134/10 (16.4)
CR : 8.04
207/4 (20.0)
CR : 10.35
Scotland won by 73 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Leask
4/1722(5)
2:02 PM IST, Local Time: Scotland prove too hot to handle for Italy in the City of Joy on their World Cup debut. They lost their skipper, Wayne Madsen, to a shoulder injury, and from there on, nothing went right for them. A few individual brilliances from Ben Manenti (with the bat) and Ali Hasan (with the ball) were not enough to get them over the line as they fell 73 runs short. This is Scotland's biggest win in T20 World Cups.
Earlier in the game, Wayne Madsen won the toss and opted to bowl as he felt chasing at this venue would be easy.
He fell hard on his left shoulder and dislocated it in the fourth over and had to be taken off the field. Italian bowlers failed to get hold of the scoring rate and dropped a catch of George Munsey in the sixth over. The left-hander made the Azzurri's pay with a scintillating knock of 84.
Michael Jones made 37 off 30 but it was the cameos from Brandon McMullen (41 off 18) and Michael Leask (22 off 5) took them sailing over the 200-run mark. Ali Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for Italy, finishing with figures of 1/21 from his four overs.
In reply, Italy lost Justin Mosca on the first ball of their innings. JJ Smuts hit a couple of big shots before losing his wicket in the fourth over. 9 balls later, Anthony Mosca lost his wicket as well.
Italy were 40 for 3 after 4.4 overs. The Manenti brothers, Harry and Ben, then put on a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket to give them a little hope.
Harry fell for 37, while Ben got to his maiden T20 fifty. The lower order was blown away by Michael Leask and Mark Watt. Ali Hasan was the last man dismissed by Brad Wheal as their innings ended after 16.4 overs. Madsen was ruled out of the game due to a shoulder injury didn't come out to bat.
Leask ended his spell with figures of 4/17. Mark Watt got two for 24. Brad Currie, Brad Wheal and Oliver Davidson got one apiece.
Earlier in the game, Wayne Madsen won the toss and opted to bowl as he felt chasing at this venue would be easy.
He fell hard on his left shoulder and dislocated it in the fourth over and had to be taken off the field. Italian bowlers failed to get hold of the scoring rate and dropped a catch of George Munsey in the sixth over. The left-hander made the Azzurri's pay with a scintillating knock of 84.
Michael Jones made 37 off 30 but it was the cameos from Brandon McMullen (41 off 18) and Michael Leask (22 off 5) took them sailing over the 200-run mark. Ali Hasan was the pick of the bowlers for Italy, finishing with figures of 1/21 from his four overs.
In reply, Italy lost Justin Mosca on the first ball of their innings. JJ Smuts hit a couple of big shots before losing his wicket in the fourth over. 9 balls later, Anthony Mosca lost his wicket as well.
Italy were 40 for 3 after 4.4 overs. The Manenti brothers, Harry and Ben, then put on a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket to give them a little hope.
Harry fell for 37, while Ben got to his maiden T20 fifty. The lower order was blown away by Michael Leask and Mark Watt. Ali Hasan was the last man dismissed by Brad Wheal as their innings ended after 16.4 overs. Madsen was ruled out of the game due to a shoulder injury didn't come out to bat.
Leask ended his spell with figures of 4/17. Mark Watt got two for 24. Brad Currie, Brad Wheal and Oliver Davidson got one apiece.
Best Bowling Figures for Scotland in T20 WCs:
4/17 - Michael Leask vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
4/18 - Josh Davey vs PNG, Al Amerat, 2021
3/12 - Mark Watt vs West Indies, Hobart, 2022
4/17 - Michael Leask vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
4/18 - Josh Davey vs PNG, Al Amerat, 2021
3/12 - Mark Watt vs West Indies, Hobart, 2022
Most Catches Taken by a Fielder in a T20 World Cup Match:
4 - Daren Sammy (West Indies) vs Ireland, Providence, 2010
4 - Aiden Markram (South Africa) vs Bangladesh, New York, 2024
4 - Glenn Maxwell (Australia) vs Namibia, North Sound, 2024
4 - George Munsey (Scotland) vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
4 - Daren Sammy (West Indies) vs Ireland, Providence, 2010
4 - Aiden Markram (South Africa) vs Bangladesh, New York, 2024
4 - Glenn Maxwell (Australia) vs Namibia, North Sound, 2024
4 - George Munsey (Scotland) vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
Biggest Wins for Scotland in T20Is (By Runs):
166 vs Austria, Edinburgh (Golden), 2023
155 vs Italy, Edinburgh, 2023
115 vs Netherlands, Amstelveen, 2018
90 vs UAE, Dubai (DICS), 2019
73 vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
166 vs Austria, Edinburgh (Golden), 2023
155 vs Italy, Edinburgh, 2023
115 vs Netherlands, Amstelveen, 2018
90 vs UAE, Dubai (DICS), 2019
73 vs Italy, Kolkata, 2026, Today*
Player of the Match: Michael Leask
Michael Leask (POTM): "(On his all-round performance) It is a full team performance. A lot of hard work has been put up by the boys before the WC. This win just shows how much dedication we have put in.
(On adjustment in bowling) Yeah, look, we learned a lot from game one against the West Indies. It was just a little bit more back of a length, a little bit more into the surface. Today, obviously, being the day match, it gave me a little bit more assistance, a little bit more spin and stock. So just driving it into that surface and trying to shut off one side of the field was really important. And then obviously, I got a little bit lucky at times, but yeah, it’s nice when days go like that.
(On representing Scots in WC) Yeah, look, you’re always just proud to represent Scotland at any chance we get. And this is no different. We’ve still got two more matches to go and get ourselves through to the Super 8s. And we’ve given ourselves a wonderful chance by doing that today."
(On adjustment in bowling) Yeah, look, we learned a lot from game one against the West Indies. It was just a little bit more back of a length, a little bit more into the surface. Today, obviously, being the day match, it gave me a little bit more assistance, a little bit more spin and stock. So just driving it into that surface and trying to shut off one side of the field was really important. And then obviously, I got a little bit lucky at times, but yeah, it’s nice when days go like that.
(On representing Scots in WC) Yeah, look, you’re always just proud to represent Scotland at any chance we get. And this is no different. We’ve still got two more matches to go and get ourselves through to the Super 8s. And we’ve given ourselves a wonderful chance by doing that today."
Time for post-match presentations...
Harry Manenti (Italy Vice Captain): "(Update on skipper Wayne Madsen) Yeah, Wayne obviously had a tough fall in that powerplay there and hit the deck, and we believe he dislocated his shoulder. So obviously more to come with that and hopefully he’s alright. Wayne’s obviously our leader. He’s played for a long time and was so deserving to show the world his abilities. That’s probably the sad thing for him personally and for us as a team, not to be able to see that show on the world stage.
(On the target) Yeah, obviously that was a good total. We felt going into the break that they’d probably gotten just above par, around par, so if we batted well and gave ourselves a chance to capitalise on that powerplay and kick on from there, we back ourselves to chase it. Obviously, once you lose a few wickets, it’s always tough and then it’s just one of those totals that you need things to go right for you, and it wasn’t to be today.
(On losing quick wickets in the chase) I think when you’re chasing 200, you’ve got to go pretty hard and there could be times where it doesn’t come off and there’s going to be wickets, and it’s higher-risk cricket, and that’s T20 cricket. And when you’re playing against a quality outfit like Scotland, who keep themselves in the game for as long as they can, it obviously can happen—when you lose one, you can lose a few quickly. So we’re understanding of trying to build a partnership through that middle period and hopefully back-end it with some power at the back.
(On batting with his brother Ben in WC) Yeah, that was pretty special and probably didn’t quite take it for what it was when we were out there, just because we were so caught up in the game situation and trying to win it. But hopefully we’ll sit down at some stage and reflect on that little partnership that we had. And it would have been nice to contribute to a win there—would have been what we were both wanting—and we were pretty frustrated coming off, the two of us. But yeah, it was special, obviously growing up and playing backyard cricket with him, batting together, and as young kids then dreaming of being in a World Cup batting together, and we got to live that out today.
(Disappointmented for loss) Yeah, I imagine they’ll be pretty flat in the changing rooms right now and a little bit disappointed. We wanted to show the world what we had and win our first couple of games and really put some pressure on this competition. Obviously not to be today, and it doesn’t mean we’re out. And that’s the beauty of this career—we get another chance in a few days against a strong Nepal team, and hopefully we can bounce back and get them in three days."
(On the target) Yeah, obviously that was a good total. We felt going into the break that they’d probably gotten just above par, around par, so if we batted well and gave ourselves a chance to capitalise on that powerplay and kick on from there, we back ourselves to chase it. Obviously, once you lose a few wickets, it’s always tough and then it’s just one of those totals that you need things to go right for you, and it wasn’t to be today.
(On losing quick wickets in the chase) I think when you’re chasing 200, you’ve got to go pretty hard and there could be times where it doesn’t come off and there’s going to be wickets, and it’s higher-risk cricket, and that’s T20 cricket. And when you’re playing against a quality outfit like Scotland, who keep themselves in the game for as long as they can, it obviously can happen—when you lose one, you can lose a few quickly. So we’re understanding of trying to build a partnership through that middle period and hopefully back-end it with some power at the back.
(On batting with his brother Ben in WC) Yeah, that was pretty special and probably didn’t quite take it for what it was when we were out there, just because we were so caught up in the game situation and trying to win it. But hopefully we’ll sit down at some stage and reflect on that little partnership that we had. And it would have been nice to contribute to a win there—would have been what we were both wanting—and we were pretty frustrated coming off, the two of us. But yeah, it was special, obviously growing up and playing backyard cricket with him, batting together, and as young kids then dreaming of being in a World Cup batting together, and we got to live that out today.
(Disappointmented for loss) Yeah, I imagine they’ll be pretty flat in the changing rooms right now and a little bit disappointed. We wanted to show the world what we had and win our first couple of games and really put some pressure on this competition. Obviously not to be today, and it doesn’t mean we’re out. And that’s the beauty of this career—we get another chance in a few days against a strong Nepal team, and hopefully we can bounce back and get them in three days."
Richard Berrington (Scotland Skipper): "Yeah, obviously it was really important for us to bounce back strong today and put on a strong performance. But yeah, just really pleased to get our first win of the tournament. I think in the end it was a pretty comprehensive win, but we knew we were going to have to work really hard for it. And I think it was really important that we got over 200 in that first innings on what was a very good wicket.
(On George Munsey) Yeah, look, he’s such an important player for us at the top of the order. He always sets the tempo and he’s certainly a hard person to bowl at when he gets going. We’ve seen him do it many times, so great to see him in form at the moment. And yeah, that partnership was so important up top. After being put into bat first, they gave us that platform to then accelerate towards the back end of that innings.
(On team's batting in death) Yeah, it was really pleasing to see after the previous game that we nailed that area today. As I say, we knew it was going to be important that we got over 200 today on that pitch. So yeah, great to see guys coming out and playing well in that phase of the game.
(On bowling) Yeah, I think for me, obviously, we knew they’ve got a lot of good players through the line-up. I think getting those early wickets in the powerplay was key—it just put us on the front foot a little bit. But then we saw when they got a partnership going on that pitch, it can be hard to defend. So I was just really pleased with the way the bowlers stuck to the plans and we managed to keep creating those opportunities. And we managed to pick up a couple of quick wickets there, which was really important in defending that score.
(On upcoming games) Yeah, look, I think it’s great that we’ve had two outings here now at Eden Gardens just to get a feel for the conditions—two different wickets as well, but both pretty good, to be honest. But yeah, we’ll enjoy this win, and then we’ve got a few days to start preparing for that big game against England.
(On team finally ready after being calledfor WC in the 11th hour) Yeah, look, I think the guys have really embraced that coming into this tournament. We’ve had really good prep since we’ve been here and the confidence is really high in the group. There’s a lot of positive energy around, and obviously, a win today will help that as well. So as I say, we know we’re going to have to prepare well again this week for that game on Saturday."
(On George Munsey) Yeah, look, he’s such an important player for us at the top of the order. He always sets the tempo and he’s certainly a hard person to bowl at when he gets going. We’ve seen him do it many times, so great to see him in form at the moment. And yeah, that partnership was so important up top. After being put into bat first, they gave us that platform to then accelerate towards the back end of that innings.
(On team's batting in death) Yeah, it was really pleasing to see after the previous game that we nailed that area today. As I say, we knew it was going to be important that we got over 200 today on that pitch. So yeah, great to see guys coming out and playing well in that phase of the game.
(On bowling) Yeah, I think for me, obviously, we knew they’ve got a lot of good players through the line-up. I think getting those early wickets in the powerplay was key—it just put us on the front foot a little bit. But then we saw when they got a partnership going on that pitch, it can be hard to defend. So I was just really pleased with the way the bowlers stuck to the plans and we managed to keep creating those opportunities. And we managed to pick up a couple of quick wickets there, which was really important in defending that score.
(On upcoming games) Yeah, look, I think it’s great that we’ve had two outings here now at Eden Gardens just to get a feel for the conditions—two different wickets as well, but both pretty good, to be honest. But yeah, we’ll enjoy this win, and then we’ve got a few days to start preparing for that big game against England.
(On team finally ready after being calledfor WC in the 11th hour) Yeah, look, I think the guys have really embraced that coming into this tournament. We’ve had really good prep since we’ve been here and the confidence is really high in the group. There’s a lot of positive energy around, and obviously, a win today will help that as well. So as I say, we know we’re going to have to prepare well again this week for that game on Saturday."
A clinical performance by Scotland. They defeat Italy by a huge margin of 73 runs. For a moment, it seemed that the Italian side could pull off this chase but lost a cluster of wickets at the latter half of their innings. After losing to West Indies in the first game, Scotland have finally registered their opening victory of this T20 WC. On the other hand, Italy start their campaign with a loss.
That's it from our live coverage of this WC fixture. This is Mohammad Anab signing off on behalf of my colleagues AkshayaKrishna Polya, Ajay Pal Singh, Aman and Raju Khariya. Keep following Crickxo for the live coverage of the second WC game of the day between Zimbabwe and Oman. Cheers.
That's it from our live coverage of this WC fixture. This is Mohammad Anab signing off on behalf of my colleagues AkshayaKrishna Polya, Ajay Pal Singh, Aman and Raju Khariya. Keep following Crickxo for the live coverage of the second WC game of the day between Zimbabwe and Oman. Cheers.