T20 WC: ‘Really Important To Bounce Back And Get The First Win,’ Says Scotland Skipper Berrington After Beating Italy

T20 WC: ‘Really important to bounce back and get the first win,’ says Scotland skipper Berrington af (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup: Scotland captain Richie Berrington praised his side’s all-round performance after they clinched a commanding 73-run win over debutants Italy in their Group C game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens on Monday.

After being sent in to bat, Scotland produced a record-setting batting display to post 207/4, the first 200-plus total of the tournament and the first time an associate nation has crossed the 200-run mark in a Men’s T20 World Cup. Reflecting on the performance, Berrington highlighted the importance of the victory following a loss in their previous outing against the West Indies.

“It’s really important for us to bounce back strong today. Really important to get the first win today. 200 on that was a good score on a very good wicket,” he said during the post-match presentation.

Scotland’s innings was anchored by George Munsey’s 84 at the top of the order, supported by Brandon McMullen’s 41 and a late flourish from Michael Leask (22). Berrington underlined Munsey’s value and the impact of the opening partnership in setting the tone for the innings, saying, “He is such an important player for us at the top of the order. He certainly is a hard batsman to bowl to when he gets going. It gave us the platform to accelerate later on.”

The captain was pleased with how Scotland lifted their tempo through the middle and death overs, an area they had focused on improving after the previous game, as he said, “It was really pleasing to see after the previous game. We nailed that area today. Great to see guys coming out and playing well in that phase of the game," he added.

Defending 208, Scotland struck early and maintained pressure throughout Italy’s chase, dismissing them for 134 in 16.4 overs. While Ben and Harry Manenti offered brief resistance, Scotland’s bowlers stuck to their plans, led by Michael Leask’s career-best figures of 4/17.

“We knew they got a lot of good players in that lineup. It put us on the front foot when we got wickets. Really pleased that the bowlers stuck to their plans and got a couple of wickets, which helped in defending that score,” Berrington said.

With Eden Gardens hosting its second Scotland outing of the tournament, Berrington also spoke about the value of familiarity and preparation as the focus now shifts to a high-profile clash against England.

“We knew they got a lot of good players in that lineup. It put us on the front foot when we got wickets. Really pleased that the bowlers stuck to their plans and got a couple of wickets, which helped in defending that score,” Berrington said.

Scotland’s emphatic win puts them firmly on the board in Group C as they look to build momentum heading into the latter stages of the competition.

Article Source: IANS