James Vince made history on the final day of the ETPL league stage, becoming the first batter to score a century in the competition as Dublin Guardians chased down Rotterdam Dockers’ 188 for five to win by five wickets with six balls remaining. Rotterdam were asked to bat first and made a strong start through Colin Munro , who smashed 20 from just eight balls, including two sixes and a four. Faf du Plessis then steadied the innings with 42 from 37 deliveries, while Michael Levitt and Shubham Ranjane fell on low scores.
The result also brought the qualification race to its conclusion, with Rotterdam eliminated and Belfast Wolves securing the final playoff place.
All four teams finishing in the top four ended the league stage on 13 points, meaning net run rate determined their positions. Vince’s unbeaten 106 became the first century in ETPL history and powered the Guardians to their highest score of the season, completing a successful chase of 189.
Faf du Plessis acknowledged James Vince’s match-winning effort, describing it as a “world-class knock” and saying, “Sometimes you just got to tip your hat to a guy. He added that Vince had “single-handedly won them the game,” while praising Heinrich Klaasen’s contribution for Rotterdam, saying he “played a great knock as well. Reflecting on the Dockers’ campaign, du Plessis said he was “very proud of the way the guys went about their business,” but admitted that net run rate had proved decisive. “We played very good cricket and we still didn’t make it because of net run rate,” he said, identifying an earlier 40-run defeat as the result that “came back to bite us.
With Rotterdam eliminated, Belfast Wolves secured the remaining qualification spot. Amsterdam Flames had already qualified, while Edinburgh Castle Rockers had secured direct passage to the final. For Dublin, the final league fixture produced a historic individual achievement.
For Rotterdam, Klaasen’s brilliant 85 had given them a platform, but Vince’s landmark innings ultimately decided both the match and the qualification race. The playoff picture is now set. Edinburgh advance directly to the final, while Amsterdam and Belfast will meet for the remaining place in the qualifier match on Saturday, 19th September.
