At Eden Gardens, a venue where they have lost two World Cup finals (in the ODI format in 1987, and T20 in 2016), England were indebted to a blazing innings from Will Jacks – 53 from 22 balls – as they beat Italy by 24 runs. Having made 202/7 on a sporting surface that offered assistance to both batters and bowlers, they bowled Italy out for 178 in the final over after Ben Manenti (60) and Grant Stewart (45) had threatened to pull off a famous upset.
On a pitch that offered slight turn, and where the twilight breeze helped the seamers shape the ball, England got a brisk start after Harry Brook had won the toss. Facing the opening spell of JJ Smuts, Phil Salt punished the short ball twice and quickly scored 17 off eight deliveries. Ali Hasan was also dispatched for six, with Salt dominating the early overs of the powerplay.
Jos Buttler departed early for three while attempting to clear mid-off. Jacob Bethell came in and played some flashy strokes, including a cover drive off Stewart, but he struggled against variations and was eventually dismissed by Ben Manenti in the deep.
England were scoring well, with the scoreboard reading 67/3 in 7.3 overs. The main problem was the regular loss of wickets. Italy’s spin department, particularly Ben Manenti and Crishan Kalugamage, kept the middle overs tight. Captain Brook was also dismissed for 14. Tom Banton, who had steered England’s innings against Scotland, provided a ray of hope with 30 off 21 balls, but the issue with England’s top and middle order remained their inability to convert promising starts into big scores.
The innings transformed when Jacks arrived at the crease. He targeted Manenti and Hasan, who struggled with their lines and bowled consecutive wides under pressure. Jacks smashed an unbeaten half-century inclusive of four sixes, while Jamie Overton also contributed a cameo of 15 off nine balls. England crossed 200, a total that looked above par given their experienced bowling attack.
Italy’s response began on a poor note, as Jofra Archer struck twice in his opening over, removing both Anthony Mosca and Smuts for ducks. Overton complemented Archer with bouncers and clever swing.
Ben Manenti and Justin Mosca turned the game around for Italy. Manenti was fearless, pulling Overton for a six and dominating the spinners. He hammered Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, racing to 60 from 25 balls. His innings was full of power hitting and tactical awareness, with lofted drives and pulls that mesmerised the crowd.
The pair added 57 in just 28 balls, putting pressure on England. From there, England’s spinners Rashid and Dawson tightened control in the middle overs. After Manenti’s dismissal, Stewart kept Italy’s hopes alive. He targeted the bowlers and hit all around the park. His knock of 45 off 23 balls ensured Italy did not look like underdogs.
Italy needed 30 from the final two overs with Stewart and Jaspreet Singh at the crease. Sam Curran came into the attack and dismissed Stewart, extinguishing Italy’s final hope. The last over from Overton was a maiden, who also claimed two wickets.
England move on to the Super Eights, while Italy will take plenty of encouragement from another plucky display.
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