In a landmark match at Malahide, the Edinburgh Castle Rockers secured their place in history as the inaugural champions of the ETPL, defeating the Belfast Wolves by seven wickets. Andries Gous was instrumental in the victory, scoring an unbeaten 90 runs as the Castle Rockers successfully chased down a target of 151 with eight balls remaining.
Captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that paid off early when Trent Boult dismissed Paul Stirling for just eight runs, caught by Jack Jarvis. This early breakthrough forced the Wolves to regroup and strategize for a stronger performance.
Gous, however, remained in control. McMullen was caught and bowled by Gavin Hoey , but the target was close enough for Edinburgh’s captain to finish the job. Nice to be able to contribute to a winning cause. He explained that although he had been playing well throughout the tournament without converting his starts into a big score, he had set himself the task of being “the guy staying on till the back end. The approach paid off in the biggest match of the season. “Be the guy at the end. Take your time.
His unbeaten 90 came from 61 deliveries, featuring eight fours and four sixes. He balanced patience with timely aggression, anchoring the chase as Brandon McMullen added 17 from 12 balls.
Reflecting on his match-winning contribution, Gous said, “It’s always nice winning finals. Make sure that you focus,” he said, describing the small mental adjustments that helped him deliver when it mattered most.
Co-owner Kyle Mills placed the achievement in the context of the team’s culture and the opportunity the ETPL provides for local players. They belong in tournaments like this. The final belonged to Edinburgh Castle Rockers: the first team to lift the European T20 Premier League trophy. Their bowlers contained Belfast after Tector’s determined resistance, and Gous delivered the decisive innings when it mattered most. A new competition now has its first champions—and their name is Edinburgh Castle Rockers.
“Biggest thing for me is culture and character and having calmness in the group,” he said, adding that Santner had set the standard as leader while players such as McMullen and Jack Jarvis had stepped up. Mills said he hoped the local players would begin to see themselves among the world’s leading franchise cricketers: “They’re not Associates.
Edinburgh head coach Trevor Bayliss praised the way the squad came together over the course of the competition. He also noted that several teams were closely matched and that Edinburgh had needed to make small adjustments after difficult results. The players echoed that sense of pride and togetherness. For Smuts, the title capped an enjoyable tournament on and off the field.
“Fantastic tournament,” he said, highlighting how a different group of players had “gelled really well” and how their performances reflected that unity. Boult called it a “Great afternoon,” adding that the squad had deserved the trophy despite a dip in form towards the end of the campaign. Curran described the team as “a pretty special group” from day one, crediting the local players and saying the internationals had “just put the cherry on top just when we needed to. He singled out Gous, McMullen and Ross Adair for their contributions, while Gareth Delany said it was a “good experience standing here as winners” after joining a group that had welcomed him. He described it as “an unbelievable tournament” and praised how quickly the squad had bonded. Ross Adair, meanwhile, reflected on the personal subplot of playing against his brother Mark, saying it was “nice to have this over him” after his brother had often got the better of him.
Bayliss acknowledged the quality of the local talent, explaining that while he had known only a few of their names before the tournament, he had been impressed by the players he encountered.
