Ex-Aussie Test star leads Italy to first T20 World Cup
The Azzurri, led by former Australian Test bat and BBL star Joe Burns, sealed qualification for the first time ever for the minnows, sneaking through the European qualifiers on Friday.
Despite losing their final match against the Netherlands, the result suited both teams perfectly.
Italy needed only to avoid a heavy defeat to secure their historic spot thanks to a superior net run rate and that is exactly what unfolded.
Setting a modest target of 135 for victory, they watched the Dutch cruise home in 16.2 overs, a margin narrow enough to send both teams through to the 2026 tournament.
In the qualifying tournament at The Hague, Queenslander Burns made scores of 30 (against Guernsey), eight (Scotland) and 22 (Netherlands).
Scotland, veterans of six previous T20 World Cup editions, were the big losers, failing to secure their spot for the 20-team tournament, losing to Jersey who chased down 134 in a last-ball victory. But Scotland also needed Italy to win.
The 2026 tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with five additional qualification spots still up for grabs from Africa and the Asia-East Asian Pacific regions.
TEAMS QUALIFIED FOR 2026 T20 WORLD CUP:
Sri Lanka (co-hosts), India (co-hosts), Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, United States, West Indies, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Gout Gout wins in Monaco
Australian teen sprint sensation Gout Gout wins the under-23 200 metres at the Monaco Diamond League meet, clocking 20.10 seconds.
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
Gout Gout wins in Monaco
Australian teen sprint sensation Gout Gout wins the under-23 200 metres at the Monaco Diamond League meet, clocking 20.10 seconds.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussie Picklum stamps ticket to WSL's final five
Series leader Molly Picklum has punched her ticket to the World Surf League's five-woman finals day after an impressive start at Jeffreys Bay. The Australian scored a 9.33 out of 10 in a total of 16.83 to win her opening round heat at South Africa's Eastern Cape and ensure she can't miss the Cloudbreak finale with one event still to surf. The five best-ranked men and women surfers will battle for the title in Fiji from late August, with the top seed waiting as those below them surf sudden-death heats to progress. "I'm stoked it's confirmed," Picklum said of what will be her third top-five finish in just her fourth season. "The girls are so good, and they're going to keep pushing. "I'd love to get my chances higher by going into Fiji in the number one spot." Conditions deteriorated on day one at J-Bay but not before Isabella Nichols posted a 14-point total to win her heat and dust off an early exit at her last start in Brazil."I've been spending a lot of time out here after I got knocked in Brazil," the Australian, ranked fifth, said. "I guess it's paying off. I feel really comfortable here, I feel like I'm home." Fellow Australian title hope Tyler Wright, ranked eighth, also progressed to the quarter-finals. Fifth-ranked Ethan Ewing can consolidate his standing with a good showing in South Africa, while fellow Australian Olympian Jack Robinson is looking for a big finish to climb from seventh into the top five.
