Malta vs Gibraltar - Players & Playing XI · T20I 2026

Malta completed a clean sweep of their T20 International series against Gibraltar on Friday, winning by 7 wickets (with 42 balls remaining) to seal a 3-0 whitewash at the Marsa Sports Club. It was the 68th match of 102 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season – and Malta barely broke a sweat. Gibraltar have now lost all five completed T20 meetings between these sides, and this one was over almost before it started.

First Innings – Gibraltar 144/5 (20 overs)

Gibraltar won the toss and elected to bat, but the decision gave Malta little trouble. Opener Philip Raikes went early, bowled by Salman Sharjeel for 5 off 4 with the score at just 6 in the first over. Chris Pyle made little impact either, caught out for 1 off 4 balls with the score at 12 in over 2.2, leaving Gibraltar at 12/2 inside three overs.

Louis Bruce steadied things somewhat, hitting 23 off 20 with two fours and a six before being caught out to leave Gibraltar 37/3 in over 6.3. Within two balls Iain Latin followed without scoring, dismissed at the same score of 37 in over 6.5 to leave Gibraltar 37/4 – the innings teetering.

Kieron Ferrary was the anchor Gibraltar desperately needed. The all-rounder ground out 58 off 43 balls with 7 fours, holding the innings together as partners came and went. Kabir Mirpuri offered support, reaching 24 off 31 before being clean bowled by Imran Ameer at 103/5 in over 15.2. That left Ferrary to farm the strike alongside Joe Wilson, who lit up the closing overs with a quickfire 31 not out off 17 balls including three sixes. Gibraltar finished 144/5 from their 20 overs – a competitive total on paper, but Malta had the firepower to blow it away.

Malta’s best with the ball: Imran Ameer 2/26 (4 overs, econ 6.50), Salman Sharjeel 2/22 (3 overs, econ 7.33), Adil Latheef 1/11 (2 overs, econ 5.50).

Second Innings – Malta 145/3 (13 overs)

Malta’s chase was a display of pure batting aggression, led from the front by Mehboob Ali. Opening the batting, he was in the mood from ball one. Zeeshan Khan perished cheaply for 4 off 10 at 32/1 in over 3.1, but Mehboob barely noticed, continuing to brutalise the Gibraltar bowling attack.

He raced to 93 off just 37 balls – 10 fours and 8 sixes at a strike rate of 251 – before being caught out with the score at 111 in over 8.5. It was a cameo that all but ended the contest, leaving Malta needing just 34 from 11 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Priyan Pushparajan made 17 off 14 before being stumped at 134 in over 11.4, but Jaspal Singh (18* off 14) and Flynn Zahra (3*) knocked off the remaining runs without drama. Malta reached 145/3 in just 13 overs.

Gibraltar’s best returns: Iain Latin 1/16 (3 overs, econ 5.33), Samarth Bodha 1/17 (2 overs, econ 8.50). The rest were expensive as Malta’s top order went through the gears.

Statz MVP – Mehboob Ali (139.66)

No official Man of the Match was announced, but Statz has no hesitation: Mehboob Ali takes the Statz MVP award with a rating of 139.66. The formula calculates impact based on match context – and blasting 93 off 37 to single-handedly win a T20 chase in 13 overs is about as impactful as it gets. His 203 Dream11 points were the highest in the match by a distance. A devastating display at the top of the order.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Mehboob Ali (Malta) – 139.66 | 93 off 37, SR 251, 8 sixes – match-winning innings that ended the chase inside 13 overs
2. Kieron Ferrary (Gibraltar) – 85.62 | 58* off 43 batting + 1 wicket bowling – kept Gibraltar’s innings alive almost single-handedly
3. Joe Wilson (Gibraltar) – 61.11 | 31* off 17, SR 182, 3 sixes – explosive finisher who gave Gibraltar a fighting total
4. Imran Ameer (Malta) – 59.97 | 2/26 from 4 overs – restricted Gibraltar’s middle order and removed key wickets
5. Iain Latin (Gibraltar) – 57.61 | 1/16 from 3 overs, econ 5.33 – Gibraltar’s most economical bowler in the chase

Turning Point

Gibraltar’s innings peaked and then stalled in over 15.2 when Kabir Mirpuri was clean bowled by Imran Ameer for 24, leaving Gibraltar 103/5. From that point Ferrary and Wilson could only add 41 in the final 4.4 overs – useful, but not nearly enough to trouble a Malta lineup in this kind of form.

Match Context

This was the 68th match of 102 in the T20 Internationals 2026 season. No league standings table is available for this competition format – these are standalone bilateral T20 Internationals. Malta swept all three matches of this series played on 7-8 May at the Marsa Sports Club, and their overall head-to-head record against Gibraltar now reads 5 wins from 5 completed meetings. Gibraltar remain winless against Malta in T20 cricket.

Full scorecard: Malta vs Gibraltar Scorecard – Statz