6 days ago
Italy on cusp of historic T20 World Cup qualification after stunning Scotland
Italy are on the verge of securing their place in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after a 12-run victory over Scotland in Match No. 7 of the Europe Region Final, held on Wednesday, July 9 at Sportpark Westvliet in known for their success in football and tennis - with stars like Jannik Sinner - Italy are not considered a cricketing powerhouse. However, they now stand just one outright win away from sealing a historic spot in next year's global to bat first against Scotland, Italy posted a competitive total of 167 for six. Emilio Gay starred with a blistering 50 off just 21 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes before falling to Michael Leask.
Harry Manenti anchored the innings with a measured run-a-ball 38, while Grant Stewart provided late impetus with an explosive 44 off 27 balls, including two fours and three reply, Scotland suffered early setbacks, losing Ollie Hairs and Brandon McMullen cheaply. A 105-run stand between George Munsey and Richie Berrington steadied the innings and put Scotland in a strong Manenti turned the game on its head with a brilliant five-wicket haul. The Adelaide Strikers all-rounder finished with figures of 4-0-31-5, as Scotland fell short, ending at 155 for can Italy, Scotland qualify?Italy currently lead the points table in the tournament with five points, ahead of Jersey in second place with three. A win against the Netherlands in their final match would secure Italy a historic first appearance in the senior meanwhile, missed out on automatic qualification for next year's tournament after failing to finish within the required ICC ranking by the June 30 deadline last year. They now face the risk of missing out entirely. To stay in contention for a qualification spot, they must defeat Jersey in their final table
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