By Richard Boxall

The Happy Valley cricket ground at Episkopi was the venue for four days of international cricket, from which Cyprus emerged triumphant after winning all of their matches against Serbia and Bulgaria.

The first three days featured a triangular series between all three countries, each playing two T20 internationals against both others. Cyprus won all their games to win the competition, with Bulgaria second and Serbia returning home winless.

On the fourth day Cyprus and Bulgaria played a two-match series against each other, and again Cyprus came out on top, completing a remarkable run of 11 victories since their last defeat in a T20 international.

The Cyprus team was formed of a mixture of Cyprus-based players and some living abroad, under the guidance of coach Ruel Brathwaite and manager Richard Cox. Captain for this event was Alex Senn, who led the team well in the absence of regular skipper Scott Burdekin. Senn’s brother Adam was also in the side, and their proud parents watched on from their vantage point under the trees.

Most of the Cyprus players made contributions towards the team’s success, most notably opening batsman Roman Mazumder who scored 290 runs in the 6 matches, Waqar Ali who took 14 wickets very economically, and Taranjit Singh who came up with vital cameos with both bat and ball when they were needed.

Cyprus opened the campaign with a flourish, knocking up 198 for 6 in the first game, thanks to 39 from Roman, 64 from Mangala including 5 sixes, and a whirlwind 46 in 18 balls by Taranjit. Waqar’s 4 for 13 ensured that Serbia were unable to mount a challenge and they were bowled out for 110.

In the afternoon game Serbia contained the home batsmen more successfully, but a total of 162 for 8 was still challenging. Roman batted through the innings for 73, with useful scores of 32 by Mangala and 26 from the captain. Serbia started well with a 50 run opening partnership, but Taranjit chipped in with the ball this time, taking 4 for 15 as Serbia finished on 121 for 9.

Bulgaria entered the competition on day two, beating Serbia comprehensively twice, and setting the scene for a showdown with Cyprus for top spot.

The first match on day three was a nervy affair, as Cyprus struggled to chase Bulgaria’s modest-looking total of 123. Adam Senn bowled an economical opening spell, and again it was Waqar who was the wicket taker, with 4 for 15. In reply Cyprus were in danger of losing at 93 for 7 with 4 overs left and 31 still needed, but Taranjit came to the rescue again with an unbeaten 20 from 6 balls to win the game with 9 balls to spare.

The final game of the series saw a more convincing win for Cyprus, as they amassed 179 for 3 from their 20 overs. Roman (71) and Alex Senn (51) put on 118 for the first wicket, and a rapid 30 from Mangala ensured a healthy total. After an opening partnership of 65, Bulgaria’s innings slipped away to 115 for 7, leaving Cyprus victorious by 64 runs and celebrating winning the competition.

The following day the same two teams played a separate two-match event. Both games were similar to the previous morning, with Bulgaria batting first and setting seemingly low targets, which Cyprus had to work hard to chase down.

In the morning Waqar took another 4-wicket haul to restrict Bulgaria to 119 for 7. Roman top-scored for Cyprus with 29, but at 75 for 5 there was plenty still to be done. Scott Austin and Adam Senn each scored 18 to steer the home side to their target.

In the final game in the afternoon, Bulgaria did slightly better, reaching 125 all out on the last ball. Roshan Siriwardanage, in his first appearance of the event, took 4 for 27, and Mangala had 3 for 20. Once again Roman led the way with the bat, with 65 not out. He received support from Sadun Chamal (24) and a sensible unbeaten 20 by Scott Austin, who helped Roman knock off the last 41 runs in a risk-free style.

The four days of cricket were not only successful, but also helped the team to bond as they look forward to more challenges in the new year. Umpiring was carried out efficiently by Mark Duffy, Andrew Elliott and Abdul Rehman, backed up by the dedicated team of scorers and helpers, without whom the event would not have run so smoothly.