It was a case of just what the Doc ordered as CIYMS won their opening game against French champions Dreux with Chris Dougherty scoring 62* off 27 balls to ensure that CIYMS registered the highest total on Day 1 of ECL Championship week in Malaga. 

He batted through the innnings after another flying start with Jason van der Merwe (34 off 15) and Carson McCullough (25 off 12) as the Irish champions totalled 137/2.

All seemed set fair for a big win but a late blitz by Muhammad Rafah (47 off 20) saw McCullough's two overs go for 43 and Jacob Mulder hit for three consecutive sixes left the result in doubt until Allen Coulter's final over that saw CI home by 11 runs.

In the opening game of the day Dreux had defeated Belgian neighbours Beveren by 8 wickets - 84/7 playing 90/2 and there was a second defeat for Beveren when they played Farmers CC from Jersey. 

Farmers have five of their regulars representing Jersey in the World Cup Qualifier Playoff in Namibia and taking advantage of the ECL Playing Regualtions have drafted in two Danes, Nicolaj Laegsgaard and Oliver Hald as 'wild cards', both of whom incidently made their debuts for Denmark against Jersey in 2016.

Laegsgaard smashed 81* off 36 balls in a Farmers total of 122/3 and Beveren were bowled out for 88, with Laegsgaard and Hald each claiming two wickets, as did Toby Britton.

Last year's Champions, or Kings, as the ECL choose to title them, Pak I Care of Spain lowered the colours of English champions Hornchurch in emphatic style, running out 9 wicket winners chasing a challenging Hornchurch total of 123/4. Daniel Doyle Calle (surely he could get an Irish passport?) with 58* and Muhammad Kamran 56* each facing only 22 balls.

In the final match of the day Farmers took on this year's Spanish champions Sporting Alphas who posted 122/9, two wickets apiece again for Oliver Hald and Toby Britton.

With Nicolaj Laegsgaard out second ball of the chase for only 4 it proved to be a struggle for Farmers with only Joel Dudly (36 off 17) threatening to make a match of it. 

In the end it was a 24 run margin of victory for the Alphas as Farmers could only reach 98/6 at the end of their allotted overs.