Betbarter Vanuatu T10 Blast | Qualification scenarios for the final
We are one day away from the final of the inaugural edition of the Betbarter Vanuatu T10 Blast and with the Mighty Efate Panthers booking their place in the final, we still have two teams in contention to reach the summit. But how complicated is it for these two teams to progress? Letâs find out.
Eight matches down, two to go. We are two matches away from finding out who will be crowned the champions of the inaugural edition of the Betbarter Vanuatu T10 Blast and boy hasnât the tournament been riveting. From high-scoring run-fests to heroic upsets to mind-blowing spells with the ball to astounding knocks with the bat, weâve seen it all, and itâs remarkable to think that all weâve witnessed is 8 matches. Thatâs right, eight matches is all weâve witnessed in the tournament and yet, we have highlight packages enough to keep us entertained for the next eight weeks. But we are down to the last and the most important matchday of the tournament, matchday five, which features two matches - the final game of the round-robin stage and, of course, the Grand Finale. Without further ado, letâs delve into every minute detail about the final day of the tournament and see which team is more likely to lift the trophy.
How many teams partook in the competition?
The inaugural edition of the Betbarter Vanuatu T10 Blast featured just three teams - MT Bulls, ME Panthers and Ifira Sharks. The format of the tournament has each team play every side in the competition thrice, meaning a total of 6 matches per team. And as the rules suggest, the top two teams with the most points will progress to the final.
So who are the two finalists?
Well, thatâs where things get a bit complicated. We have a slight twist, as in the sense there has been only one team that has qualified for the final thus far; one spot is still open. With four wins in six matches, Mighty Efate Panthers have already booked their place in the Final on June 13, but interestingly, they will not get to know who their opponents are, until 30 minutes before the final. Both Ifira Sharks and MT Bulls are in contention and given these two teams face each other a couple of hours before the final, we could have either side make the final. Interesting, isnât it?
As things stand, what does the qualification scenario look like?
The qualification scenario is as simple and straightforward as it can get -Â The Bulls and Sharks face each other at 7.30 AM IST on Saturday and whoever wins that encounter, will progress to the final and face the Panthers. How is this possible? Well, thanks to both teams having won two of the five games theyâve played thus far, they now find themselves exactly on four points. And as the Cricketing Gods had it, they HAD to face each other in the last game of the group stages, basically making it a do-or-die encounter. Letâs just say that these two teams will compete in a virtual semi-final on Saturday.
What if the match gets washed out due to rain?
In the extraordinary scenario of the match getting washed out due to rain, it will be the MT Bulls who will progress to the final to take on the ME Panthers, by the virtue of having a better Net Run Rate. The Bullsâ NRR of -0.361 edges the Sharksâ -0.796 and thus this particular number will serve as the tie-breaker, should the two teams finish level on points at the end of their game on June 13.Â
Who are favourites to go through?
The H2H record between these two sides in the competition reads 2-0 in favour of the Sharks, but it is important to note that the Bulls are coming on the back of a win versus the table-toppers, while the Sharks, in stark contrast, are coming on the back of a loss. Either way, Betbarter has Ifira Sharks as favourites to progress to the final.Â
When is the match scheduled to take place?
MT Bulls will take on Ifira Sharks at 7.30 AM IST on June 13.Â
The winner of the game will then go on to play ME Panthers, two hours later, at 9.30 AM on the same day.Â