Abhishek Bachchan celebrates ETPL finals: Edinburgh Castle Rockers beat Belfast Wolves to become inaugural champions
The Edinburgh Castle Rockers have been crowned the inaugural champions of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL) after defeating Belfast Wolves by seven wickets in the final at Malahide. The Castle Rockers chased down Belfast’s target of 151 with eight balls to spare, with Andries Gous playing the decisive innings with an unbeaten 90.
Edinburgh captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision paid off early when Trent Boult dismissed Paul Stirling for eight, caught by Jack Jarvis. Belfast were then tasked with rebuilding their innings, with Tim Tector taking charge of the recovery.
Tector scored 84 off 62 deliveries, hitting nine fours and two sixes, to provide the foundation for Belfast’s total. Devon Conway contributed 29 off 24 balls, with the pair putting together a partnership before JJ Smuts dismissed Conway, caught by Gareth Delany.
Mark Watt then removed Glenn Maxwell for three, while Boult returned to dismiss Lorcan Tucker for six as Belfast slipped to 105 for four. Tector continued his innings, with Harry Manenti adding an unbeaten 16 from 14 balls. Tom Curran dismissed Tector with the final delivery of the innings, leaving Belfast at 150 for five.
Boult finished with two wickets from his four overs, while Watt and Smuts also contributed with important breakthroughs.
In response, Edinburgh started positively with Ross Adair scoring 23 from 14 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Mark Adair then had him caught behind by Tucker. Smuts added 15 before Matthew Humphreys dismissed him at the end of the 10th over, leaving Edinburgh at 79 for two.
Gous then took control of the chase. He remained unbeaten on 90 from 61 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes. Brandon McMullen contributed 17 from 12 deliveries before Gavin Hoey dismissed him. With the target within reach, Santner joined Gous at the crease and remained unbeaten as Edinburgh reached 151 for three in 18.4 overs.
Reflecting on his match-winning contribution, Gous said, “It’s always nice winning finals. Nice to be able to contribute to a winning cause.” He explained that although he had been playing well throughout the tournament without converting his starts into a big score, he had set himself the task of being “the guy staying on till the back end.” The approach paid off in the biggest match of the season. “Be the guy at the end. Take your time. Make sure that you focus,” he said, describing the small mental adjustments that helped him deliver when it mattered most.
Edinburgh head coach Trevor Bayliss also praised the squad’s performance throughout the tournament. “Fantastic tournament,” he said, highlighting how a different group of players had “gelled really well” and how their performances reflected that unity. Bayliss also acknowledged the contribution of local players and noted that the team had to make adjustments following difficult results during the campaign.
Co-owner Kyle Mills spoke about the team culture and the role of local players in the competition. “Biggest thing for me is culture and character and having calmness in the group,” he said, adding that Santner had set the standard as leader while players such as McMullen and Jack Jarvis had stepped up. Mills said he hoped the local players would begin to see themselves among the world’s leading franchise cricketers: “They’re not Associates. They belong in tournaments like this.”
The Edinburgh players also reflected on the title-winning campaign. Boult called it a “Great afternoon,” while Curran described the squad as “a pretty special group” from day one. He credited the local players and said the internationals had “just put the cherry on top just when we needed to.” Curran also highlighted the contributions of Gous, McMullen and Ross Adair.
Gareth Delany described the experience as a “good experience standing here as winners” after joining a group that had welcomed him. Smuts called the tournament “an unbelievable tournament” and spoke about how quickly the squad bonded.
Ross Adair also reflected on the unusual subplot of facing his brother Mark during the final, describing it as “nice to have this over him” after his brother had often got the better of him.
With their seven-wicket victory over Belfast Wolves, Edinburgh Castle Rockers have become the first team to lift the European T20 Premier League trophy, bringing the inaugural edition of the competition to a close.
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