Finland Level the Series With Dominant Seven-Wicket Win in Cyprus

Finland beat Cyprus by 7 wickets in the 72nd match of 102 in the T20 Internationals 2026. The result levels this two-match series at one win apiece after Cyprus had won the morning fixture by 26 runs. Finland won by 7 wickets (with 30 balls remaining), chasing down 113 with five overs to spare at Happy Valley Ground in Episkopi.

First Innings: Cyprus Restricted to 112/7

Cyprus won the toss and chose to bat but struggled to build momentum. Ruel Brathwaite went for 2 off 4 balls at 22/1 in the 2.6th over. Roman Mazumder top-scored from the top order with 25 off 20, hitting two sixes, before falling at 33/2 in the 4.4th over. Mangala Gunasekara was bowled for a golden duck at 37/3 in the 5.3rd over – the moment that sparked a devastating middle-order collapse.

From 37/3, Cyprus lost three more wickets in three overs: Adam Senn out LBW for 1 at 38/4 (over 6.1), Akila Kalugala stumped for 2 at 41/5 (over 7.2), and Arjun Shahi caught for 1 at 45/6 (over 8.4). The innings was in tatters at 45/6 inside nine overs.

Alexander Senn held firm in the middle with 24 off 35 balls but was bowled at 96/7 in the 17.3rd over. Ashish Bam finished unbeaten on 29 off 34 and Taranjit Singh hit 10 not out off 10 to add late runs, taking Cyprus to a below-par 112/7 from their 20 overs.

Finland’s Amjad Sher was the standout bowler with 3/25 from 4 overs (economy 6.25). Hammadullah Shinwari took 2/14 from 4 at economy 3.50. Faraaz Mehti Abbas added 1/16 from 4 at economy 4.00.

Second Innings: Finland Cruise Home in 15 Overs

Finland’s chase was assured throughout. Kaif Jamadar blazed 48 off 29 at the top – five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 166 – before falling LBW at 68/1 in the 7.5th over. Vanraaj Padhaal was the next to go for 14 at 77/2 in the 10.5th over, and a run-out for Aniketh Pusthay followed immediately at 77/3 in the same over.

Faraaz Mehti Abbas and Jordan O’Brien saw Finland home without further alarm. Abbas finished 29 not out off 25, O’Brien 11 not out off 12 as Finland completed the chase in 15 overs – 30 balls remaining. For Cyprus, Taranjit Singh bowled a miserly 4 overs for just 12 runs and 1 wicket (economy 3.00).

Statz MVP: Taranjit Singh – Rating 99

Statz names Taranjit Singh of Cyprus as the match MVP with a Statz rating of 99 – the system calculates impact based on match context. Singh contributed 10 not out with the bat and then delivered 4 overs for 12 runs and a wicket in a losing cause – his bowling figures the best of any Cyprus bowler in the chase. No official Man of the Match was awarded for this fixture.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Taranjit Singh (CYP) – 99 – 4 overs, 1/12, economy 3.00 – best bowling figures in the chase
2. Faraaz Mehti Abbas (FIN) – 79 – 1/16 bowling plus 29 not out to seal the win
3. Kaif Jamadar (FIN) – 78 – 48 off 29 at 166 strike rate to set up the chase
4. Hammadullah Shinwari (FIN) – 65 – 2/14 from 4 overs at economy 3.50
5. Amjad Sher (FIN) – 59 – 3/25 from 4 overs, top wicket-taker in the match

Turning Point

The dismissal of Mangala Gunasekara for a golden duck at 37/3 in the 5.3rd over – bowled by Hammadullah Shinwari – triggered a collapse that saw Cyprus lose six wickets for just eight runs over the next three overs. Cyprus went from 37/3 to 45/6 by the 8.4th over. That collapse, which reduced the innings to a recovery exercise rather than a competitive total, made Finland’s task straightforward.

Match Context

This was the 72nd match of 102 in the T20 Internationals 2026. Standings data for both sides reflects ICC T20I rankings. The two-match series between Cyprus and Finland ends level at one win each – Cyprus winning the morning game by 26 runs, Finland responding with this seven-wicket win in the afternoon. The head-to-head record between the sides now reads Cyprus 1, Finland 1 from two completed matches.

Full scorecard: statz.ai/cricket/fixtures/69868/cyprus-vs-finland/scorecard