ETPL 2026 Final: The title of the first season of the European T20 Premier League was won by Edinburgh Castle Rockers. In a thrilling final match played at The Village ground in Malahide, Dublin, the Mitchell Santner-led Rockers defeated Glenn Maxwell-captained Belfast Wolves by 7 wickets. The biggest hero of the victory of Edinburgh, which topped the points table in the league stage, was wicketkeeper-batsman Andries Gaus, who played a match-winning inning of unbeaten 90 runs on just 61 balls while chasing the target of 151 runs.
Trent Boult’s tight bowling
After losing the toss and coming to bat first, Belfast Wolves did not have a good start. Veteran opener Paul Stirling returned to the pavilion after scoring only 8 runs in the third over. After this, Tim Tector along with Devon Conway made an important partnership of 63 runs for the second wicket and took charge. Tector played a brilliant inning of 84 runs in 62 balls with the help of 9 fours and 2 sixes. At the same time, captain Glenn Maxwell was dismissed cheaply by scoring 3 runs and wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker scored 6 runs, but in the end, Harry Manenti added unbeaten 16 runs in 14 balls to take the team to the score of 150 runs in 20 overs.
For Edinburgh, experienced Kiwi fast bowler Trent Boult bowled tightly and took 2 wickets for just 21 runs in 4 overs. Whereas, Tom Curran, Mark Watt and JJ Smits got 1-1 success.
Andries Gaus’s storm, the team became champion
Chasing the target of 151 runs, Ross Adair gave a fast start to the Rockers and scored 23 runs in 14 balls, while the other opener JJ Smits scored 15 runs in 23 balls. After both were out, Rockers lost two wickets for 79 runs. At the same time, Andries Gaus, who came to bat at number three, held one end firmly and continuously attacked the Belfast bowlers.
Gaus scored unbeaten 90 runs in 61 balls hitting 8 fours and 4 sixes. Whereas, Brandon McMullan scored 17 runs on 12 balls. In the 19th over of the innings, Gaus hit a four and a six on Glenn Maxwell’s balls and achieved the target in 18.4 overs with 8 balls remaining and gave the team the title win by 7 wickets. Edinburgh Rockers had maintained their dominance in the first edition of this six-team tournament right from the league stage. In the league round he had won 6 out of 9 matches.