In Match 5 of the Serbia Women’s T20I Tri-Series 2026, Croatia Women put on a clinical all-round performance to defeat host nation Serbia Women by 7 wickets at the Lisicji Jarak Cricket Ground in Belgrade. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Serbia struggled to get any real momentum against a disciplined Croatian attack and were bowled out for 85 in 19.3 overs. In response, Croatia controlled the run chase from start to finish, comfortably scaling down the target by reaching 86/3 in 14.5 overs to seal a convincing victory with 31 balls to spare.
The match began on a nightmarish note for Serbia’s top order as Croatia’s opening bowler, Helen Leko, tore through the frontline batters early on. Leko set the tone right out of the gate, clean-bowling opener Maja Jevdjenovic for a duck and skipper-wicketkeeper Dunja Demic for just 1 run. With Bojana Ercegovcevic getting run out cheaply for 2, Serbia found themselves reeling at 5/3 within the powerplay. Leko struck again shortly after to remove Milica Perisic for 9, finishing with superb figures that completely shattered the host nation’s top order.
With the top half back in the pavilion early, Serbia had to rely on their lower-middle order to drag them to a respectable total. Lidija Krvaric kept up the pressure from the other end by picking up the crucial wicket of Nadja Nojic (3). Marija Trajkovic (14) and Dunja Miskovic (10) attempted to mount a late rescue job, but the lack of substantial partnerships meant Serbia never found their footing. Croatia’s secondary attack tightened the screws down the stretch, wrapping up Serbia’s innings for 85 in 19.3 overs.
Chasing a modest target of 86 runs, Croatia faced an early hiccup as Serbia’s opening bowlers tried to make a game of it. Serbia’s attack, led by Milica Stevanovic and Dunja Demic, tried to use the new ball to their advantage but not for too long. Openers Mia Durdevac (22*) and Pavla Senjug (22) shared a 48-run partnership.
The turning point of the chase came through a composed partnership between Mia Durdevac and the middle order. Durdevac paced her innings brilliantly, picking off singles to rotate the strike while dispatching loose deliveries to keep the required run rate under control. Durdevac remained unbeaten and alongside Helena Bosnic (13*) closed the game out for her side.
By the 14th over, Croatia had completely neutralized Serbia’s bowling threat. Mia Durdevac remained unbeaten at the end to guide her team past the finish line, taking Croatia to 86/3 in 14.5 overs. The 7-wicket win highlighted Croatia’s bowling efficiency and cool heads during the chase, leaving Serbia with plenty of homework to do on their batting line-up for the remainder of the tri-series.
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