England secured their spot in the Super 8s at the T20 World Cup with a jittery 24-run victory over debutants Italy in Kolkata as Will Jacks’ late-innings runs proved vital yet again.Jacks (53no off 22 balls) completed a maiden T20I fifty with a six in the final over of the England knock as his side posted 202-7, having been reduced to 107-5 in the 13th over at Eden Gardens.
The Surrey all-rounder had smacked 18 from the last over in the four-run victory over Nepal in England’s opening match, with the team once again indebted to him after three of the top five batters – bar Jos Buttler (3) and Harry Brook (14) – fell in the 20s and 30s.
Score summary – England vs Italy, T20 World Cup, Kolkata
England 202-7 from 20 overs (elected to bat): Will Jacks (53no off 22 balls), Tom Banton (30 off 21), Phil Salt (28 off 15), Sam Curran (25 off 19); Crishan Kalugamage (2-41), Grant Stewart (2-51)
Italy 178 all out in 20 overs (target 203): Ben Manenti (60 off 25), Justin Mosca (43 off 24), Grant Stewart (45 off 23); Jamie Overton (3-18), Sam Curran (3-22), Jofra Archer (3-35), Will Jacks (1-34)
Jacks (1-34) then ended a savage fourth-wicket stand for Italy of 92 from 48 balls between Ben Manenti (60 off 25) and Justin Mosca (46 off 34) – Manenti ballooning to long-on – after the Associate nation rallied from 22-3 once Jofra Archer (2-35) had struck twice in the first over and Buttler took a superb leaping catch in the fourth.Italy – who trounced Nepal by 10 wickets after beginning their campaign with defeat to Scotland – were dismissed for 178, with wickets for Adil Rashid (1-43), Sam Curran (3-22) and Jamie Overton (3-18) ensuring a shock was avoided.
An Italy win looked achievable with 89 needed from eight overs and then again when a 21-run Rashid over left the ask at 30 off 12 balls, but Curran shipped only five runs from the penultimate over – impressing at the death again after doing so against Nepal – before Overton polished things off in the last with two strikes.
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England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler took an acrobatic catch to dismiss Italy’s Harry Manenti in the run chase
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2026-02-16 13:00:00
