Belgium, led by skipper Alix Brodin, were up against Portugal, led by skipper Sarah Collyer, in the 3rd-place playoff of the ongoing Czech Republic Women’s T20I Tri-Series on 6th September 2026 at Scott Page Field, Vinor.
The Belgium skipper Alix Brodin won the toss and opted to bat first. Belgium found themselves in deep trouble at 27/4 in the 7th over of the innings, including the loss of their skipper, Alix Brodin (5 off 5 balls). Wicket-keeper batter Irma Vrignaud joined Arussa Ilahi at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 62-run stand for the 5th wicket to take them closer to the 100-run mark.
Afsheen Ahmed broke the stand by sending Irma Vrignaud (23 off 30 balls) back to the pavilion in the 16th over of the innings to provide the crucial 5th breakthrough for Portugal. Belgium were eventually bundled out for 106, with a ball to spare. Arussa Ilahi (25* off 48 balls) was the only other batter to enter the double digits with the bat for Belgium. The innings’ extras of 36 contributed a substantial chunk of the total.
Afsheen Ahmed (2.5-0-9-4), Matilda James (3-0-14-2), Nayantara Raghunandan (3-0-19-2), and Isabel Walker (4-1-12-1) were the top performers with the ball for Portugal.
Chasing a total of 107, the Portugal top order made light work of the run chase. The Portugal openers, Nayantara Raghunandan (24 off 21 balls) and Kiona Sequiera (35 off 31 balls), set the platform with a decisive 76-run opening stand. Payal Kothar broke the stand by sending Nayantara Raghunandan back to the pavilion in the 8th over of the run chase to provide the much-needed 1st breakthrough for Belgium.
Her knock included a couple of boundaries. Matilda James (9* off 6 balls) and Isabel Walker (23* off 13 balls) guided Portugal over the line with 8 wickets in hand and 58 balls to spare. The innings had as many as 17 extras.
Payal Kothar (2-0-16-1) was the only wicket-taker with the ball for Belgium. Arussa Ilahi (4-0-31-0) and Rithika Rajesh (2-0-13-0) played their part with the ball for their side.
Nayantara Raghunandan was awarded the Player of the Match for her impactful all-round performance, returning with match figures of 3-0-19-2 with the ball and scoring a crucial 24 (21 balls) with the bat for her side, playing a crucial role in helping her side book a spot in the tri-series finale.
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