NEW DELHI: Spain's men's cricket team on Monday made history, claiming the record for consecutive T20 International wins after beating Greece by 7 wickets in the Europe T20 World Cup Sub Regional Qualifier C in Guernsey.
The win was Spain's 14th consecutive victory, surpassing the previous record of 13 held by Malaysia since 2022.
The team's last defeat in the format was against Italy 20 months ago, and they have since accumulated wins against the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Croatia, along with three consecutive wins in the current qualifier.
Their streak was briefly interrupted by a no result due to rain in the second fixture against the Isle of Man last year.
"A proud record to be notified about today, we obviously don't play for records but this does feel special for the group. It has been a transformative few years in Spain, and a lot of credit goes to players who sacrifice a lot of their time to play for Espana, the management and my coaching staff. Couldn't be prouder of all involved," Spain head coach Corey Rutgers told Cricbuzz.
Despite their impressive run, Spain's chances of advancing to the European Regional final next year are slim.
A rain-enforced abandonment in their match against Denmark earlier in the week means that Spain now relies on an unlikely upset by Cyprus over the Danes in their final group match.
If Denmark wins, their superior net run rate will secure their progression to the final, while Spain would have to settle for the bronze medal match against either Finland or possibly Guernsey.
"Unfortunately that's cricket, and we didn't win convincingly in our first three games. We will have to learn a hard lesson, and come back stronger in the future," said Rutgers.
By defeating Greece, Spain have also edged closer to the record for most consecutive matches unbeaten, a feat currently held by Nigeria with a 16-match streak. Nigeria's run was similarly interrupted by a no result due to rain.
The all-time record for consecutive victories in T20Is is held by Thailand Women, with 17 wins.
The win was Spain's 14th consecutive victory, surpassing the previous record of 13 held by Malaysia since 2022.
The team's last defeat in the format was against Italy 20 months ago, and they have since accumulated wins against the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Croatia, along with three consecutive wins in the current qualifier.
Their streak was briefly interrupted by a no result due to rain in the second fixture against the Isle of Man last year.
"A proud record to be notified about today, we obviously don't play for records but this does feel special for the group. It has been a transformative few years in Spain, and a lot of credit goes to players who sacrifice a lot of their time to play for Espana, the management and my coaching staff. Couldn't be prouder of all involved," Spain head coach Corey Rutgers told Cricbuzz.
Despite their impressive run, Spain's chances of advancing to the European Regional final next year are slim.
A rain-enforced abandonment in their match against Denmark earlier in the week means that Spain now relies on an unlikely upset by Cyprus over the Danes in their final group match.
If Denmark wins, their superior net run rate will secure their progression to the final, while Spain would have to settle for the bronze medal match against either Finland or possibly Guernsey.
"Unfortunately that's cricket, and we didn't win convincingly in our first three games. We will have to learn a hard lesson, and come back stronger in the future," said Rutgers.
By defeating Greece, Spain have also edged closer to the record for most consecutive matches unbeaten, a feat currently held by Nigeria with a 16-match streak. Nigeria's run was similarly interrupted by a no result due to rain.
The all-time record for consecutive victories in T20Is is held by Thailand Women, with 17 wins.
