On Friday 23 June 2023, Luxembourg (ranked #64 in the ICC T20 rankings) hosted Switzerland (#58) for an international T20 men's cricket match, the first of a two-part series, at the Pierre Werner Cricket Ground in Walferdange.
Those in attendance witnessed a thrilling match in what was a nail-biting encounter.
Switzerland batted first and put up a challenging total of 150/6 in their 20 overs. Fahim and Osama got the visiting side off to a flying start with a fantastic 100-run partnership. However, Luxembourg's bowlers fought back admirably, restricting Switzerland to 150 runs, for the loss of six wickets. For the home side, Mohit and Vikram shone with the ball, taking two wickets each.
In response, Luxembourg had a strong start with Timothy, Amit and Shiv leading the charge, each scoring 30+ runs. However, the match took an intriguing turn with frequent runouts, keeping all in attendance on the edge of their seats until the last over. The pressure was on, but Luxembourg held their nerve and emerged victorious, clinching the match by three wickets with just one ball to spare.
Final score: Switzerland 150/6, Luxembourg 151/7.
The following day, Saturday 24 June 2023, the two sides played an exciting friendly match at the same ground.
Luxembourg won the toss and elected to bat first. Timothy and Shiv set the stage on fire with a blazing start, with Timothy scoring 39 and Shiv adding 27 runs to the total. The match took an interesting turn when Jai Sinh took two crucial wickets in the fifth over. However, captain Vikram and debutant Vijay steadied the ship, playing sensible cricket, contributing 33 and 19 runs respectively. The stage was then set for Thomas and Eliyas, who added valuable runs of 19 and 21. At the end of the 20th over, Luxembourg set an impressive total of 169/6 on the board.
Switzerland, determined for a comeback, started off strongly with a remarkable 141-run partnership between Izhar and Arjun. Izhar, just falling short of a well-deserved century, remained unbeaten on 97*. In the end, Switzerland emerged victorious, winning the match by 8 wickets.
Final score: Luxembourg 169/6, Switzerland 170/2
Sunday 25 June 2023 saw the second official T20 match between the same two sides.
The visitors emerged victorious with a dominant performance by 8 wickets. After winning the toss, Switzerland elected to bowl first, looking to restrict Luxembourg's batting lineup. Despite a valiant effort, Luxembourg could only manage a score of 122 all out in 19.5 overs. Shiv and James provided some resistance with scores of 35 and 28 respectively; however, Switzerland's disciplined bowling attack kept the pressure on the home side. Faheem took an impressive 3 wickets, while Aneesh and Ashwin claimed 2 wickets each.
In response, Switzerland showed their batting prowess, chasing down the target with ease in just 13.1 overs, losing only two wickets along the way. Faheem once again showcased his exceptional form, remaining unbeaten on a splendid 72*, while Izhar contributed a valuable 21*.
Final score: Luxembourg 122 all out after 19.5 overs; Switzerland 123/2 after 13.1 overs.
With both teams winning a match each in the T20I series, it was a 1-1 tie, with Switzerland also emerging victorious in the friendly match on the Saturday.
