Sweden Women produced a dominant performance against Bulgaria Women in the second match of the ECA Women’s European Cup in Ilfov County on October 15, 2026, securing a convincing 10-wicket victory with 85 balls to spare. An explosive batting display from Anya Vaidya, combined with a disciplined bowling effort from Sweden, ensured that Bulgaria struggled to build momentum before the Swedish openers chased down the target comfortably in just 5.5 overs.
Bulgaria Women endured a difficult start after being put under pressure by Sweden’s bowling attack. Stanislava Sarandeva was dismissed for a duck off three balls, caught by Zara Mohammad off Malyun Yusuf in the third ball of the innings, leaving Bulgaria at 1/0. Vili Nikolova and Tanaya Dissanayake attempted to rebuild the innings, but the Swedish bowlers continued to apply pressure. Nikolova managed just three runs from 17 deliveries before Chamto bowled her in the sixth over, reducing Bulgaria to 19/2. The early dismissals left the batting side searching for stability as Sweden maintained control of the contest.
Dissanayake then tried to anchor the innings with a patient knock. She scored 35 runs from 38 balls, including three boundaries, and was the backbone of Bulgaria’s batting effort. However, the lack of substantial support at the other end prevented her from turning the innings into a competitive total. Captain Detelina Ruyn ekova was dismissed for six off 13 balls after being run out through a combined effort involving Chamto and Sasi Rekha, with Bulgaria slipping to 53/3 in 10.4 overs. Krastina Ivanova followed shortly afterwards, departing for a duck from one delivery as Sasi Rekha claimed her wicket to leave Bulgaria at 56/4.
Dissanayake’s resistance finally ended when she was dismissed for 35 in the 12th over, taking Bulgaria’s score to 61/5. Her innings had provided some much-needed stability, but the remaining batters struggled to make meaningful contributions. Simona Yordanova remained unbeaten on 11 from 19 balls, while Gabriela Ilarionova scored 20 off 22 deliveries, striking three boundaries.
Ilarionova was caught by Kanchan Rana off Shreya, becoming the sixth batter dismissed at 90/6 in the 18th over. Martina Abadjieva was run out for a duck, Katrin Srand eva fell for another duck after being caught by Eman Asim off Shreya, and Katrin Eftimova was run out for one. Bulgaria eventually finished on 98/9 in 20 overs, managing a run rate of 4.90. Extras contributed 22 runs, including two byes, one no-ball and 19 wides, highlighting the number of additional runs conceded during the innings. Kalina Paskova did not get an opportunity to bat.
Sweden’s bowling performance was led by Hariharan Shreya, who claimed two wickets for 16 runs in her four overs at an economy rate of 4.00. Malyun Yusuf returned figures of 1/10 from four overs, while Hareer Chamto also picked up a wicket, conceding just 10 runs in four overs. Sasi Rekha contributed with 1/26 from four overs, including a maiden, and Anjali Natarajan finished with 1/12 in two overs.
Adan Gul conceded 12 runs in one over without taking a wicket, while Kanchan Rana bowled one over for 10 runs, with seven wides and one no-ball adding to the extras. Sweden’s ability to take regular wickets, combined with the run-outs, kept Bulgaria from establishing any meaningful partnerships. Although Dissanayake and Ilarionova provided some resistance, Bulgaria’s innings never gained the momentum needed to challenge Sweden.
Chasing 99 for victory, Sweden Women made their intentions clear from the opening over. Anya Vaidya and Adan Gul attacked the Bulgarian bowling from the outset, putting the pressure back on the opposition with an aggressive display of stroke play. Vaidya was particularly destructive, racing to an unbeaten 75 from just 25 deliveries, with 13 fours and two sixes. Her remarkable strike rate of 300.00 showcased her dominance as she repeatedly found the boundary and dismantled Bulgaria’s bowling plans.
Gul provided support at the other end, remaining not out on nine from 11 balls as the opening partnership rapidly moved Sweden towards the target. Bulgaria’s bowlers found it difficult to contain the Swedish openers despite making several changes. Katrin Srand eva conceded 53 runs in two overs, including seven wides and one no-ball, while Tanaya Dissanayake gave away 20 runs in her two overs. Stanislava Sarandeva conceded 11 runs in one over, and Gabriela Ilarionova was taken for 15 runs in just five deliveries.
None of Bulgaria’s bowlers managed to claim a wicket as Sweden’s batters controlled the chase from beginning to end. The 15 extras conceded by Bulgaria, including one no-ball and 14 wides, further accelerated Sweden’s progress. The unbeaten opening partnership between Vaidya and Gul carried Sweden Women to 99/0 in just 5.5 overs, with the team finishing at a run rate of 16.97.
Vaidya’s explosive innings was the standout performance of the match, while Gul’s steady contribution ensured there was no unnecessary pressure during the chase. Sweden reached the target with all 10 wickets intact and 85 balls remaining, completing a comprehensive victory in the ECA Women’s European Cup.
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