Cyprus Women continued their dominant run in the Malta Women tour of Cyprus with a commanding 82-run victory over Malta Women in the second T20I at Happy Valley Ground on June 18, 2026. After opting to bat first, Cyprus Women overcame an early wobble before captain Iresha Chathurani produced a composed and match-defining innings that laid the foundation for a competitive total. The bowlers then backed up the effort brilliantly, dismantling the Malta batting unit and securing a comprehensive win that also helped Cyprus take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The innings did not begin smoothly for Cyprus Women as Ayesha Dirannehelage was dismissed for just 1 run in the opening over. Likitha Yadav provided the breakthrough for Malta, leaving Cyprus at 2/1 after only four deliveries. The early setback brought Sami Jayakodi to the crease, but scoring remained difficult against a disciplined Malta attack. Jayakodi managed only 4 from 19 deliveries before becoming the second wicket to fall at 38/2 in the eighth over. Before her dismissal, she and skipper Iresha Chathurani had added a valuable 36-run partnership for the second wicket that helped stabilize the innings after the early loss.
With the innings requiring acceleration, Chathurani continued to anchor the batting effort. Cyprus suffered another setback when Dinelka Koralalage was trapped lbw by Silda Joy for 6, ending a 30-run third-wicket stand and leaving the score at 68/3 in the 13th over. However, the captain remained unfazed and found support from Dilini Ishara. The pair added another crucial 30 runs for the fourth wicket, pushing Cyprus into a stronger position. Ishara contributed 12 runs from 16 balls before being caught by Raghavan off Likitha Yadav at 98/4 in the 17th over.
The closing stages belonged entirely to Iresha Chathurani, whose unbeaten 69 from 69 deliveries proved to be the backbone of the innings. Her knock included three boundaries and showcased patience, placement, and leadership under pressure. Alongside wicketkeeper Thamara De Silva, who remained unbeaten on 3, Chathurani guided Cyprus through the final overs. The pair stitched together an unbroken 28-run partnership for the fifth wicket as Cyprus Women finished on 126/4 from their 20 overs. Extras also played a significant role, contributing 31 runs, including 23 wides, seven byes, and one leg bye.
Malta Women’s bowlers had moments of success despite the defeat. Likitha Yadav was the standout performer with figures of 2/23 from four overs, accounting for both Ayesha Dirannehelage and Dilini Ishara. Silda Joy bowled economically and picked up 1/14 from her four-over spell while Anupama Rameshan also claimed a wicket with figures of 1/19. Nicola De Bromhead conceded 33 runs without success, while Thanooja Sharfudheen and Susan George remained wicketless.
Chasing 127 for victory, Malta Women never managed to gain momentum as Cyprus bowlers struck regularly from the outset. Captain Anupama Rameshan was dismissed for 3 by Dinelka Koralalage, while Silda Joy fell for 1 to Samanthi Dunukedeniya. Likitha Yadav departed for a first-ball duck, leaving Malta reeling at 7/3. Swetha Don scored only 1 before becoming Dunukedeniya’s second victim, and when Jessica Rymer was bowled by Ayesha Dirannehelage for 4, Malta had slumped to 23/5.
Nicola De Bromhead attempted to rebuild the innings with 7 runs, sharing a brief 10-run partnership with Stella Arooja, who scored 4. However, Cyprus maintained relentless pressure. Iresha Chathurani joined the wicket-taking act, dismissing Thanooja Sharfudheen for 4 and later removing Reshma Raghavan for 1. Stella Arooja was run out after scoring 4, while Susan George managed only a duck before becoming another victim of the Cyprus attack. Malta’s lower order offered little resistance, and Silvana Bandeva remained unbeaten on 0 as the innings ended at 44 all out in 14.1 overs.
Cyprus Women’s bowling performance was clinical from start to finish. Iresha Chathurani capped a Player of the Match performance with outstanding figures of 3/6 from 3.1 overs. Dinelka Koralalage set the tone with 2/4 in two overs, while Samanthi Dunukedeniya returned 2/9 from her two-over spell. Ayesha Dirannehelage claimed 1/12 from four overs, Nilmini Liyanage picked up 2/3 in one over, and Chandrika Wijesinghe chipped in with a tidy two-over spell conceding just 10 runs.
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