ICC Europe/CricketEurope

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France completed a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Gibraltar in the afternoon match at Rastignano, but they suffered a mild flutter when, early in their reply after dismissing the Gibraltarians for 129, they lost three wickets for one run in the space of five deliveries.

Gibraltar had struggled against a steady French attack after winning the toss and electing to bat, only captain Kayron Stagno looking comfortable as he smacked a 31-ball 45, with five fours and three sixes.

Once he was out, unluckily chopping the ball onto his calf and thence into the stumps, John Harding and Ammar Zahir took control, finishing with three for 14 and three for 13 respectively.

France had reached 21 without loss before Aaron Roberts removed Avishka Liyanaarachchi and Noman Tariq with consecutive deliveries, both caught in an almost identical manner by Julian Freyone at point, and then, three balls later, Simon Dumas took a return catch to get rid of Fahad Latif.

That brought Sam Evely to the wicket to join John Harding, and these two saw their side safely home, adding 108 in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand.

Evely was the more aggressive of the pair, making 58 from 42 balls with twelve boundaries, while Harding was content to let his partner take the risks, finishing on 37 from 58 balls with six fours.

France will take on the Isle of Man, smarting from their defeat by Italy, in the morning game at Rastignano on Monday, while in the other Group A match the Italians will face Gibraltar in the afternoon game in San Lazzaro. In Group B, Belgium meet Israel in San Lazzaro in the morning match there, with Switzerland take on Germany in the second game at Rastignano.