England survive Italy scare to reach T20 World Cup Super Eights

AFP: England survived a scare to qualify for the Super Eights at the T20 World Cup on Monday as Italy’s swashbuckling chase of 203 fell agonisingly short in a pulsating match in Kolkata.

Will Jacks scored the fastest T20 World Cup fifty for England as they made 202-7, their highest total of the tournament so far, and eventually won by 24 runs.

Italy, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, were on track to pull off a sensational upset when Grant Stewart and Jaspreet Singh blasted 21 off Adil Rashid’s final over, the 17th of the chase, including three sixes.

That left 30 needed off 21 balls, but it proved too much and Italy were all out off the last ball of the match for 178.

Most of England’s batsmen got good starts earlier after Harry Brook won the toss and chose to bat.

But only Jack’s capitalised as Italy kept chipping away with regular wickets. He reached his fifty off 21 balls to beat Eoin Morgan’s 25-ball effort against the West Indies in Kandy in 2012.

Jacks took the game by the scruff of the neck after England stuttered to 105-5 in the 13th over.

He put on 54 in 25 balls with Sam Curran (25) for the sixth wicket and 35 in 16 balls with Jamie Overton (15) for the seventh.

His fourth six, which took him to his fifty, also saw England pass 200 for the first time in the tournament, with Jacks finishing 53 not out off 22 balls.

The win guaranteed England’s passage to the Super Eights along with the already-qualified West Indies from Group C, South Africa and India.

Sensational catch

Italy got off to a terrible start in reply as Jofra Archer took wickets in the first over.

Jos Buttler then pulled off one of the catches of the tournament.

Italy captain Harry Manenti ramped Jamie Overton only for keeper Buttler to leap and take a stunning one-handed grab at full stretch.

Italy rebuilt brilliantly from 22-3 with Ben Manenti racing to 60 off 25 balls before he was caught by Tom Banton at long-on off Jacks.

Manenti smashed six sixes and four fours in a stand of 92 with Justin Mosca for the fourth wicket.

When Mosca was caught in the deep by Banton off Rashid to make it 135-5 in the 15th over, it seemed Italy’s hopes of pulling off only the third successful 200-plus chase in the history of the T20 World Cup might be over.

But Stewart had other ideas, blasting 45 off 23 balls to keep Italy in the hunt.

England were earlier 56-2 at the end of the six-over power play, having lost both openers.

Buttler, who has failed to pass 30 in the tournament so far, continued his run of low scores with three.

Phil Salt got off to a rapid start before also falling for 28 off 15 balls with two sixes.

Both were caught attempting big hits and, when Jacob Bethell followed suit for 23, England were wobbling at 67-3 in the eighth over.

Brook took a four and a six off the first two balls of JJ Smuts’ third over.

He edged the next ball to wicketkeeper Gian-Piero Meade, trying to cut and England were 92-4 after 11 overs before Jacks took charge.