Bulgaria Women pulled off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Romania Women in the third match of the ECA Women’s European Cup 2026 at Ilfov County on October 16, 2026. In a closely fought contest, Bulgaria chased down Romania’s target with six balls remaining, finishing at 68/7 in 13.3 overs after Romania Women had posted 79/5 in 14 overs. Despite Romania’s disciplined batting effort and Bulgaria’s early struggles with the bat, the Bulgarian side held their nerve to secure a memorable win in a low-scoring encounter.
Romania Women began their innings with captain Iuliana Muntean and Daria Tanase at the crease, but Bulgaria made an immediate impact with the ball. Muntean was dismissed for 2 off 4 balls, trapped lbw by Deya Stefanova, while Tanase managed 4 from 7 deliveries before being caught by Gabriela Ilarionova off Stefanova’s bowling. Romania lost both openers for just 18 runs in 1.4 overs, leaving their top order under pressure early in the innings.
Gabriela Ionita and Iuliana Muntean’s dismissal brought the responsibility on Ionita and Alina Lupascu to rebuild the innings. Ionita played a patient knock of 20 from 39 balls, including one four, while Lupascu contributed 18 off 37 deliveries. Their partnership provided Romania with some stability after the early setbacks, although Bulgaria continued to search for breakthroughs. Nevena Tropolova eventually dismissed Ionita, reducing Romania to 25/2 in 4.1 overs.
The pressure continued to build when captain Muntean’s departure had already left the side searching for a reliable partnership, and Romania were 27/3 in 5.2 overs after Muntean’s wicket had been recorded in the fall-of-wickets sequence. Herath Bandara added a brief contribution of 4 from just 3 balls before being run out following a joint effort involving Katrin Eftimova and Martina Abadjieva. Romania slipped to 38/4 in 7.4 overs, and Bulgaria appeared to have the upper hand.
However, the Romanian lower order continued to fight. Alina Lupascu was involved in another important phase before being run out for 18, with the dismissal credited to Stanislava Sarandeva and Eftimova. Her wicket fell at 59/5 in 10.2 overs, leaving Romania with limited time to accelerate. Cristina Cirlig remained unbeaten on 1 from one delivery, while Silvia Batorii finished not out on 0 from 2 balls.
Romania’s total was boosted considerably by 30 extras, including 26 wides and four no-balls. These additional runs proved crucial in a match where every run mattered. Romania Women eventually reached 79/5 in 14 overs, setting Bulgaria a target of 80 runs to win.
Deya Stefanova was the standout bowler for Bulgaria, claiming two wickets in her spell, while Nevena Tropolova picked up one wicket. The scorecard also recorded contributions from Bulgaria’s fielders in the run-outs, with Sarandeva, Eftimova and Abadjieva involved in key dismissals. Martina Abadjieva, Vili Nikolova, Gabriela Ilarionova, Simona Yordanova and Detelina Ruynekova were also listed among Bulgaria’s bowling options, although the scorecard recorded no overs for them in the innings.
Chasing 80, Bulgaria Women endured a difficult start of their own. Martina Abadjieva scored 7 from 19 balls before being bowled by Cristina Cirlig, leaving Bulgaria at 13/1 in 1.2 overs. Vili Nikolova then provided a quick burst of scoring, striking 7 from just 4 deliveries, including a boundary, but she was dismissed by Daria Tanase with the score at 16/2 in 1.5 overs. Bulgaria were suddenly in trouble, with the early wickets threatening to derail their chase.
Stanislava Sarandeva and captain Detelina Ruynekova attempted to steady the innings, but Ruynekova managed only 2 from 6 balls before being bowled by Muntean. Her dismissal came at 56/3 in 12.3 overs according to the fall-of-wickets record, leaving Bulgaria needing to manage the closing stages carefully. Simona Yordanova then contributed a useful 17 off 16 balls, hitting two fours and scoring at a strike rate of 106.25. However, she was run out by Bandara, with Bulgaria’s total recorded at 72/4 in 13.6 overs.
Gabriela Ilarionova made 4 from 11 deliveries before being bowled by Ionita, while Katrin Eftimova scored 2 from 2 balls before being run out by Cirlig. Katrin Srandeva was dismissed without scoring after facing eight balls, caught by Madalina Marin off Bandara’s bowling. These late wickets kept Romania in the contest, but the target remained within Bulgaria’s reach.
Bulgaria’s chase was also shaped by Romania’s bowling discipline and the extras conceded. Cirlig finished with two wickets for 12 runs from 2.3 overs, despite conceding four wides and two no-balls. Tanase took one wicket for 23 runs from three overs, while Ionita claimed one wicket for six runs in her over. Bandara also picked up one wicket, conceding 16 runs in three overs. The scorecard showed that Daria Brînzea, Stefania Slavaston, Silvia Batorii and Madalina Marin did not bowl, while Romania’s total of 79 included 30 extras, with 26 wides and four no-balls.
Bulgaria Women ultimately reached 68/7 in 13.3 overs, completing the chase with six balls remaining and winning the match by two wickets. The narrow victory highlighted the importance of persistence in women’s T20 cricket, as Bulgaria overcame early batting setbacks and a series of late dismissals to get across the line. Romania Women had opportunities to defend their total, but Bulgaria’s ability to keep the chase alive proved decisive.
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