ECB XI wins European Championship

The England & Wales Cricket Board XI has won the 2004 ECC European Championship in Holland, finishing at the top of the table with eight points after beating every other side in the tournament. Ireland finished in second place with just one loss - to the ECB XI in a `bowl-out' after the first game was abandoned because of rain - and were impressive throughout, with morale-boosting wins over both Scotland and Holland.

Holland will have been disappointed after finishing third despite their home advantage, but their two defeats, to the ECB and Ireland, were both very close. They will be pleased, though, by the performance of Daan van Bunge in the tournament. Van Bunge, fresh from a record-breaking century for MCC last month, scored 142 runs in four innings on pitches that usually suited the bowlers.

Scotland are stuck in something of a rut, losing three out of their four games, with their only win coming against Denmark. However, they will be pleased by the performances of Fraser Watts, Colin Smith and, in particular, Ryan Watson in the middle order. This tournament was a platform to decide rankings for the ICC Trophy in Ireland next summer, from which five teams will progress to the World Cup in the Caribbean, but Craig Wright, Scotland's captain, insists that unless Scotland show a massive improvement now their world cup dreams will be put off for another four years.

"The bottom line is that won't make any difference who we meet in the qualifiers unless we get our act together," he said. "I don't think the European Championship will have much bearing on the ICC Trophy. To progress in any tournament you have to prove yourself good enough to beat all the best sides and we haven't managed to do that for a while."