Bulgaria Pull Off Chase to Stun Gibraltar in High-Scoring T20I Thriller

Bulgaria produced a stunning batting display to chase down Gibraltar’s imposing total of 243, winning the fourth match of the Bulgaria Tri-Nation T20I Series by six wickets with 34 balls to spare at the National Sports Academy in Sofia on July 11.

Gibraltar, batting first, posted a formidable 243 for 7 in their 20 overs at a run rate of 12.15. The innings was led by opener Philip Raikes, who hammered 73 from just 33 balls, striking four boundaries and eight sixes. He was well supported by Iain Latin, who remained unbeaten on 51 off 28 deliveries, hitting seven fours and two sixes.

Contributions came quickly throughout the innings. Michael Raikes added 21 off 13 balls, Louis Bruce scored 24 from 13, and Chris Pyle chipped in with 22 off 11. Kabir Mirpuri (21 off 12) and Richard Hatchman (17 off 8) added late-order acceleration, pushing Gibraltar beyond the 240 mark.

Despite the onslaught, Bulgaria’s Jakob Gul stood out with the ball, claiming 4 wickets for 37 runs in his four overs. Milen Gogev and Zeerak Chughtai picked up a wicket each, while the rest of the attack conceded heavily—Gogev (4-0-60-1) and Prakash Mishra (4-0-44-0) among them.

Chasing 244 for victory, Bulgaria launched an explosive counterattack. Isa Zaroo led the charge with a blistering 69 off just 24 balls, smashing nine fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 287.50. Milen Gogev matched that with 69 off 27 balls, hitting five fours and seven sixes.

Captain Hristo Lakov added 19 off 13 at the top before falling in the fifth over. Manan Bashir then took control of the chase with a rapid 70 from 21 balls, clearing the ropes nine times and maintaining a strike rate of 333.33. His dismissal at 243 came just one run short of victory, which Bulgaria completed on the very next delivery.

Gibraltar’s bowling attack had no answers to Bulgaria’s power-hitting. Louis Bruce was the most successful, picking up 2 for 48 from four overs. Kenroy Nestor and Kabir Mirpuri took one wicket each, but conceded 34 and 20 runs respectively in short spells. All other Gibraltar bowlers went wicketless and had economy rates above 16.

Bulgaria reached 244 for 4 in just 14.2 overs at a staggering run rate of 17.02, registering a remarkable win in what was one of the highest successful chases in T20I history.

Final Score:
Gibraltar – 243/7 (20 overs)
Bulgaria – 244/4 (14.2 overs)
Result: Bulgaria won by 6 wickets (34 balls remaining)
Player of the Match: Jakob Gul – 4/37