European Cricket League: Independents lose opening two group games

Guernsey international Ollie Nightingale's innings of 60 not out was a rare bright moment in a tough opening day

Guernsey champions Independents lost both of their group matches on the opening day of their European Cricket League campaign in Spain.

Indies were lost by 59 runs to Austrian champions Donaustadt in their first game at the Catarma Oval.

They went on to be beaten by 10 wickets by Spanish side Pak I Care Badalona in their second match.

They face Isle of Man side Crosby and Estonian champions Tallinn Stallions in pool matches on Wednesday.

The top four sides in the five-team group will make the knockout rounds on Thursday with the winners progressing to next week's finals - Channel Island rivals Old Victorians from Jersey have already qualified after winning their group last week.

Donaustadt batters crush Guernsey bowlers

Having lost the toss got off to a superb start when Tom Cheater saw Muhammad Sadiq caught for a duck with the second ball of the match, only for his replacement, Razmal Shigiwal, to hit four successive sixes off the rest of his over.

Shigiwal and Iqbal Hossein were out on 52 in two-and-a-half overs before the latter was caught for 32 off nine balls.

Donaustadt skipper Shigiwal and Jaweed Sadran went on to make 86 off the fourth wicket as Shigiwal went on to smash 85 off 25 balls, having hit 12 sixes, as Donaustadt made 177-6.

Indies struggled with the bat as they were reduced to 13-3 off the first one-and-a-half overs as Zak Damerell and skipper Nathan le Tissier went for ducks and Tommy Nightingale for one.

Hampshire academy player Cheater - one of two wild card players - hit 18 before being caught and bowled by Sadran to leave the Guernsey side on 30-4.

Wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals as Ollie Nightingale was the only other islander to make double figures.

His knock of 60 not out came from 26 balls, and saw him hit three sixes and eight fours as Independents ended on 118-8 - six runs short of getting a losing bonus point.

Home side too strong for Indies

Tom Nightingale matched his brother's tally of half centuries with 56 from 22 balls

Indies returned to the tournament for the second successive year having lost in the group stages 12 months ago - but their batters again struggled against the 2022 champions Pak I Care Badalona.

They were reduced to 21-4 off three overs as Cheater, Ollie Nightingale and Archie Fairfax Ross all failed to score.

But Tom Nightingale and skipper le Tissier steadied the innings and made 72 for the fifth wicket before the latter went for 22.

Nightingale went on to make 56 from 22 balls as he and CJ Peatfield put on another 37 runs - Peatfield ended on 32 not out from nine balls including four sixes as Indies ended on 137-7.

Pak I Care's openers Muhammad Babar and Daniel Doyle Calle ensured any Guernsey hopes of a win were extinguished as they carried their bats throughout their innings as they reached their target of 138 in 8.3 overs.

Babar made 76 not out off 30 balls with six sixes and eight fours while Calle got 53 not out off 21 balls with five sixes and four fours.