Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a disciplined spell, but THIS star’s 79 off 51 balls helped Rotterdam Dockers beat Dublin Guardians in the ETPL.
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Ravichandran Ashwin of Dublin Guardians celebrates the wicket of Faf Du Plessis.
Rotterdam Dockers continued their strong run in the ETPL with a convincing seven-wicket win over Dublin GuardiansChasing 179, the Dockers reached the target with eight balls to spare at Sportpark Westvliet, thanks largely to a fine captain’s knock from Faf du Plessis.
After winning the toss and electing to field, Rotterdam watched Dublin Guardians post 178 for 4 in their 20 oversJames Vince was the star of the innings, remaining unbeaten on 95 off 54 balls with five fours and six sixes.
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Sanjay Krishnamurthi scored 26 off 17 balls, while Vijay Shankar provided a strong finish with 26 off 13, including two sixesVince held the innings together after the early wickets and formed useful partnerships to take Dublin close to the 180-run mark.
Faf du Plessis takes control of the chase
Rotterdam’s reply started aggressivelyMichael Levitt smashed 35 off just 14 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 250He and Faf du Plessis added 55 runs for the opening wicket before Levitt was dismissed by Joshua Little.
From there, Faf took complete controlThe former Chennai Super Kings star played a high-class knock of 79 off 51 balls, hitting nine fours and one six at a strike rate of almost 155His steady but upbeat approach kept the required rate in check during the chase.
What an inningsWhat a player #ETPL pic.twitter.com/EK4H9qoNyn
— European T20 Premier League (ETPL) (@etplofficial) September 2, 2026
Ashwin struggles to build pressure
Ravichandran Ashwin, with his vast T20 experience, tried to slow the scoring during the middle oversThe veteran spinner bowled a disciplined spell and looked to build pressure on Rotterdam’s batters.
However, Faf’s presence at the crease made it difficult for Dublin to sustain the pressureDespite Ashwin’s tight bowling, the required rate never climbed significantly as the South African continued to find boundaries and rotate the strike effectively.
Rotterdam finish the chase in style
After Levitt’s dismissal, Faf added 39 runs with Vikramjit Singh, who scored 18 off 14 ballsWhen Vikramjit fell, Heinrich Klaasen joined his captain and the pair put together a crucial 54-run stand.
Klaasen then took charge of the finish, remaining unbeaten on 34 off 28 balls with two sixesBen McDermott stayed with him until the end as Rotterdam reached 179 for 3 in 18.4 overs.
Faf du Plessis named Player of the Match
Faf du Plessis was named Player of the Match for his match-defining 79His innings combined leadership, experience and attacking intent, turning a challenging target into a comfortable chase.
While James Vince’s unbeaten 95 was an outstanding effort for Dublin and Ashwin’s economical spell showed his class, Rotterdam’s batting depth and Faf’s quality proved decisive.
