It was an early morning trip to Wemmel as Optimists Cricket Club turned a long, gruelling day into a statement win with a 47-run victory over ICC Brussels-1. Played under scorching 38-degree heat across seven hours, the team ran through 25-30 litres of water just to stay on their feet. There was some negotiation right after the toss too, with the hosts pushing for a shortened 35-over game after being asked to bowl first. Skipper Pankaj stayed firm though — Optimists came to play the long game.
Batting first, Optimists had to dig in from the start. Naveen P led the way with a patient, gritty 48 off 76 balls, anchoring the innings when wickets fell around him. He found crucial support in a 65-run stand with Rupesh Bingu, who made a steady 27 off 48, and together they took the side from a shaky position to one of control. Amit Halbhavi’s brisk 22 at the top gave early momentum, and Eliyas Jabarkhel’s late 14 off 6 balls added a burst at the death. A slide from 165/6 to 182 all out in 43.5 overs kept things tight, but the total proved defendable.
With the ball, Optimists struck early and had the hosts reeling at 11/3 inside the powerplay. A counter-attacking 44 off 30 balls, laced with five sixes, threatened to take the game away, but Eliyas broke the partnership with a match-defining spell of 6/32 from 10 overs. He finished with five of the top seven batters, and with the rest of the attack keeping it tight, ICC Brussels-1 were bowled out for 135 in 26.3 overs.
Beyond the scorecard, this was a win built on resilience. It came just two weeks after a heavy defeat at Michelen, and the response couldn’t have been better. The mandatory team stop at Wanlin on the way back gave everyone a chance to cool down and reflect on a hard-earned result. With the BCF season now getting busy for the next 5-6 weeks, the side looks to be finding its rhythm and will aim to carry this momentum forward.
Eliyas Jabarkhel’s all-round impact of 14 off 6 and 6/32 made him the standout, but it was the collective grit in brutal conditions that sealed a valuable win.