Gian meade

T20 World Cup: England sealed their place in the Super 8s of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a hard-fought 24-run victory over Italy in a thrilling Group C clash at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, overcoming a sensational counterattack led by Ben Manenti and Grant Stewart to defend their imposing total of 202.

Chasing a target of 203, Italy endured a nightmare start as Jofra Archer struck twice in the opening over. He dismissed JJ Smuts for a duck and reduced Italy to 1/2, immediately putting the associate side on the back foot. Jamie Overton soon compounded their troubles, and Harry Manenti’s dismissal left Italy struggling at 22/3 inside four overs.

With the required rate climbing rapidly, Justin Mosca and Ben Manenti launched a remarkable recovery that briefly tilted the contest. Mosca batted with composure, finding gaps and rotating strike effectively, while Manenti took the aggressive route. The hard-hitting batter unleashed a brutal assault, bringing up a stunning half-century off just 22 balls, the fastest fifty by an associate batter against a Full Member in T20 World Cup history.