Greece Women delivered a composed all-round performance to secure an eight-wicket victory over Cyprus Women in the sixth T20I in Episkopi, completing the chase with 22 balls to spare and registering their first win of the six-match series.
Cyprus Women began steadily but were disrupted by early breakthroughs. Thanuja Gedarage was dismissed for 4 at 16/1 in 3.5 overs, caught by Maria Syrioti off Sofia-nefeli Georgota. On the very next delivery, Alexandra Taylor departed for a duck at 16/2, further putting the innings under pressure.
Ayesha Dirannehelage then anchored the innings with 26 off 40 balls, adding 35 runs for the third wicket with Nilmini Liyanage to take the score to 51. Dirannehelage fell at 51/3 in 9.4 overs, while Liyanage continued to occupy the crease, scoring 11 off 30 balls.
Captain Iresha Chathurani provided some momentum with 24 off 32 deliveries, and shared a 22-run stand with Liyanage before the latter was dismissed at 73/4 in 15.3 overs. Chathurani remained briefly before being run out for 24 at 94/5 in 19.5 overs, with Dilini Ishara also run out cheaply. Late contributions from Dinelka Koralalage (6* off 10) and Thamara De Silva (2* off 1) pushed Cyprus to 96/6 in their 20 overs, with extras contributing 22 runs.
Greece’s bowling unit delivered a disciplined effort. Sofia-nefeli Georgota led the attack with 2/18, while Adamantia Makri returned 1/14. Maria-afroditi Vervitsioti claimed 1/16, and Maria Syrioti maintained control with an economical 0/17. Elpida Kallous and Aggeliki Savvani also contributed to keeping the scoring rate in check.
Syrioti Anchors Comfortable Chase
Chasing 97, Greece Women approached the target with control, despite losing early wickets. Maria-afroditi Vervitsioti was dismissed for 3 at 29/1 in 4.6 overs, followed by Adamantia Makri, who made 19 off 27 balls before falling at 38/2 in 6.5 overs.
The turning point came through a decisive partnership between captain Maria Syrioti and Aggeliki Ioanna Argyropoulou. The pair added an unbeaten 59 runs for the third wicket, guiding Greece steadily towards the target.
Syrioti remained unbeaten on 30 off 38 balls, managing the chase with composure, while Argyropoulou supported with 19* off 25 deliveries. Their partnership ensured there were no further setbacks as Greece completed the chase with ease.
Cyprus’s bowling effort was led by Chandrika Wijesinghe, who claimed 2/17 and accounted for both early wickets. However, the rest of the attack was unable to break the crucial third-wicket stand. Ayesha Dirannehelage (0/21), Iresha Chathurani (0/27), and Alexandra Taylor (0/16) remained wicketless, while Dinelka Koralalage also went without a breakthrough.
Greece Women’s clinical chase and disciplined bowling display secured a convincing win, as they concluded the series with a victory, finishing 4-1 down in the six-match contest.
