World Cup T20 2026 – Euro Qual v Netherlands

ICC Mens T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier 2025
on Wednesday 9th July 2025
Match number T20I no. 3292
at Sportpark Westvliet, The Hague
Toss won by Netherlands who elected to bat
Umpires Aidan Seaver (Ire), Russell Warren (Eng)
Referee Denavon Hayles (WI)
Player Of The Match Max O’Dowd (Neth)

Netherlands innings  RunBall4s6sSR Guernsey BowlingOvMdnRunWktECONWDNB
Michael Levittc TW Nightingaleb Bradley252321108.69Anthony Stokes301906.3300
Max O'Dowdnot out9257111161.4Luke Bichard403308.2500
Scott Edwards *+not out484030120Charlie Forshaw403809.510
Zach Lion-CachetdnbAdam Martel3035011.6600
Bas de LeedednbMartin-Dale Bradley40281710
Noah CroesdnbMatthew Stokes201708.500
Saqib Zulfiqardnb
Roelof van der Merwednb
Kyle Kleindnb
Aryan Duttdnb
Paul van Meekerendnb
Extras(lb 2, w 5)7
Total(for 1 wkt)172
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Michael Levitt, 6.5 ov)

Guernsey innings  RunBall4s6sSR Netherlands BowlingOvMdnRunWktECONWDNB
Ben Fitchetc Croesb van Meekeren3130023.07Aryan Dutt20301.520
Martin-Dale Bradleyc †Edwardsb Saqib Zulfiqar262530104Kyle Klein20904.500
Tom Nightingalelbwb de Leede6610100Paul van Meekeren403117.7500
Matthew Stokesrun out (Saqib Zulfiqar/de Leede)230066.66Bas de Leede1071700
Oliver Nightingale *c Saqib Zulfiqarb van der Merwe370042.85Saqib Zulfiqar40162400
Isaac Damarell †st †Edwardsb Saqib Zulfiqar14161087.5Roelof van der Merwe20713.500
Ben Ferbracheb Levitt16181088.88Zach Lion-Cachet20100500
Adam Martelnot out18211085.71Michael Levitt301133.6600
Luke Bichardlbwb Levitt370042.85
Anthony Stokeslbwb Levitt120050
Charlie Forshawnot out02000
Extras(b 1, lb 4, w 2)7
Total(for 9 wkts)99
Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Ben Fitchet, 4.2 ov), 2-23 (Tom Nightingale, 5.4 ov), 3-38 (Matthew Stokes, 7.1 ov), 4-43 (Oliver Nightingale, 8.5 ov), 5-43 (Martin-Dale Bradley, 9.1 ov), 6-66 (Isaac Damarell, 13.3 ov), 7-79 (Ben Ferbrache, 15.3 ov), 8-87 (Luke Thomas Bichard, 17.6 ov), 9-99 (Anthony Stokes, 19.4 ov)

‘Relentless’ Dutch are too strong for Greens’

By Gareth Le Prevost        Guernsey Press      10th July 2025

The hosts were not in the mood to be overly hospitable yesterday as Guernsey’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Regional Final campaign ended in a 73-run defeat.

As in their previous two performance in the Netherlands, the Sarnians could take positives from their plucky display, but against a Dutch side packed with professionals and with no margin for error having lost to Scotland the day before, the Greens were comfortably second best at Voorburg Cricket Club. However, captain Ollie Nightingale was upbeat when he reflected on the whole experience of competing at a tournament that is just one step away from the T20 World Cup. ‘It’s been good, the cricket’s been hard, but look there’s some top teams here, so we have learnt a few things, we’ll go away, try to improve and hopefully come back in two years,’ he said.

Overall, in the qualifying process, Guernsey finished fifth of 32 European nations who set out with the dream of making it to India and Sri Lanka next year. That emphasises the progress the Sarnians have made in the last couple of years, but yesterday they were shown what it takes to be one of the top established associate nations in the region.

The Greens actually bowled relatively tidily throughout their 20 overs after Dutch captain Scott Edwards won the toss and opted to bat, yet they were still set a target of 173, which would have been a record run chase at the ground. Martin-Dale Bradley was the pick of the bowlers, going at sevens in his four overs and picking up the wicket of opener Michael Levitt, who holed out to Tom Nightingale at deep midwicket attempting to repeat the massive six he had struck earlier in the seventh over. After that, the Sarnians were unable to break the second-wicket partnership of 116 between Edwards and his vice-captain Max O’Dowd, who struck a magnificent 92 not out from 57 balls to pick up the player-of-the-match accolade.

Edwards, who enjoys trying to manipulate the field with deft sweeps and reverses, was happy to play the support role as O’Dowd hit 11 fours and one glorious six over long-off into the lake beyond the boundary. In a very evenly paced innings, he went into the last over with a chance of reaching three figures, but he was unable to get back on strike for the last couple of deliveries and was prevented from reaching a deserved personal milestone.

Ant Stokes finished as the most economical of the bowlers, conceding just 19 from his three overs, while Luke Bichard was impressive once more, especially considering he went into the tournament as a major injury doubt. While the Netherlands had put a lot of runs on the board, Guernsey would have felt in the game at the halfway stage, but their run chase never really got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals after initially struggling to beat the ring fielders in the powerplay.

Eventually, in an attempt to go over the top, Ben Fitchet perished to the pace of Paul van Meekeren when he launched the ball high rather than long and was caught at mid-on. Tom Nightingale was then trapped plump in front by Bas de Leede and Matt Stokes soon followed as he was run out attempting a second off a miss-field.

The skipper did not last long, either, as he sliced former South Africa spinner Roelof Van Der Merwe to backward point. Meanwhile, at the other end, Bradley was batting nicely and picking up the occasional boundary on his way to a run-a-ball 26. Just when he was gaining confidence, though, he got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Edwards when trying to cut leg-spinner Saqib Zulfiqar and Guernsey had lost their fifth wicket before the halfway stage of the innings. Zak Damarell, Ben Ferbrache and Adam Martel all chipped in with double-figure contributions as Guernsey worked their way towards three figures, but they would finish one short of a hundred as Levitt claimed three late wickets with his medium pace.

In the after-match interviews, Nightingale was asked what will be Guernsey’s biggest takeaway from the week. ‘Probably the ability to do things for longer periods of time,’ said the skipper. ‘These guys are just pretty relentless and they do it for the full 20 overs. So if we can do that, we’ll be in a much better place.’

While Guernsey are guaranteed to finish bottom of the table, each of the other four teams can still qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the final round of matches tomorrow.

Italy created history yesterday as they beat Scotland for the first time in a T20I.

That put them top of the table on five points and they still have to face the Dutch, who are on four, while Jersey and Scotland, who face each other, have three points apiece.

Final Placings:

1 Netherlands P 4 W 3 L 1 NR 0 Pts 6 NRR -0.037

2 Italy P 4 W 2 L 1 NR 1 Pts 5 NRR 0.612

3 Jersey P 4 W 2 L 2 NR 1 Pts 5 NRR 0.306

4 Scotland P 4 W 1 L 2 NR 1 Pts 3 NRR -0.117

5 Guernsey P 4 W 0 L 3 NR 1 Pts 1 NRR -2.517

Netherlands and Italy progress to the World Cup Finals in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. The 2026 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams with Netherlands and Italy joining hosts India and Sri Lanka, as well the already-qualified England, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Ireland, USA and Canada. Two Asian sides and three from Africa will complete the line-up.