Sweden Women opened their ECA Women’s European Cup campaign with a nine-wicket victory over Austria Women in Ilfov County, reaching their target of 92 with 62 balls remaining.
Eman Asim led the successful chase with an unbeaten 40 off just 18 balls, while Anya Vaidya contributed 39 not out. Earlier, Sweden’s disciplined bowling attack restricted Austria to 91/9 in 20 overs.
Austria Women Struggle After Early Wickets
Austria elected to bat but suffered an early collapse as Sweden’s bowlers made immediate breakthroughs.
Captain Priya Sabu scored six before Malyun Yusuf bowled her with the score at 19. Yusuf struck again three balls later, dismissing Sheetal Bhardwaj for a duck.
Anoushka Vaidya removed Isha Joshi for five, while Sasi Rekha bowled Pravitha Ganeshan for two to leave Austria struggling at 27/4.
The wickets continued to fall as Hareer Chamto dismissed Komati Reddy and Adan Gul removed Vera Poglitsch, reducing Austria to 41/6.
Andrea-Mae Zepeda Leads Austria’s Recovery
Andrea-Mae Zepeda provided Austria’s main resistance, scoring 38 off 33 balls with one boundary. She shared an 18-run partnership with Anisha Nookala before Hariharan Shreya dismissed Nookala for three.
Shreya then bowled Mallika Pathirannehelage for three, leaving Austria at 71/8.
Zepeda continued to battle before being stumped by wicketkeeper Anoushka Vaidya off Chamto at 90/9.
Austria eventually finished on 91/9, with 24 extras making a significant contribution to their total.
Sweden Bowlers Deliver Disciplined Performance
Sweden’s bowling attack maintained pressure throughout the innings, with three players claiming two wickets each.
| Bowler | Overs | Wickets | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hariharan Shreya | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Hareer Chamto | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| Malyun Yusuf | 3 | 2 | 18 |
| Adan Gul | 3 | 1 | 13 |
| Anoushka Vaidya | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| Sasi Rekha | 4 | 1 | 16 |
Shreya and Chamto were particularly effective, combining for four wickets while conceding only 25 runs across eight overs.
Eman Asim and Anya Vaidya Dominate the Chase
Sweden began their pursuit of 92 with Anya Vaidya and Adan Gul opening the batting. Austria claimed an early breakthrough when Mallika Pathirannehelage dismissed Gul for five, leaving Sweden at 12/1.
However, that proved to be Austria’s only success with the ball.
Eman Asim joined Vaidya, and the pair produced an unbroken 80-run second-wicket partnership to complete the chase comfortably.
Asim attacked from the outset, hitting five fours and one six in her unbeaten 40 off 18 deliveries. Her innings came at an impressive strike rate of 222.22.
Vaidya provided steady support with 39 not out from 34 balls, including four boundaries.
Sweden reached 92/1 in just 9.4 overs, sealing victory with more than 10 overs remaining.
Austria Bowlers Unable to Stop Sweden
Pathirannehelage was Austria’s only wicket-taker, finishing with figures of 1/6 from two overs. The remaining bowlers struggled to contain Sweden’s aggressive batting.
Andrea-Mae Zepeda conceded 42 runs in 2.4 overs, while Komati Reddy gave away 24 runs from three overs.
Sweden’s decisive partnership between Asim and Vaidya ensured Austria had no opportunity to recover.
Austria Women vs Sweden Women: Match Summary
| Match detail | Result |
|---|---|
| Tournament | ECA Women’s European Cup |
| Venue | Ilfov County |
| Austria Women | 91/9 (20 overs) |
| Sweden Women | 92/1 (9.4 overs) |
| Result | Sweden Women won by 9 wickets |
| Balls remaining | 62 |
| Top scorer for Sweden | Eman Asim – 40* (18) |
| Other key batter | Anya Vaidya – 39* (34) |
| Top scorer for Austria | Andrea-Mae Zepeda – 38 (33) |
| Leading Sweden bowlers | Shreya, Chamto and Yusuf – 2 wickets each |
Sweden Women Make Winning Start to European Cup
Sweden’s opening victory demonstrated their strength in both departments.
Their bowlers restricted Austria to a modest total before Asim and Vaidya completed the chase through an aggressive, unbeaten partnership.
The nine-wicket win gives Sweden a confident start to their ECA Women’s European Cup campaign.
