Italy's spirited show steals spotlight in Kolkata; England escapes scare qualify for Super 8 of T20 World Cup
Italy pushed England to the edge at Eden Gardens, falling narrowly short of 202. Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart starred in a brave chase, but Will Jacks’ blitz and Sam Curran’s late strikes sealed England’s Super 8 berth. England won the match by 24 runs.
England were widely expected to cruise past Italy in their T20 World Cup clash at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With Italy featuring in their maiden T20 World Cup, most anticipated a competitive showing at best. However, the Harry Manenti-led side had bigger ambitions. Fresh off a stunning 10-wicket win over Nepal, the Azzurri pushed England to the brink and came agonisingly close to scripting history before eventually falling just 24 runs short.
Italy struck early blows to rattle the Three Lions, with Jos Buttler once again failing to convert his start. Phil Salt kept the scoreboard moving with a brisk 28, while Jacob Bethell chipped in with 23. England slipped to 67/3 and soon found themselves at 105/5, with their projected total hovering below 170 and Italy firmly in control.
The tide, however, turned dramatically when Will Jacks unleashed a breathtaking counterattack. His unbeaten 53 off just 22 deliveries transformed the contest, restoring England’s momentum and propelling them to 202 in the first innings, their second-highest total in T20 World Cup history.
What happened in the second innings?
Italy came out of the syllabus for England. Justin Mosca set the platform with his 43-run innings but the team lost too many wickets in the powerplay as the Azzuris were reduced to 23/3 at one stage. Ben Manenti, however, changed the complexion of the game with his fiery innings of 60 runs off just 25 balls. The 28-year-old single-handedly brought Italy back into the contest but failed to cross the line.
After he departed, one surely thought it was over but in reality, Italy had nothing to lose and they continued with the same attacking approach. Batting at six, Grant Stewart gave all he had in the middle, scoring 45 runs off 23 balls, before Sam Curran got the better of him in the penultimate over of the game.
In the end, it was Jacks’ stupendous knock and Curran’s terrific bowling that got the job done for the Three Lions, who went on to become the second team after West Indies to qualify for the Super 8 from group C. However, Italy’s spirited show will forever be remembered in the history of the competition.
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