The final day of the Women’s T20 Quadrangular Series in Bulgaria delivered thrilling cricket, fierce competition and a fitting conclusion as all four teams wrapped up their campaigns with high-intensity performances.
In the Third Place Playoff, Serbia Women showcased composure and control to defeat Bulgaria Women by 8 wickets in a rain-curtailed encounter. Despite challenging conditions, Serbia held their nerve with both bat and ball to secure a confident win and finish third in the tournament.
The grand final lived up to its billing, as Turkey Women and Greece Women faced off in a high-stakes clash for the championship title. In a tightly contested game, Turkey emerged victorious, defending a modest total with grit and discipline to claim a 10-run win and be crowned champions of the series.
3rd Place Playoff: Serbia Women vs Bulgaria Women
In a rain-shortened Third Place Playoff of the Women’s T20 Quadrangular Series in Bulgaria, Serbia Women produced a calm and clinical performance to chase down the target and claim an 8-wicket victory over the hosts in a 12-over encounter.
Batting first, Bulgaria Women struggled to find momentum early on, losing wickets in quick succession. The top order failed to settle, with Bilyana Shotorova (3), Stanislava Sarandeva (1), Martina Abadjieva (5), captain Detelina Ruynekova (6), and Vili Nikolova (7) all falling cheaply. However, Slaveya Galabova provided a much-needed late surge with an unbeaten 25* off 23 balls, showing great composure under pressure. She built a steady 40-run partnership with Gabriela Ilarionova, who chipped in with 8* to help Bulgaria post 73/5 in their 12 overs.
For Serbia, the bowlers kept things tight, with Sara Simic picking up 1/13 and Sladjana Matijevic taking 1/15 in their two-over spells, effectively restricting Bulgaria to a modest total.
In reply, Serbia’s chase was anchored by a confident 43-run opening stand between Tamara Trajkovic (10 off 17) and Milica Perisic (11 off 16), setting the tone for the innings. After their dismissals, captain Sladjana Matijevic took charge, crafting a composed unbeaten 12* off 15 balls. She was well supported by Magdalena Nikolic, who added 7* as Serbia comfortably chased down the target in 9.5 overs. Katrin Sarandeva was the lone wicket-taker for Bulgaria, finishing with 1/11 in her only over, but the hosts couldn’t build enough pressure to defend their total.
Final: Turkey Women vs Greece Women
In a thrilling finale to the Women’s T20 Quadrangular Series in Bulgaria, Turkey Women held their nerve to defend a modest total and secure a hard-fought 10-run victory over a spirited Greece Women’s side, claiming the championship title in style.
Put into bat first, Turkey endured a disastrous start, with their top order collapsing under early pressure. Melike Bayram fell for a duck, while Suzan Turan (1) and Ezgi Nur Kilic (0) were also dismissed cheaply, leaving Turkey teetering at 3 for 7 in just the opening few overs. Amid the early chaos, captain Goksu Ayan stepped up with a composed and counter attacking knock of 30 off 21 balls, offering a glimmer of hope. But with little support from the middle order, Turkey continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, and the innings looked set to end well below par.
However, just when the collapse seemed inevitable, Gulce Cengiz and Duygu Tekyildirim stitched a crucial lower-order rescue act. The pair put together a resilient 52-run ninth-wicket stand, anchoring the innings and lifting Turkey to a defendable total of 129/9. Cengiz was the standout performer, remaining unbeaten on 45 off 39 balls, while Tekyildirim added a valuable 15* off 29 deliveries. The Greek bowlers had earlier dominated proceedings, led by captain Maria Syrioti, who returned excellent figures of 3/23. She was ably supported by Nefeli Georgota (2/27) and Adamantia Makri, who bowled with discipline to claim 1/12 in her four economical overs.
In reply, Greece also stumbled early in their chase. Ioanna Argyropoulou scored a brisk 19 off 19, but partners fell quickly around her, with Adamantia Makri managing only 2. The innings briefly stabilized with a 42-run stand between Angeliki Savvani (27 off 49) and skipper Maria Syrioti (12 off 25), who looked poised to take the chase deep. However, once that partnership was broken, the rest of the batting lineup unraveled. Nefeli Georgota was dismissed for a duck, while Theodora Mesimeri (2) and Elpida Kallous (1) couldn’t add much to the scoreboard.
Tight and intelligent bowling from Turkey in the death overs sealed the match. Suzan Turan was instrumental with the ball, taking 2/13 in 2 overs, while Ezgi Nur Kilic matched her with 2/14 (4). Gulce Cengiz continued her all-round brilliance with 1/13, and captain Goksu Ayan capped off a stellar match by contributing with 1/19 (4), guiding Turkey home as Greece finished short at 119 all out, handing Turkey a 10-run win.
