Zaid Ahmad rips out middle
Zaid Ahmad’s burst through the middle overs turned the game on its head, and Sweden never let it back. Finland were bundled out for 116 in 14.5 overs, and Sweden’s chase was clinical: 117/1 in 11.1. Ajay Mundra set the tempo early and, once the target was reduced to a run-a-ball stroll, Sweden finished with 23 balls unused and nine wickets in hand.
Finland’s middle-overs collapse
The decisive phase was Finland’s middle overs, where wickets fell in clusters after a decent start. They reached 45/2 in the powerplay at 7.5 an over, but the innings unravelled to 71/8 across the middle phase despite scoring at 8.0. Zaid’s 2.5-over spell was the pivot: he kept striking, denying Finland any platform to launch and ensuring the “death” overs never arrived.
Standouts: Zaid, Mundra, Ahmed
Zaid Ahmad was the match’s defining figure, finishing with 4/20 in 2.5 overs and earning MVP for dismantling Finland’s middle order. Mundra’s 62 from 38 balls (SR 163) ensured the chase stayed ahead of the rate from the outset, while Saeed Ahmed’s 38 off 27 provided the perfect second hand in that match-winning partnership.
Mundra-Ahmed shut the door
Finland’s best resistance with the bat came through Faraaz Mehti Abbas, whose 43 off 25 kept them moving, and a 63-run partnership with Salonen briefly steadied the innings. But Sweden’s bowlers repeatedly broke momentum, and the chase offered little respite: Sweden blasted 63 without loss in the powerplay. The key moment came as Mundra and Saeed Ahmed stitched a 104-run stand, draining any pressure before a solitary wicket was all Finland could claim.
SWSweden
165/6
AUAustria
90/10
FIFinland
108/9
SWSweden
107/10
SWSweden
138/5
NONorway
137/9
SWSweden
152/7
FRFrance
153/8
SWSweden
156/10
NONorway
179/4
SWSweden
136/10
AUAustria
139/6
SWSweden
162/7
FRFrance
128/8
SWSweden
122/8
DEGermany
151/8
AUAustria
133/7
SWSweden
132/6
SWSweden
121/10
AUAustria
124/9
SW2FI3NONorway
143/9
FIFinland
177/7
FIFinland
108/9
SWSweden
107/10
FIFinland
89/4
AUAustria
86/10
CYCyprus
129/9
FIFinland
167/7
CYCyprus
25/10
FIFinland
163/10
CYCyprus
112/7
FIFinland
113/3
CYCyprus
165/4
FIFinland
138/10
FIFinland
182/7
ESEstonia
170/6
FIFinland
139/6
ESEstonia
116/4
DNDenmark
164/4
FIFinland
109/8
FIN
3
3-0
6
SWE
3
2-1
4
NOR
3
1-2
2
AUT
3
0-3
0
FIN
3
3
0
—
+1.369
6
SWE
3
2
1
—
+1.363
4
NOR
3
1
2
—
+0.475
2
AUT
3
0
3
—
-3.190
0
FINWWW
SWEWLW
NORLWL
AUTLLL