Game three for Spain was arguably the most difficult for the hosts, who had to face arch rivals Belgium, in what was effectively a contest for a spot in tomorrow’s final.
Winning the toss Spain elected to bat and the two openers Armaghan Khan and Tariq Ali put on 113 for the first wicket in just twelve overs to give the Spaniards a fantastic start.
However, after they both departed in consecutive overs the Belgium bowling began to slow down the flow of runs, and more importantly took key wickets at crucial times.
A late cameo by Faran Afzal (26 not out) off just 16 balls gave the hosts innings some much needed impetus at the end to help Spain to a final target of 177 from their 20 over allocation.
The same player opened the bowling for Spain and his fiery spell contributed to a disastrous start for the visitors that saw them struggling at 20-4.
K. Khan and R. Khan initially consolidated the innings in the middle order for Belgium and then started to kick on with some lusty blows as the visitors looked to get back in contention.
Skipper Tanveer Iqbal brought Atif Ali back at a crucial time and he responded to the situation by bowling a wicket maiden. His spell yielded figures of 3-29 as Belgium ended their response on 159 for 9, just nineteen runs shy of victory.
Spain just now have to beat the Norwegian side Klemetsued to ensure a place in tomorrow’s final, but with a far superior run rate to all the other teams in their group they are virtually assured of that spot already.
Contribution by Harmit Phull