BCF Sixes 2007
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Ranking
BCF Sixes in Ghent: Greens come out on top
The "BCF Sixes" in Ghent on Sunday 3 September gathered 8 of Belgium's best cricket clubs for a day of exciting six-a-side cricket. Organised by local club Arcadians, the event is quickly becoming an end of season jamboree for Belgian cricket. With 4 Division One sides as well as Division Two champions Exiles, participation to the event was as good as the organisers could have wished. The weather was less promising, but after a start under grey skies and a continuous drizzle, the weather improved gradually with a dry afternoon and even a glimpse of the sun to reward the teams that made it to the final.
A series of qualifying games was played first. In pool A, Ostend Exiles and hosts Arcadians both won their 2 games and went through to the semi-finals. Arcadians won the all-Ghent derby against Gent CC to kick off the tournament, and continued its good form against Royal Brussels. Exiles faced the same opponents, also with double success. Teams were more evenly matched in pool B: Crescent made up for a disappointing league season (relegation from Division One), with strong wins against Mechelen and Greens to take the unbeaten top spot. As both Mechelen (the defending champions in the tournament) and Greens had beaten Antwerp, the teams were tied with one win and one loss. The tie-breaking rules determine that the ranking is made on runs per wicket average, it first seemed that Mechelen's 98 for 1 against Antwerp (the highest score of the day) would see them through. But as Greens lost only 1 wicket in their 2 matches, they clinched the final semi-final berth.
The first semi-final matched Arcadians against PCCB Greens. Facing a total of 77 for 3, the Arcadians' batting never threatened their seasoned opponents and the local boys eventually crashed to 39 all out as Greens advanced to the final. In the other semi-final, Exiles' 55 for 4 appeared too low a target to defend. At 47 for 3 with an over to go, Crescent seemed well placed to reach the target, but the final over yielded only 2 runs, giving Exiles the win.
After Mechelen had beaten Arcadians by just one run in the 2005 final, it seemed unlikely to be as close this year. But this year's teams cooked up an even more thrilling final. Greens posted 72 for 1, with hard-hitting batsman Sheryar Butt adding 30 not out with 4 sixes. Having scored 116 unbeaten runs with 13 sixes in his 4 innings, Sheryar well deserved the "Player of the Tournament" award. The total appeared to be beyond the grasp of Exiles, as they fell sharply behind the required run rate by the middle of their innings. But the Ostend team never gave up and slowly crept to the target, reaching 71 for 3 with one ball to go ... But the batsman managed only 1 run of the final ball, not enough for victory. With the scores level, Greens won the final by virtue of loosing fewer wickets, and were presented the cup by BCF president Peter De Boeck.
The well-organised event was enjoyed by players, umpires and supported alike, and attracted some interest from locals who admired the spectacular hits of six-a-side cricket. It was great entertainment, and a successful day for cricket in Belgium in general and Ghent in particular. First organised in September 2004 for non-affiliated players, the Sixes led to the birth of Arcadians Cricket Ghent, now a well-established club that puts great emphasis on youth development and attracting Belgians into the game. The 2005 edition saw 4 club teams compete on the Arcadians' temporary Flicx pitch. In 2006, Ghent can boast a permanent Notts Sport pitch, funded by the BCF and with the support of the City of Ghent. Information on Arcadians Cricket Club Ghent: http://www.arcadians-cricket.net, mail: info@arcadians-cricket.net
Full Tournament Results - BCF Sixes 2006
2 September 2007, Mariakerke/GentPool A
| Team | Points | Avg. (runs/wicket) | |
| 1 | Arcadians | 4 pts | 35.33 |
| 2 | Exiles | 4 pts | 24.40 |
| 3 | Brussels | 0 pts | 15.67 |
| 4 | GCC | 0 pts | 14.14 |
Exiles (47-1) beat Brussels (46-3) by 5 wickets
Arcadians (49-1) beat Brussels (48-3) by 5 wickets
Exiles (75-4) beat GCC (43-4) by 32 runs
Pool B
| Team | Points | Avg. (runs/wicket) | |
| 1 | Crescent | 4 pts | 45.00 |
| 2 | Greens | 2 pts | 132.00 |
| 3 | Mechelen | 2 pts | 75.00 |
| 4 | Antwerp | 0 pts | 47.00 |
Greens (67-0) beat Antwerp (66-2) by 6 wickets
Mechelen (98-1) beat Antwerp (75-1) by 23 runs
Crescent (68-1) beat Greens (65-1) by 5 wickets
7th Place game
Antwerp (71-2) beat GCC (72-3) by loosing fewer wickets
5th Place game
Mechelen (71-1) beat Arcadians B (51-3) by 20 runs
(Arcadians B playing as substitute for Brussels, who retired from the tournament.)
Semi-finals
Greens (77-3) beat Arcadians (39 all out) by 38 runs
Exiles (55-4) beat Crescent (49-3) by 6 runs
FINAL
Greens (72-1) beat Exiles (72-2) by loosing fewer wickets
Player of the tournament
Sheryar Butt (Greens) for scoring 116 runs, retiring unbeaten in each innings (30* with 4 sixes and 1 four, 28* with 2 sixes and 3 fours, 28* with 3 sixes and 2 fours, 30* with 4 sixes and 1 four).
The final standings
1. PCCB Greens2. Ostend Exiles CC
3. Arcadians CC Ghent
4. Crescent
5. Mechelen CC
6. Royal Brussels CC
7. Antwerp CC
8. Gent CC