Serbia Women Clinch ECN Balkan Cup T20IW Title With Three Wins In Sofia

The ECN Balkan Cup T20IW, 2026 concluded with Serbia Women finishing on top, winning the most matches with three victories across the tournament. It was a strong and consistent campaign from Serbia Women, who emerged as the standout side in a competitive short-format international event.

Played as an ICC Sanctioned Women’s International T20 competition under the auspices of the Bulgaria Cricket Federation, the tournament brought national teams together in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Vasil Levski Sports Academy. Staged from 26 to 28 June 2026, the event was completed across three match days and added another important chapter to women’s cricket in the region.

In total, four matches were completed between the two participating teams, delivering a compact but lively tournament. Across those games, 1,032 runs were scored, underlining the positive intent shown by the batters throughout the event. The overall scoring rate stood at 6.7 runs per over, with teams producing 85.0 runs per 100 balls, or 0.85 runs per ball, figures that reflect a healthy T20 tempo from start to finish.

While the tournament was not dominated by six-hitting, there were still moments of clean striking. A total of four Maximos were recorded, at a rate of 0.3 per ten overs, with one Maximo arriving every 231.00 balls. Dunja Demic of Serbia Women led the way in that department, striking three Maximos in a single match. Alongside that, batters found the rope 72 times in fours, helping generate 312 runs in boundaries overall. Boundary scoring accounted for 30.0% of all runs in the event, a reminder that placement and timing were just as important as power.

There was also plenty for the bowlers to celebrate. Dot balls made up 54.0% of all deliveries, showing how often attacks were able to apply pressure and force mistakes. Across the tournament, 50 wickets fell, at a dismissal rate of 3.2 wickets per ten overs. Teams scored 20.6 runs per wicket, a figure that highlights the balance between attacking batting and disciplined bowling.

Several team performances stood out over the three days. The highest total of the event came from Serbia Women, who posted 199-3 in their 20 overs against Bulgaria Women in Match 3, the most commanding innings of the tournament. Serbia Women also completed the highest successful chase, hunting down 119 against Bulgaria Women by five wickets with 22 balls to spare in Match 4. Bulgaria Women, meanwhile, produced one of the most resilient efforts of the event when they defended 138 to beat Serbia Women by seven runs in Match 2, the lowest total successfully defended in the competition. Serbia Women also produced the most explosive over of the tournament, scoring 27 runs in the 11th over of Match 3 against Bulgaria Women.

The results pattern showed just how even the contest could be depending on conditions and execution. Teams batting first won two of the four matches, while teams batting second also won two, leaving the split perfectly balanced at 50.0% each.

Individually, the tournament belonged in large part to Dunja Demic. Her magnificent unbeaten 108 from 72 balls for Serbia Women against Bulgaria Women in Match 3 was the highest individual score of the event and the only century of the competition. She also finished as the leading run-scorer with 156 runs in four matches, confirming her status as the premier batter of the tournament. With the ball, Milica Stevanovic of Serbia Women topped the wicket charts with seven wickets in three matches, setting the standard among the bowlers. In the field, Milica Perisic of Serbia Women was exceptional, finishing as the top fielder with six dismissals, made up of four catches and two run outs. She also led the wicketkeeping category with two dismissals.

The ECN Balkan Cup T20IW, 2026 was a fine showcase for women’s international cricket, marked by standout individual displays, competitive team performances and a strong spirit of regional competition. Congratulations go to Serbia Women on topping the event, to Bulgaria Women for their determined performances, and to all the players who contributed to an entertaining tournament in Sofia. Credit is also due to the organisers, officials, the Bulgaria Cricket Federation and the supporters whose backing helped make the event a success.