Spain Cricket Team Guide
The Spain cricket team is governed by the Cricket Spain Association and is an associate member of the International Cricket Council. The Spain cricket team is one of many emerging international cricket teams now coming from Europe, with them gaining full T20I status in 2018.
History of Spain Cricket Team
The first actual instance of cricket being played in Spain can be traced all the way back to 1809, when groups of soldiers played the game around Orense and Lugo during the Peninsular War. The game began to become more widespread due to expatriate communities, but it wasn’t until 1975 that Spanish cricket entered a new era. This was due to the establishment of the Madrid Cricket Club, one of the first of its kind in the nation.
In 1992, the Cricket Spain Association was founded, with them becoming affiliate members of the ICC at the same time. Throughout the 2000s, the Spain cricket team played in many tournaments equivalent to the European Affiliates Championship nowadays, and in 2017, the nation became a full associate member of the ICC.
Where Does The Spain Cricket Team Play?
The Desert Springs Cricket Ground and the La Manga Club are two of the main cricketing grounds that act as the home for the Spain cricket team. These are both located on the south coast of the country, with these hosting a wide array of international cricket teams previously.
Top Run Scorers In Spain Cricket Team History
After making his debut for the Spain cricket team in 2019, Yasir Ali was the first player to hit the 500-run mark for the country in T20I cricket. Awais Ahmed and Mohammad Ihsan are two other notable batters, with these being the first to record centuries for the Spain cricket team in T20I cricket.
Top Wicket Takers In Spain Cricket Team History
All-rounder Yasir Ali and left-arm medium bowler Mohammad Kamran are amongst two of the most notable bowlers to play for the Spain cricket team, with these two being amongst the first to record 5 wickets in a match for their country.
Memorable Games For The Spain Cricket Team
The 2001 ECC Trophy was a memorable first international tournament for the Spain cricket team. This took place in Austria and saw the nation be placed in a group alongside the Portugal cricket team, Malta cricket team, Finland cricket team and Sweden cricket team.
Their second match against the Finnish was arguably the most impressive, though, as Spanish batsman G Howe hit a century. In response, the Finland cricket team could only muster up 141 runs in 35 overs, with G Howe also taking 3 of the team’s 9 wickets. Overall, Spain ended the match 81 runs up to record their first win in international cricket.
In March 2019, almost 6 months after gaining T20I status, the Spain cricket team faced off against the Malta cricket team in their first-ever T20I match. Despite Malta winning the toss and batting first, it was a humbling showing as Tom Vine took 4 wickets from 4 overs. By the end of the 20 overs, Malta only managed 98 runs all out, an inspiring chase for the Spain cricket team. Yasir Ali managed to make 57 runs from 40 balls as the Spanish team hit the 99-run mark with 8 overs to spare, winning by 7 wickets in the end.
Rivals Of The Spain Cricket Team
The Spain cricket team has not got any specific rivals, but over the years, the nation has had a number of competitive encounters against the Germany cricket team and the Italy cricket team.
