Cyprus vs Finland — Finland won by 38 runs

Finland won by 38 runs – completing a dominant series sweep over Cyprus in the 78th match of 102 in the T20 Internationals. Finland won the toss and elected to bat, posting 167/7 before restricting Cyprus to 129/9 at the Happy Valley Ground in Episkopi. The result leaves Finland with a 3-1 head-to-head record in this Cyprus leg, the hosts having won only the opener on 8 May.

Finland Innings – 167/7 (20 overs)

Finland’s top order set a platform before the middle order exploded. Kaif Jamadar fell early for 1 off 3 balls, caught at 2/1 in the 1st over. Faraaz Mehti Abbas punched 29 off 21 at the top – 5 fours, SR 138 – before being clean bowled at 54/2 in the 7th over. Pavan A Karunarathan added 24 off 26, departing caught at 77/3 in the 10th.

Jordan O’Brien contributed 22 off 18 before falling caught at 94/4 in the 12th, and Aniketh Pusthay chipped in with 14 off 13 as wickets fell regularly through the middle. Then Nicholas Salonen arrived and changed gears completely – 44 off 25 balls, 3 fours and 3 sixes, striking at 176 before being caught at 148/6 in the 18th over. Mahesh Tambe added 12 off 10 at the death before a run out in the final over brought the innings to 167/7.

For Cyprus, Adam Senn was the pick with 2/24 off 4 overs at economy 6.00. Subbareddy Alavala also took 2/34, while Lovedeep Singh claimed 1/17.

Cyprus Chase – 129/9 (20 overs)

Cyprus needed 168 and never got close. The innings began with Roman Mazumder retiring out for 6 off 11 – an unusual dismissal that disrupted the top order. Arjun Shahi then took responsibility, anchoring the middle with 44 off 33 balls – 3 fours, 3 sixes, SR 133 – before a run out ended his innings at 73/2 in the 11th over.

Alexander Senn added 16 off 18 before being clean bowled at 61 in the 10th, and Adam Senn contributed 8 off 12 before falling caught at 85/4 in the 13th. Mangala Gunasekara provided brief resistance with 21 off 19 before departing at 109/5 in the 17th. Karan Singh fell for 5, Taranjit Singh added 6 off 4 at SR 150, and Nalin Pathirana made 3 before Cyprus closed on 129/9.

Amjad Sher was outstanding for Finland – 3/16 off 4 overs at economy 4.00, the standout bowling figure of the match. Mahesh Tambe took 2/30 and Piumal Eeshwara Acharige Karunarathna claimed 1/30. Muhammad Junaid Khan contributed 1/26.

Statz MVP – Adam Senn (83.1)

Statz rates Adam Senn as the match MVP with an MI Rating of 83.1, using a formula that calculates impact based on match context. No official Man of the Match was awarded. Senn played a role in both innings – 2/24 off 4 overs in the first, 8 off 12 with the bat in the second – and his cross-match contribution earns him the Statz nod. Finland’s Amjad Sher (82.59, 3/16) is a legitimate counter-claim as the most impactful single-department performer.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

1. Adam Senn (Cyprus) – 83.1 – 2/24 bowling in the first innings, 8 off 12 with the bat
2. Amjad Sher (Finland) – 82.59 – 3/16 off 4 overs, the match’s best bowling return
3. Arjun Shahi (Cyprus) – 73.61 – 44 off 33 (SR 133), the only Cyprus batter to truly fire
4. Nicholas Salonen (Finland) – 70.82 – 44 off 25 at SR 176, the most explosive cameo
5. Mahesh Tambe (Finland) – 61.70 – 12 off 10 batting, 2/30 bowling – effective across departments

Turning Point

The chase was still alive when Arjun Shahi – Cyprus’s most dangerous batter – was run out for 44 in the 11th over at 73/2. The required rate was challenging but not impossible. Once Shahi departed, the innings lost its anchor and wickets fell with regularity. Cyprus closed on 129/9, 38 runs short.

Match Context

This was the 78th match of 102 in the T20 Internationals. No league table standings are available for this fixture series. Finland completed back-to-back wins on 9 May – having also beaten Cyprus by 138 runs in the morning match – to seal the Cyprus leg 3-1. Cyprus’s sole win came in the first match on 8 May.