Cyprus Women delivered a commanding performance against Malta Women in the 4th T20I of the Malta Women Tour of Cyprus 2026, securing a convincing 28-run victory at Happy Valley Ground, Episkopi. The match witnessed disciplined bowling, crucial partnerships, and a brilliant all-round contribution from Ayesha Dirannehage, who was named Player of the Match for her impactful performance with both bat and ball.
Winning the toss and opting to field first, Malta Women aimed to restrict Cyprus Women early, but the Cyprus batting unit showed patience and resilience on a challenging surface. The innings began with Ayesha Dirannehage and Sasmi Jayakodi building the foundation. Sasmi struggled to find fluency and was dismissed for just 2 runs off 13 balls by Anupama Rameshan, but Ayesha continued to hold the innings together. Her 22-run knock from 32 deliveries included two boundaries and helped Cyprus recover from early pressure.
Captain Iresha Chathurani then joined Ayesha and the pair added valuable runs to stabilize the innings. Iresha contributed 15 runs from 21 balls before falling to Susan George, with Rameshan completing the catch. The partnership ensured Cyprus remained in control despite Malta’s attempts to apply pressure through their bowling attack.
Dinelka Koralalage was unable to make an impact, scoring a duck after facing six deliveries, with Don dismissing her. However, Cyprus continued to collect runs through small partnerships. Dilini Ishara scored 10 runs from 20 balls before being run out, while Milini Mudiyanselage added one run before De Bromhead and Susan George combined for her dismissal. Thamara De Silva chipped in with four runs, while Samanthi Dunukedeniya and Chandrika Wijesinghe contributed one run each before falling.
Despite losing wickets regularly, Nadeesha Waruwangodage remained unbeaten with a handy 5 off 7 balls, helping Cyprus Women post a total of 89 runs for 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Extras played a major role in the score, with Malta conceding 28 extras, including 2 byes, 5 no-balls and 21 wides.
For Malta Women, the bowling effort was led by Sild Joy, who finished with figures of 4 overs, 17 runs and 1 wicket. Anupama Rameshan impressed with 3 wickets for 13 runs in 4 overs, while Susan George claimed 1 wicket for 17 runs. Swetha Don was the most successful bowler with 3 wickets for 19 runs, and Nicola De Bromhead picked up a wicket while conceding only 7 runs from her two overs. Likitha Yadav also contributed with two overs for 14 runs.
Chasing 90 runs for victory, Malta Women needed a steady start but Cyprus’ bowlers immediately put pressure on the batting lineup. Likitha Yadav was dismissed for 6 runs from 29 balls, while captain Jessica Rymer was run out after scoring just one run. Nicola De Bromhead also failed to settle, making 3 runs before being dismissed by De Silva off Wijesinghe’s bowling.
Anupama Rameshan provided the biggest resistance for Malta Women, remaining unbeaten on 22 runs from 30 balls with one boundary. However, regular wickets at the other end prevented Malta from building momentum. Sild Joy scored one run before being run out, while Stella Arooja contributed three runs. Swetha Don made four runs before falling to De Silva, and Thanooja Sharfudheen managed only one run before being dismissed by Dirannehage.
Susan George scored two runs before being run out, while Reshma Raghavan added one run. Silvana Bandeva remained without scoring as Malta Women were eventually bowled out for 61 runs in 18.5 overs.
Cyprus Women’s bowling attack produced a collective effort. Dilenka Koralalage was economical, though finished wicketless she conceded just 8 runs in 3.5 overs. Samanthi Dunukedeniya returned 0/10, while Chandrika Wijesinghe was the standout performer with 2 wickets for 15 runs in four overs. Ayesha Dirannehage continued her excellent match by claiming 2 wickets for 14 runs, and Iresha Chathurani also took 1 wicket while conceding 14 runs.
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