Belgium national cricket team

Belgium
Association Belgian Cricket Federation
ICC status Affiliate (1991)
Associate (2005)
ICC region ICC Europe
WCL n/a (regional tournaments)
First international
Belgium Belgium v. France 
(Brussels; 19 June 1910)
As of 13 September 2015

The Belgium national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Belgium in international cricket matches. The team is organised by the Belgian Cricket Federation, which has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2005 (and previously an affiliate member, from 1991).[1] Belgium played its first international match in 1910, in an exhibition tournament in Brussels that also featured France, the Netherlands, and the Marylebone Cricket Club. Since the 1990s, the team has regularly competed in European Cricket Council (ECC) tournaments, usually in the lower divisions.[2]

History

Beginnings

The first game of modern cricket in Belgium appears to have been a match played by British soldiers before the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, though research has suggested that cricket may be related to a game exported from Flanders to England in the Sixteenth Century.[3] The first record of organised cricket is a painting dated 1870 that hangs in the pavilion of Lord's Cricket Ground in London that depicts the opening of the Brussels cricket ground in 1866 by mayor Jules Anspach.[4]

The national team first played a match in 1905 when they played against the Netherlands. The match was played almost every year until 1986.[4] Belgium hosted a tournament as part of the 1910 Brussels Exhibition also involving France, the MCC and the Netherlands.[5] Belgium lost their match against the MCC by an innings[6] and lost to the Netherlands by 116 runs.[7]

ICC membership

Belgium became an affiliate member of the ICC in 1991.[1] They began to play in European tournaments, playing in the ECC Trophy for the first time in 1999 when they finished last.[8] They fared better in the next tournament, reaching the semi finals of the 2001 ECC Trophy in Austria.[9]

They finished sixth in the ECC Trophy in 2003,[10] and gained associate membership of the ICC two years later.[1] Belgium finished fourth in the European Affiliates Championship in 2005[11] and both played and hosted Division Three of the newly restructured European Championship in August 2007, they finished fifth.[12]

In 2009 Belgium played in La Manga Club Ground, again in Division 3. Richard Nash captained the team and finished fourth. In 2011 Belgium hosted the new 2011 ICC European T20 Championship Division Two where they won the championship undefeated.[13] The captain for the T20 squad was André Wagener. Belgium got promoted to Division 1 where they finished a credible 7th out of 12 teams having fielded a weakened team because of visa issues. Their performance qualified them for the WCL 8 qualifier the following year.

In 2012 Belgium played the World Cricket League 8 Qualifier in La Manga Club Ground where they beat Gibraltar, Austria and France to qualify for the World Cricket league for the first time. Captained by Sheriyar Butt and Simon Newport in this tournament, they will travel to Samoa in September.

Tournament history

European Affiliates Championship

One-Day

T20

References

  1. 1 2 3 Belgium at Cricket Archive
  2. ↑ Other matches played by Belgium – CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Cricket 'was invented in Belgium' Mason, Chris; BBC News; 2 March 2009
  4. 1 2 History of Belgian Cricket at the official site of the Belgian Cricket Federation
  5. ↑ Brussels Exhibition Tournament 1910 at Cricket Archive
  6. ↑ Scorecard of Belgium v MCC, 20 June 1910 at Cricket Archive
  7. ↑ Scorecard of Belgium v Netherlands, 25 June 1910 at Cricket Archive
  8. 1 2 1999 ECC Trophy at the official site of the European Cricket Council
  9. 1 2 2001 ECC Trophy at the official site of the European Cricket Council
  10. 1 2 2003 ECC Trophy at the official site of the European Cricket Council
  11. 1 2 2005 European Affiliates Championship at the official site of the European Cricket Council
  12. ↑ 2007 European Championship Division Three at the official site of the European Cricket Council
  13. ↑ http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2011/TOURNAMENTS/EURODIV2/index.shtml
  14. ↑ 2007 European Affiliates Championship at the official site of the European Cricket Council
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