NCT vs BCP

So that'll be all from this contest but the fourth quarterfinal is underway with the Sri Lankan Lions facing the Limassol Qalandars at this very venue. Hop over here to follow our coverage of this contest right here on Sportskeeda while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from around the world. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of this game and we thank you wholeheartedly for joining us. For the moment though, this is the duo of Mohul Bhowmick and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. See you around soon - buh-bye for now!

Match Summary: Black Caps beat Nicosia Tigers by 29 runs and qualify for the semifinals of the ECS Cyprus 2023!

Pawandeep 35* (24) | Managala Gunasekara 2/10 (2)
Zeeshan Mahmoud 30 (21) | Tomal Aminul 5/10 (2)

An outstanding bowling display by the Black Caps, especially towards the back end of the innings. Things were set up intriguingly at the halfway point but they've turned in a death bowling masterclass to keep the Tigers quiet and ensure that they don't roar into the semifinals. The Tigers had momentum with them, mind you, having ensured that the Black Caps didn't score more than 113 thanks to Tomal Aminul's ridiculously brilliant five-wicket haul.

Rashidul Hassan looked to maximize the powerplay but Chetan Sharma's double-strike put the Tigers on the back foot. With Roman Mazumder not backing away from expressing himself though, he put his side on course for the target with Zeeshan Mahmoud looking to do much the same. A dropped chance meant that Mahmoud was given a lifeline and he was keen to ensure that he made full use of that chance.

But the bowlers strung in some tight overs for the Black Caps and ensured that the asking rate mounted. Kulwinder Singh sent down a couple of overs of gold dust and the equation boiled down to 43 runs needed off the last three overs. Managala Gunasekara then dried up the boundaries and send the required rate shooting up even further. Iftekar Jaman struggled to get going and once Mahmoud departed, the end result was a formality with Gunasekara holding his own in brilliant fashion with Tejwinder Singh also doing his bit.

This result means that the Black Caps have marched into the semifinals and are a step closer to tasting glory. Not to be for the Tigers though and they will reflect on what went wrong and hope to bounce back stronger next time around.

A lone wide off the last over and Gunasekara has managed to defend 31 without breaking a sweat. This has been a terrific display of bowling by the Black Caps and they will march into the next round as a result. They've surely earned this alright. Black Caps win by 29 runs!

9.6 Managala Gunasekara to Tomal Aminul, THAT WILL BE THAT! THE BLACK CAPS WIN! Fullish on off and middle. Aminul only manages to pat it back to the bowler yet again for a dot ball to end the innings.

9.3 Managala Gunasekara to Sakhawat Hossain, CAUGHT! All seems to be over for the Tigers. Short of a length on off and middle. Hossain gets into position early but pulls it straight to the hands of deep square leg for a simple catch!

9.2 Managala Gunasekara to Zeeshan Mahmoud, CAUGHT AND BOWLED! SUPERB CATCH! At a length outside off. Mahmoud absolutely smokes it straight back to the bowler, who moves to his left and takes the catch without batting an eyelid.

Zeeshan Mahmoud c & b Managala Gunasekara 30 (21b, 2x4, 2x6)

This is turning into a masterful display of death bowling and nerves at the death by the Black Caps. All they need is a couple of tight deliveries now to secure their entry into the knockouts. Unless there's a Rinku Singh somewhere to come to the Tigers' rescue. Nicosia Tigers require 31 runs off the final over!

8.5 Tejwinder Singh to Iftekar Jaman, BOWLED HIM! Yorker on off and middle. Jaman gets foxed by the angle as well as the pace on the ball and brings his bat down a tad too late. He sees his stumps being uprooted after he turns around!

Iftekar Jaman b Tejwinder Singh 8 (10b, 1x4, 0x6)