Edinburgh Castle Rockers and Belfast Wolves to contest ETPL 2026 final

The inaugural ICC-sanctioned European T20 Premier League (ETPL) 2026 is set to conclude with Edinburgh Castle Rockers facing Belfast Wolves in the final at The Village in Malahide on Sunday.

Edinburgh Castle Rockers secured direct entry to the final by finishing atop the league table, while Belfast Wolves earned their place with a seven-wicket win over Amsterdam Flames in the qualifier.

This match will be the first ETPL title contest between the two sides, who have each won one of their two previous meetings in the tournament.

Edinburgh Castle Rockers captain Mitchell Santner has been pivotal throughout the campaign. Reflecting on the team’s progress, he stated, “It has been a great start to the first year of the tournament. As a new team with a new group of players and management, we have really gelled well both on and off the field. We were very good in Holland and also performed well in Ireland, and while we lost a couple of games here, we were able to finish top of the table and go straight through. The level of competition has been really good this year, and it’s been a great tournament to be part of. Now, we have got a big game and we’re looking forward to it.”

In 10 matches and seven innings, Santner has accumulated 150 runs at an average of 50.00 with a strike rate exceeding 145, including a best score of 39 not out. He has also taken 10 wickets at an average of 24.20, with best bowling figures of 5 for 16.

Belfast Wolves come into the final following an impressive qualifier victory led by captain Glenn Maxwell, who recorded career-best T20 bowling figures of 4 for 18 and hit the winning runs with consecutive sixes in a chase of 133. Maxwell commented on the high standard of play, saying, “The standard of the competition has been outstanding. We have been challenged by the conditions at times, particularly with the weather and wet outfields in Voorburg, but the players deserve a lot of credit for adapting and continuing to play a good brand of cricket. It has come across really well on the telecast, and the fans have also been outstanding throughout the tournament.”

The final features strong batting line-ups from both teams. Edinburgh’s Brandon McMullen scored an unbeaten 82 against Glasgow Cosmic, and JJ Smuts’s 98 off 60 balls was crucial in their earlier victory over Belfast. Santner himself has contributed significantly with both bat and ball.

The Wolves’ middle order boasts experience with Glenn Maxwell, Lorcan Tucker and Paul Stirling providing substantial firepower. Maxwell’s unbeaten 82 against Edinburgh earlier helped Belfast secure a nine-run DLS win. Reflecting on Belfast’s campaign, Maxwell said, “It has been a massive achievement to be able to reach the final in year one of this competition. We’ve played some great cricket along the way. The fact that we have been able to do it with a couple of injuries along the way. We have had a fairly deep list that we have had to dig deep into. They have all held themselves to a really high standard, and that high standard has carried on throughout this tournament, and hopefully we can carry it through into one final game and one huge effort against the Edinburgh team.”

Maxwell’s tournament statistics include 242 runs in 11 games at an average of 30.25 and a strike rate of 172.85, including two half-centuries and a best score of 82 not out. He has taken eight wickets at an average of 8.87 and best figures of 4 for 18.

The first-ever ETPL title will be decided as Edinburgh’s consistent league performances face Belfast’s recent momentum in what promises to be a compelling finale to a successful tournament.

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