BUB vs COB

That's all that we have for you from the European Cricket Series for today. We'll be back tomorrow with five more matches - keep an eye on our tabs for our coverage of them. This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Darpan Tikiya. Good night!

Match summary:

Budapest Blinders win by 6 runs

Omer Zahid 51 (21) | Abbas Ghani 3/19 (2)
Sheikh Rasik 59 (18) | Sheikh Rasik 4/25 (2)

Boy, this sure was a topsy-turvy contest! Two top sides went right at it - the Cobras had the game until they didn't! The game seemed well away from the Blinders' grasp going into the last two overs, but given the champion side they are, they simply found a way to get back in the contest, caught well, bowled well and remain unbeaten at the end of their fifth game!

Sandeep Mohandas and Kalum Akurugoda kept it tight with the ball early in the powerplay - just the one six came in the first couple of overs as Cobra CC mustered 12 off them. Nilesh Jain then proceeded to break free, unfurling a beautiful array of big hits. 26 came off the final over of the powerplay, and Cobra CC had enough momentum to motor along in the run-chase.

Nilesh kept at it - he cleared the ropes twice in the next over, Sheikh Rasik got in on the act as 22 came off the following over. Ghani took a bit of pasting, but he accounted for the well-set Nilesh right after the latter reached his half-century. Rasik took over the mantle of attack, and clobbered his side into the driver's seat going into the last three overs, bringing up his own half-century in the process.

The tide swung dramatically towards the Blinders going into the last two overs. Rasik's wicket in the penultimate over opened a can of worms for the Cobras, one that they couldn't eat up. They lost wickets in a heap, lost their marbles and ended up being 6 runs short eventually.

9.6 Ali Yalmaz to Ashutosh Mathur, RUN OUT! Yalmaz hits the hard length. Mathur swipes across, misses and cops it on the body. He wanders away dejectedly as the keeper picks the ball up and whips the bails off.

Ashutosh Mathur run out (Usama Kajla) 0 (3b, 0x4, 0x6)

9.5 Ali Yalmaz to Ashutosh Mathur, swipes across the line and misses. They thought about the bye but weren't bold enough to go through with it. Can he now hit a six to tie?

9.4 Ali Yalmaz to Ashutosh Mathur, length ball. Mathur swipes across the line and gets an inside edge. Jacob wanted a run but Mathur denied. 7 to win off 2.

9.3 Ali Yalmaz to Chris Dowle, stands with an open stance. Length ball. CAUGHT AT MIDWICKET!! Even the extras from the dugout run in to hug the fielder. He ran back from the circle and stretched to get two hands to it. 7 runs to win off 3 balls.

Chris Dowle c (sub) Ibrar Ahmad b Ali Yalmaz 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

9.2 Ali Yalmaz to Mohammad Siddiqui, IN THE AIR...CAUGHT! The pendulum swings again. It was there to hit but Siddiqui could not get enough on it. He finds a man at long-off and has to walk back. 7 to win off 4 balls.

Mohammed Siddiqui c Abbas Ghani b Ali Yalmaz 7 (6b 0x4 1x6)

A last-over thriller to cap off the day - this sure has been an epic contest between two top teams! Siddiqui will want the strike having cleared the boundary in a crunch situation...

8.3 Kamran Wahid to Shiekh Rasik, CAUGHT ON THE BRINK OF THE BOUNDARY! Full ball, at the off stump. Rasik once again, tonks it over without moving his feet. The man at long-off stretches his arms out and plucks it out of thin air.

Sheikh Rasik c Abbas Ghani b Kamran Wahid 59 (18b 1x4 8x6)