Kortrijk, April 27 — Royal Brussels Cricket Club (RBCC) took a step closer to a semi-final spot with a hard-fought win followed by a disappointing collapse in their double-header clash against Kortrijk Warriors CC (KWCC) in the BCF T20 Cup.
Match 1: Bowlers Lead the Way in Nervy Chase
Score Card
RBCC clinched the morning game by 4 wickets, thanks largely to a stellar bowling effort that restricted KWCC to 102 all out. Sairab Zahid starred with the ball, claiming 3 for 7 in a tight, disciplined spell, while Abir Kumar (2/22) and Muneeb Muhammad (1/25) provided vital breakthroughs.
Kortrijk’s batters struggled for momentum, with none crossing 25, as RBCC bowlers hunted in a pack.
In reply, RBCC’s chase stumbled early. After losing three quick wickets inside the Powerplay, Mustafa Mamond anchored the innings with a calm 25 off 23 balls, ensuring that RBCC stayed afloat. Abdulwahed Tajik’s brisk 26 off 20 balls and late composure from Fida Hussain Shinwari (11 off 14 balls*) steered RBCC home in the 19th over.
Asif Hussain’s 3/19 briefly threatened to derail the chase, but RBCC’s depth saw them collect their sixth win of the season.
Match 2: Batting Meltdown as KWCC Hit Back
Score Card
The afternoon game told a different story. Chasing 143 after a spirited effort by KWCC led by Zeshan Diwan Ali’s fluent 53 off 33 balls, RBCC crumbled to 78 all out to suffer a 65-run defeat.
Despite another tidy opening spell from Muneeb Muhammad (1/14) and wickets for Nayhan Khalil (2/34) and Channi Gyani (1/17), lapses in the field and some big hitting in the death overs allowed KWCC to post a challenging total.
RBCC’s chase never got going. Muneeb Muhammad battled alone at the top with 23 off 26 balls, but once he fell, wickets tumbled regularly. Only Channi Gyani (17 off 21 balls) showed any resistance in the middle order.
Asif Hussain again proved to be a thorn in RBCC’s side, ripping through the middle order with 3/12.
The Road Ahead
With 6 wins out of 8 games, Royal Brussels now face a must-win double-header against Ostend CC to secure a semi-final spot. Their bowling remains a major strength, but sharper batting will be essential if they are to make a deep run in the tournament.