El Clásico del Críquet: MCC Demolish Barcelona by 82 Runs
ECCL T20 2026 — Game 1 | 5 September 2026 | La Manga Club
If there is a El Clásico in Spanish cricket, this is it. Madrid Cricket Club travelled to La Manga for a full weekend double-header against Barcelona International Cricket Club — two T20s on Saturday and a 40-over on Sunday — and opened the series in emphatic, unmistakable style.
Madrid Innings — 194/5 (20 overs)
Prabin Bensam and Joe Healey opened the batting, with Bensam making a composed 31 off 28 balls before being caught. Gourav Saha steadied the innings with 33 off 36 balls. The innings shifted gear dramatically when Imran Siddque arrived at the crease.
⭐ Imran Siddque — 61 off 30 balls (5×4, 5×6) | SR: 203.33
- Imran took the Barcelona attack apart with five fours and five sixes.
- A matchwinning, momentum-shifting innings of rare power and timing.
- Caught †S Bhosale b O Ashfaq — but only after the damage was well and truly done.
Anand Kaul (10* off 10) and Jon Woodward (3* off 2) kept the scoreboard ticking in the death overs. Extras of 44 (b2 lb2 w28 nb12) also contributed significantly to the total. Madrid posted 194/5 off 20 overs.
Barcelona Innings — 112/8 (14.3 overs)
Chasing 195, Barcelona were never in the hunt. V Kandral fell in the very first over for 3 with the score at just 3, and wickets tumbled regularly throughout. Adnan Shakib (4-0-25-2) and Deepak Kumar Lamba (3-0-25-2) were the pick of the bowlers, with Imran Siddque (3-1-11-1) again contributing with the ball. Revat Naidoo took a wicket in his only 3 balls.
Barcelona Fall of Wickets
- 1-3 (V Kandral, 0.1) | 2-21 (R Kranti, 2.6) | 3-43 (C Raghavan, 6.3)
- 4-56 (U Razi, 7.5) | 5-63 (A Kanwar, 9.1) | 6-74 (S Sathyashankar, 11.3)
- 7-85 (A Shindore, 12.6) | 8-112 (S Bhosale, 14.3)
Barcelona were dismissed for 112 in 14.3 overs. Madrid Cricket Club won by 82 runs — a dominant performance from first ball to last.
The Weekend Continues
The second T20 was due to be played later that afternoon, with the 40-over match scheduled for Sunday 6 September. The El Clásico series is very much alive — and Madrid have fired the first shot.
Club Secretary
Madrid Cricket Club