Austria surprised everyone by winning the third Twenty20 World Cup 2024 Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier.
Austria surprised everyone by winning the third Twenty20. Austria surprised everyone at the T20 World Cup Europe Sub-Regional Qualifier in Finland, beating Guernsey and Norway along the way to earn a spot at next year’s continental Qualifier. It means that Austria is in the running for two spots from Europe in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the United States and the West Indies.
Austria’s Triumph
Austria blew through the group stage and beat Guernsey in a key game in Vantaa, which helped them get to the tournament final. The Channel Islanders were only able to score 139 runs, so the Austrians were able to reach their goal of 140 runs with just two wickets and two balls to spare. Iqbal Hossain (38 from 18 balls) and Razmal Shigiwal (42 from 29 balls) sped up at the top of the order. Still, the middle order fell apart, leaving the Austrians needing 15 runs from the last two overs with No.8 Abdullah Akbarjan and No.10 Umair Tariq at the crease. However, in the final, Tariq (12* from six balls) kept his cool and guided a David Hooper shot behind point for an unexpected win.
The final between Austria and Norway was cut down to 14 overs per team, and Austria’s Amit Nathwani set the tone with his tricky off-spin. In his three overs, Nathwani got 3/14 from mistimed shots in the air, and Sahel Zadran (3/10) cleaned up the tail to bowl Norway out for 77.
With a DLS-adjusted target of 77, Iqbal Hossain (66 off 36 balls) almost led a solo charge in the chase, but he was out one run short of the goal, which was a bit of a letdown. In the same way, Austria’s run to win the tournament was a Vinay Ravi wide. Austria was given the Sub-Regional trophy, and a young French player named Gustav McKeon was named Player of the Tournament. He scored 377 runs in five hits, which is a strike rate of 164.62.
Who will be in the Europe Qualifier next year?
The winners of the three Sub-Regional tournaments (Austria, Denmark, and Italy) will move on to the European Finals next year, and the USA and West Indies will get two spots in the tournament in 2024. The three teams join Jersey and Germany, as well as Ireland, the Netherlands, and Scotland, who did not qualify for the 2024 tournament through the 2022 tournament.
How did Denmark and Italy ensure they would qualify from their continent?
Belgium’s upset 12-run win over Denmark in the first Sub-Regional Qualifier sent shock waves through the tournament. However, Freddie Klokker’s team found their footing in the knockout rounds, beating Spain before a thumping win over Portugal. Nicolaj Laegsgaard, a Danish star all-rounder, played in every game and led the tournament in both runs and wickets. He took nine wickets in addition to his impressive 189-run season (SR 177, Average 37.80).
Laegsgaard was out on the first ball of Denmark’s run chase after taking 2/11 (4) in the final. This opened the door for Portugal, but Taranjit Bharaj (58* from 43 balls) and Hamid Shah (44* from 37 balls) closed it.
Gareth Berg’s Italy didn’t have much trouble during their successful Sub-Regional campaign. They didn’t lose a game in the group stage, and their final win over the Isle of Man was a rout.
Harry Manenti’s first job for his country was to get rid of the top three batters in the final. He ended up with 3/14/4 and kept Matthew Ansell’s team at 101/8. In response, Marcus Campopiano’s 35* (21 runs) ensured that the Manx couldn’t return. As a result, the Italians reached their goal of 102 runs in the 11th over.
What is the line in the T20 World Cup in 2024?
The East Asia-Pacific Sub-Regional A Qualifier for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in Vanuatu. The hosts will play against the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Samoa. All of the events that lead up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 can be watched on ICC.tv (other than Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan).