Carmel CC

The idea for a European Twenty20 tournament was born in 2007 following a groundbreaking tour by a North Wales village team called Carmel & District Cricket Club.

Inspired by the late Harry Thompson’s Penguins Stopped Play Carmel went behind the old Iron Curtain and travelled to the former USSR on a cricket tour, which made would make history.

The club faced national teams from Estonia, Russia and Latvia and also became the first touring side to win the Helsinki International Sixes competition in the nine-year history of the event.

Players were touched by the warmth, hospitality and passion for cricket in these countries and it was decided that the club would like to do something to assist with the development of European cricket.

After a proposal was ratified at the club’s Annual General Meeting the club sought permission from the International Cricket Council (ICC Europe) to stage an invitational Twenty20 tournament.

ICC Europe subsequently agreed to support the event and the 2008 Carmel Invitational EuroTwenty20 tournament was born.

National teams from Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Russia and Slovakia along with Carmel and a team representing the Cricket Board of Wales (CBW) contested the first eight-team tournament.

Estonia were the inaugural champions with a dramatic last-over victory over Czech Republic at Carmel’s picturesque Pen-y-Gelli ground in Flintshire.

The success of the inaugural tournament prompted the club to commit to hold the EuroTwenty20 tournament again in 2009 with Hungary, Bulgaria, Flanders, the Island of Alderney and Southport club side New Victoria among the newcomers.

Despite a difficult week with the weather all the matches were played and Flanders claimed the second title with a victory over the hosts in the final while Croatia took home the plate trophy.

After two years of hosting the tournament in Wales it was decided that it would be good to take it abroad and after several countries expressed and interest Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, was chosen as the host destination for the 2010 event.

It is hoped that the tournament will be held in mainland Europe again in 2011 with the aim of hosting a significantly expanded event in Wales in 2012 as an official ICC event.