Fantastic news as Swardeston have been given the go-ahead to compete in this year’s European Cricket League.
An 18-man Swardeston party will fly to La Manga in Spain to take on the best club sides from 15 other European countries in the T10 tournament which runs from 31 May to 7 June 2020.
Swardeston’s participation has the backing of the ECB, the East Anglian Premier League and Frinton CC who have agreed to switch our EAPL fixture with them which is due to be played on June 6 when we are in Spain.
Swardeston chairman Stuart Bartram said: “2019 was an incredible season for our club. Over the last 10 years we have achieved a great record in the ECB’s national competitions. We are thrilled to be invited to take our chance on the international stage and meet the best of Europe at ECL20.
“We would like to thank Dan Weston and his team at the ECL for this invite, Paul Bedford and Aaron Campbell at the ECB for their backing, David Browne and Andy Abbott and the management committee at the EAPL for their support and of course the guys at Frinton who agreed to switch the fixture. We are also grateful to the Norfolk Crciket Alliance menagement committee for their support in moving our 2nd XI ficture on 6 June. All are 100%Â behind us in our bid for European glory.”
“ECB are delighted that Swardeston Cricket Club from the East Anglian Premier League have been invited to participate in the expanded European Cricket League for 2020,” said Paul Bedford, ECB National Participation Manager Leagues & Competitions. “Swardeston have enjoyed recent success in ECB National Club Competitions in both 40 overs and T20 formats of the game. We will watch with fascination to see how they get on.”
“From my interactions with Stuart and his club members at Swardeston Cricket Club, they have an incredible love, passion and dedication to the game, it’s history and its spirit, which is exactly what drives the concept of the European Cricket League,” said Daniel Weston, founder of the European Cricket League.
“As the ECL is the Champions League of European cricket, Swardeston have an incredible opportunity to make their country proud, stake their claim as Europe’s strongest cricket club, and strive to achieve the feat of being T20 domestic league champions and then becoming the Kings of European cricket by winning the ECL.Â
Find out more about the ECL on their website.
Accommodation discount for Swardeston supporters
Take advantage of the special 10% discount on accommodation for ECL fans using Promo Code ECL20 over for this great event.
Please see below the full ECL news release
England expects as SECLwardeston chase ECL glory
England expects as Swardeston Cricket Club make history by becoming the first English champions to play in the European Cricket League.
Founded in 1852, yes 1852, Swardeston have won a host of trophies and silverware in recent seasons and became the first team in English cricketing history to perform the domestic club double last summer.
Swardeston’s serene passage to ECL20 qualification was sealed by beating Toft CC in a winner-takes-all clash at the ECB’s Vitality T20 Club Finals Day under the floodlights in Derby. Toft, in turn, had snatched a dramatic last-ball victory over Sheffield Collegiate CC en route to the showcase final. Sheffield Collegiate have famously produced England’s captains Joe Root and Michael Vaughan in the last two decades.
Swardeston also won the 2019 Royal London National Club Championship when they beat Nantwich CC in the final played at Lords in September. Interestingly, Swardeston, from Norfolk, are captained by former Sussex and Hampshire batsman Joe Gatting, a nephew of another former England Test captain, Mike Gatting.
“2019 was an incredible season for our club,” said Swardeston chairman Stuart Bartram. “Over the last 10 years we have achieved a great record in the ECB’s national competitions. We are thrilled to be invited to take our chance on the international stage and meet the best of Europe at ECL20.”
“From my interactions with Stuart and his club members at Swardeston Cricket Club, they have an incredible love, passion and dedication to the game, it’s history and its spirit, which is exactly what drives the concept of the European Cricket League,” said Daniel Weston, founder of the European Cricket League.
“As the ECL is the Champions League of European cricket, Swardeston have an incredible opportunity to make their country proud, stake their claim as Europe’s strongest cricket club, and strive to achieve the feat of being T20 domestic league champions and then becoming the Kings of European cricket by winning the ECL.Â
“It will be incredible next summer to watch the story unfold for Swardeston and witness cricket expanding in Europe like never before.”
The serial winners’ participation at ECL20 has been endorsed by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“We are delighted that Swardeston Cricket Club from the East Anglian Premier League have been invited to participate in the expanded European Cricket League for 2020,” said Paul Bedford, ECB National Participation Manager Leagues & Competitions. “Swardeston have enjoyed recent success in ECB National Club Competitions in both 40 overs and T20 formats of the game. We will watch with fascination to see how they get on.”
VOC Rotterdam from the Netherlands were crowned the Kings of European cricket when they won the first edition of the European Cricket League (ECL) in magnificent fashion in summer 2019. Naturally, the “Kings of Europe”, VOC Rotterdam will automatically return to defend their majestic trophy between May 31 and June 7, 2020 at La Manga Club in Spain.Â
With the addition of the confident English champions, ECL20 promises to be even bigger and better. Due to huge interest and demand for the competition, ECL20 is set to double its number of champion teams to 16 – spread over eight days of exciting fast-paced T10 action at La Manga Club.
We welcome England’s champion team Swardeston Cricket Club to the 2020 European Cricket League.
ENDS
About the European Cricket LeagueÂ
The European Cricket League (“ECL”) is the Champions League of European cricket. Founded by Daniel Weston, Roger Feiner, Frank Leenders and Thomas Klooz and hailed as a cricketing equivalent of the UEFA Champions League, the second-staging – ECL20 – will be played from May 31- June 7, 2020 at La Manga Club in Spain. For more details, contact press@ecl.team
