Czechia have won this with 20 balls to spare, as easy as you like. The target was always going to be an easy one for their batting lineup which has a lot of T10 cricket behind it.
Davizi and Singh started superbly against the new ball. The former was all about power and the latter, all about timing. Cyrpus bowlers were either too full or too short and unlike their opponents, didn't attack the stumps.
Lovdeep Sandhu halted the cruise mode after the powerplay. Davizi played a needless, pre-empted pull and got out. Magare edged the next, another bouncer, for a six on his first ball in international cricket but was trapped plumb in front soon after.
Goud infused calmness and he and Singh rotated the strike brilliantly and hit the occasional boundary to see off the chase.
The Czechs have started the series brilliantly. Cyprus have some positives to take away too, especially their lower-order batting and pace bowling.
7.0
6.4 Waqar Ali to Siddarth Goud, FOUR BYES! Czech Republic win by 8 wickets and 20 balls to spare. A yorker outside off, Goud fails to dig it out. The problem, however, is that the ball takes an awkward bounce off it and catches the keeper off-guard. The ball goes on to touch the ropes and Czech Republic win the match.
6.3 Waqar Ali to Siddarth Goud, SMASHED! A touch fuller on off, the ball stays low as he goes underneath and pulls it towards the midwicket fence.
6.2 Waqar Ali to Divyendra Singh, full on off, knocks it towards long on for a single.
6.1 Waqar Ali to Siddarth Goud, a yorker on middle, digs it out towards deep square leg.
Waqar Ali [1-0-12-0] comes back into the attack
Lovedeep started well and the batters played him off calmly but let those two half-volleys to Goud which were punished.
6
overs
67/2score
1
1
4
0
4
1
runs
Siddarth Goud*
11(8)
Divyendra Singh
20(13)
Lovedeep Sandhu
2/19
5.6 Lovedeep Sandhu to Siddarth Goud, length on off, chips it towards long on for a single.
5.5 Lovedeep Sandhu to Siddarth Goud, FOUR! Length and shaping past leg, tucks it past the keeper for a boundary.
5.4 Lovedeep Sandhu to Siddarth Goud, mistimes his pull shot towards deep midwicket.
5.3 Lovedeep Sandhu to Siddarth Goud, FOUR! Full on off, goes inside out and lobs it over the extra cover fielder.
5.2 Lovedeep Sandhu to Divyendra Singh, a touch fuller on off, clipped towards midwicket for a single.
5.1 Lovedeep Sandhu to Siddarth Goud, a touch fuller on off, turned towards midwicket for a single.
Nice pace from Brar in that over but the lengths just were in Singh's arc. He's very strong on and around his stumps.
5
overs
56/2score
1
1
4
4
0
0
runs
Divyendra Singh*
19(12)
Siddarth Goud
1(3)
Rajwinder Brar
0/17
4.6 Rajwinder Brar to Divyendra Singh, length and outside off, a nothing shot from the batter as the over comes to an end.
4.5 Rajwinder Brar to Divyendra Singh, BEAUTY! Length and outside off, shapes inward past the stumps as the batter goes to poke it and misses.
4.4 Rajwinder Brar to Divyendra Singh, FOUR! Full on middle, tonks it over the head of cow corner fielder. The ball crosses the ropes.