Kolkata : England sealed qualification to the Super Eight with a 24-run win over Italy in a high-scoring thriller. Chasing a hefty 203 on the board, Italy went down fighting, before they were folded for 178.
All-round efforts from Will Jacks (53 not out, 1 wicket) and Sam Curran (25 runs, three wickets) powered England across the finish line.
Jofra Archer struck twice in his opening over, flooring Anthony Mosca and JJ Smuts with pace and bounce. Wicketkeepr Jos Buttler leapt up and plucked the ball in the air as Harry Manenti attempted to scoop Jamie Overton.
After difficult first two overs, Italy scored 47/3 in powerplay. Justin Mosca and Benjamin Manenti mounted a fightback to take their team to 84/3 in 10 overs. It was Manenti who provided the firepower, scoring 60 off just 25 balls, hitting six sixes and four fours. Amidst the chaos, Mosca kept his head down to score 43. Their 92-run stand, off just 48 balls, gave the team a launchpad.
Grant Stewart kept the team in the hunt till the very end with 45 off 23, with the help of five sixes and two fours. But 203 proved a bridge too far for the tournament debutants.
Sam Curran finished with 3/22 while Jamie Overton was the most econmical bowler on a plush batting track, returning with figures of 3/18 in four overs.
Italy succumbed under pressure in death overs despite Grant Stewart smashing 21 runs in 18th over of Adil Rashid. Sam Curran and Overton eventually conceded just 5 runs off next 2 overs when 30 runs were needed for Italy to win, as a result England restricted Italy to 202 runs.
Earlier, England charged out of the blocks scoring 56 runs in powerplay. But they lost a clutch of wickets slipping to 105/5 in 12.4 overs. Phil Salt (28), Jacob Bethell (23), Tom Banton (30) all got their eye in but were not able to convert it into a big innings.
Will Jacks and Curran (25 off 19) regained momentum with a fiery partnership of 54 off just 25. The former champions switched gears after 14 overs, plundering 88 overs in the last six overs.
Jacks, who dealt mainly in boundaries towards the end, swept for six to bring up his first T20I and the England 200 in the last over. His 21-ball 50 was the fastest by an Englishman in the T20 World Cup.
Five of the six Italian bowlers were among wickets, but Crishan Kalugamage and Grant Stewart topped with two wickets each. Though they did well in phases, all Italian bowlers conceded eight an over or more.
