. But the introduction of Aryan Dutt changed things, as he removed Stirling for just 28. Lorcan Tucker and Mark Chapman kept the chase stable, as the team went on to score 78/2 after ten overs.
The turning point arrived when Scott Edwards handed the ball to Jordan Neill, who was able to remove Mark Chapman with a top edge. Neill went on to take the wicket of Tucker in the next two balls, as he was unable to make use of the wider boundaries well, leading to an increase in the required rate.
Maxwell kept the chase alive as he scored 38 runs off 25 balls, but David Payne conceded just 5 runs in the 18th over and removed Maxwell. Belfast required 29 runs off 12 balls, as Bracewell used slower balls and Tim Pringle prevented Miller and Jordan from finding boundaries. Belfast ended up losing the game by 12 runs.
Player of the Match
Steven Smith won the Player of the Match award for scoring 54 runs off 39 balls, which gave the required start to Amsterdam Flames in this game.