England survive scare to beat cricket minnows Italy by 24 runs to reach T20 World Cup Super 8s stage
Updated 16/02/2026 at 13:34 GMT
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Man of the match Will Jacks hit a crucial unbeaten 53 as England saw off a potential scare against Italy on Monday, winning by 24 runs to reach the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup. After narrowly getting through against Nepal and losing to West Indies, England have now claimed victories over minnows Scotland and Italy to reach the next stage of the tournament.
Highlights: England seal T20 series clean sweep over Sri Lanka
Video credit: TNT Sports
England win by 24 runs!
England survived a few scares ultimately beating Italy by 24 runs to reach the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup.
In an entertaining encounter at Eden Gardens, England were in peril when batting first, with their five best batters back in the dressing room, before Will Jacks' half-century saw England recover to set Italy 203 to win.
The target looked likely to be beyond Italy, especially after Jofra Archer took two wickets in the first over, but Ben Manenti's incredible 60 off 24 balls had them on target before he holed out to Tom Banton off Jacks.
Grant Stewart then hit a remarkable cameo with his 45 off 23 balls, with five sixes, giving Italy some hope requiring 30 runs off the last two overs.
Fine death bowling from Sam Curran, with 3-19, saw the runs dry up and Stewart lose his wicket to ensure England victory.
Earlier, coming to the wicket with England 105-5 in the 13th over, Jacks hit 53 not out off 22 balls to ensure the minnows needed a huge effort to cause an upset.
After losing their openers, Both Jacob Bethell (23) and Banton (30) looked like taking control of the innings before falling to impressive spinner Crishan Kalugamage (2-41).
Jacks was supported by Curran (25) and Jamie Overton (15) as England recovered to post a big total which ultimately was too big for Italy to chase.
England will know they have to up their game in the Super 8s to reach the semi-finals but the story of the match is how Italy - on the back of a fine win over Nepal - proved themselves capable of challenging anyone in this format of the game.
Italy 178 all out (20 overs)
Wicket! Hasan b Overton 0
Italy's fine effort ends with a whimper.
Wicket! Jaspreet c Jacks b Overton 12
Overs 19.2
Jaspreet skies an attempted big hit and Jacks just holds onto the ball in the covers.
Italy 178-8 (Jaspreet 12, Kalugamage 0)
Overs 19
A fantastic over from Curran there. Just the five runs and a wicket off it.
Wicket! Stewart c Dawson b Curran 45
Italy 178-8 (Overs 18.5)
Stewart is given leg before but he sends it upstairs and no wonder, as it showed an inside edge. Curran manages to hold things together before Stewart edges to Dawson at fly slip, surely ending Italy's faint hopes.
Italy 173-7 (Stewart 44, Jaspreet 10)
Overs 18
Rashid comes onto bowl and an incredible swipe from Jaspreet between the fielders converging from cow corner and wide long on gets Italy another six. Stewart then rocks on the back foot and hits a ball which would have hit a roof if Eden Gardens had one, but still carried the deep mid-wicket boundnary. The over ends with a flat-batted smack high over long on. Game on!
Thirty required off 2 overs.
Italy 152-7 (Stewart 31, Jaspreet 3)
Overs 17
Stewart times a near yorker over the long off boundary and, after two dots, top edges an attempted pull high over the boundary at fine leg.
Italy 139-7 (Stewart 19, Jaspreet 1)
Overs 16
Jaspreet hits airily but into the gap off the last ball.
Wicket! Meade c Buttler b Curran
Italy 138-7 (Overs 15.5)
The new batsman edges behind first ball, could he get another hat-trick?
Wicket! Campopiano c Banton b Curran 2
Italy 138-6 (Overs 15.4)
A full toss from Curran was borderline over waist-high full toss and hit to Banton at long on. They checked upstairs to see if it was a no-ball but the tv umpire deemed it a fair delivery.
Italy 135-5 (Stewart 18, Campopiano 1)
Overs 15
The new batter gets just one run off the last three balls of the over.
Wicket! J Mosca c Banton b Rashid 43
Italy 135-5 (Overs 14.3)
Stewart hits Rashid for an enormous straight six to open the over, but two balls later Mosca's fine innings comes to an end when he holes out to Banton at long on.
Italy 128-4 (J Mosca 43, Stewart 11)
Overs 14
Stewart is a little lucky edging between the keeper and short third man for a boundary. Just the six off the over in total though. The required run rate is crucially above the two-runs-a-ball mark now.
Italy 122-4 (J Mosca 43, Stewart 6)
Overs 13
Stewart punishes a short ball from Dawson pushing hard just inside cover for four. Other than that a solid over from Dawson.
Wicket! B Manenti c Banton b Jacks 60
Italy 114-4 (Overs 12)
A bottom-edge from Manenti goes past Buttler for four and then he slog sweeps the next ball high over wide long on, bringing up his fifty off 22 balls. What an incredible effort. An Azharuddin-type sweep to fine leg then garners another maximum. And a back foot drive beats Curran at the boundary at point.
But then Manenti holes out to Banton running in from long on. What an over! What an innings!
Italy 93-3 (J Mosca 40, B Manenti 40)
Overs 11
Mosca rocks on his back foot and carves Dawson over the in field one bounce over the ropes at deep-backward square. A great effort from these two batters to keep Italy in the game.
Italy 84-3 (J Mosca 33, B Manenti 39)
Overs 10
A good over from Rashid sees Manenti bottom edge an attempted sweep which Bettler fails to hang onto. Mosca then skies the ball to the leg side and is fortunate to see the ball land between fielders.
Italy 79-3 (J Mosca 29, B Manenti 38)
Overs 9
Curran bowls his first over and his third ball also travels over the boundary as Manenti hits a beautiful lofted straight drive. The next ball is then timed with a flick of the wrists over square leg.
Italy 65-3 (J Mosca 28, B Manenti 25)
Overs 8
Dawson also sees his first ball go for six. This one a cross-batted home run over wide long on from Manenti. Fine fielding from Bethell on the cover point boundary stops a four.
Italy 56-3 (J Mosca 27, B Manenti 17)
Overs 7
Rashid's first ball is a short slider which Manenti hits the ball high over deep mid-wicket for six bringing up Italy's fifty. The rest of the over is more what you would expect with just three singles coming from it.
Italy 47-3 (J Mosca 26, B Manenti 9)
Overs 6
Jacks bowls the last over of the power play and immediately drags a ball short Manenti smacks to the square leg boundary. He then top-edges just over the leaping Archer at short third man. Mosca then hits the last ball, another one dragged down, behind square on the fof side for four.
Italy 34-3 (J Mosca 22, B Manenti 0)
Overs 5
Mosca slashes the first ball from Archer wide of third man for a boundary and then hooks another in front of square on the leg side. The last ball is expertly guided over point for a third four.
H Manenti c Buttler b Overton 12
Italy 22-3 (Overs 4)
A fine pull off the first ball from Manenti goes inches short of a six behind square. The Italy skipper looks to paddle the last ball over the wicketkeeper but gloves the ball and Buttler catches, jumping high with one hand outstretched.
Italy 18-2 (J Mosca 10, H Manenti 8)
Overs 3
After initially struggling to get bat on Archer's deliveries, Mosca drives through the off side for four then clips to fine leg for another.
Italy 9-2 (J Mosca 2, H Manenti 7)
Overs 2
Incredible timing from Manenti padling a ball from Overton overthe long leg boundary and Salt running around from square leg just failed to stop the six jumping over the ropes. Manenti edged onto his own helmet and is checked for concussion, quickly passing the test.
Wicket! Smuts c Overton b Archer 0
Italy 1-2 (Overs 1)
Archer delivers a quick ball with a scrambled seam sees Smuths nick to first slip and Overton catches above his head.
Wicket! A Mosca c Brook b Archer 0
Italy 1-1 (Overs 0.2)
After his brother got a single off the first ball, Anthony Mosca looked to swipe Archer over the leg side, but skied his shot and Brooks caught it running back from mid on.
Italy ready to chase
The Mosca brothers are in the middle ready to face Archer.
Italy set 203 to win!
After looking in peril with their five best batters back in the dressing room, Will Jacks' half-century saw England recover to set Italy 203 to win.
Coming to the wicket with England 105-5 in the 13th over, Jacks hit 53 not out off 22 balls to ensure the minnows will need a gargantuan effort to cause an upset.
Jacks was supported by Sam Curran (25) and Jamie Overton (15) as England recovered from an under-par start.
Jos Buttler was out in the second over and Phil Salt after an early barrage followed shortly afterwards. Both Jacob Bethell (23) and Tom Banton (30) looked like taking control of the innings before falling to impressive spinner Crishan Kalugamage (2-41).
Skipper Harry Brook (14) also fell after playing himself in and hitting consecutive boundaries, swiping at a wide delivery from JJ Smuts being caught behind.
At this stage one of the great upsets in the history of cricket looked like it might be on the cards, but the value of England selecting batting depth was seen as their number seven took control of the match.
England 202-7 (Jacks 53, Archer 1)
Overs 20
Jacks brings up the 200 and his own fifty with a slog sweep just over the fielder at the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Wicket! Overton c Kalugamage b Stewart 15
England 194-7 (Overs 19.3)
Jacks backs away and Stewart tries to follow him but Jacks twists his hands on an attempted yorker and turns it into the stands at square leg.
Overton then holes out to Kalugamage on the cover point boundary.
England 187-6 (Jacks 40, Overton 14)
Overs 19
Hasan drops a ball short and Overton flat-bats the ball high over wide long on. A mixture of wides and singles from that point onwards.
England 174-6 (Jacks 38, Overton 7)
Overs 18
Overton edges a wide ball over short third man for four. Jacks then smacks the last ball of the over past wide mid off for a four.
England 160-6 (Jacks 31, Overton 1)
Overs 17
Jacks has hit 31 off 13 so far. His innings is likely to have saved England today.
Wicket! Curran c Smuts b Kalugamage 25
England 159-6 (Overs 16.5)
The first ball from Kalugamage is short and in Curran's arc and he smashes the ball into the leg-side stands. Curran hits from a wide ball cross-batted down the ground.
Curran then smacks a ball straight to Smuts at extra cover.
England 144-5 (Curran 12, Jacks 30)
Overs 16
Another misfield on the boundary. This one from Kalugamage gifts Jack a four on the cover point boundary and he hits a short ball over cow corner and then a full toss over mid-wicket.
England 124-5 (Curran 9, Jacks 13)
Overs 15
Jacks a little lucky to bottom edge between backward square and third man. The England pair do well to manouevre the ball for singles and twos.
England 114-5 (Curran 7, Jacks 5)
Overs 14
Seven runs off the over from Manenti. We now have a drinks break to ponder whether we are about to see one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.
England 107-5
Overs 13
A fine over from Kalugamage there. The formline through Italy smashing Nepal and England only sneaking a victory might not be the worst one.
Banton c B Manenti b Kalugamage 30
England 105-5 (Overs 12.4)
Banton hits a big six down the ground off Kalugamage but then, after he beats Curran outside off stump, he bowl a top spinnr which Banton clipd to the man on the mid-wicket boundary.
England 97-4 (Banton 23, Curran 3)
Overs 12
Just the four runs off Ben Manenti's over.
England 93-4 (Banton 21, Curran 1)
Overs 11
This is a very competitive match now.
Wicket! Brook c Meade b Smuts 13
England 92-4 (Over 10.3)
Brook flicks the switch. He ssmashes a ball over Smuts' head for four and then rocks on his back foot and smacks the ball high over square leg.
But then he swipes at a wide ball from Smuts which he nicks and Meade catches behind the wicket.
England 82-3 (Banton 21, Brook 3)
Over 10
Banton with a lovely drive through the covers for four. England's first boundary from a good shot (rather than edge or a misfield) since the fifth over I make it.
England 76-3 (Banton 16, Brook 3)
Over 9
Just the four singles from Smuts' over.
England 72-3 (Banton 14, Brook 1)
Over 8
Their fielding has generally been good but Jaspreet allows a ball to go past him at short third man.
Wicket! Bethell c Jaspreet b B Manenti 23
England 67-3 (7.3 overs)
Bethell looks to drag a ball from middle and off to the leg side boundary but does not get all of it and is caught at square leg.
England 66-2 (Bethell 23, Banton 9)
Over 7
Kalugamage comes into bowl and does well but is unlucky to see Banton bottom-edge a flipper, which goes straight past the wicketkeeper for a four.
England 56-2 (Bethell 21, Banton 1)
Over 6
A fairly even power play. England scoring at over nine an over but losing two openers. A couple of more wickets and Italy will fancy restricting them to a gettable total.
Wicket! Salt c A Mosca b Hasan 28
England 54-2 (Overs 5.4)
Salt looks to hit another ball into the stands at mid-wicket but does not get all of it and Anthony Mosca takes a fine catch diving forwards coming in off the boundary.
England 50-1 (Salt 25, Bethell 20)
Over 5
Bethell comes down the wicket and hits Stewart high over his head into the crowd. Salt also gets a maximum hitting the ball over the ropes at square leg.
England 33-1 (Salt 18, Bethell 12)
Over 4
Bethell top-edges over the slips and the ball goes one-bounce to the boundary. Hasan beats Salt with the last ball and asks his skipper to go upstairs to see if there was a nick, but Manenti shakes his head.
England 26-1 (Salt 18, Bethell 5)
Over 3
Bethell with a fantastic drive wide of mid off for a four. Other than that a fantastic over from Stewart.
Wicket! Buttler c H Manenti b Stewart 3
England 21-1 (2.1 overs)
Buttler looks to hit high over mid-wicket but hits a leading edge high in the air which Manenti takes at mid off.
England 21-0 (Salt 18, Buttler 3)
Overs 2
Salt sways on the back foot and smacks Hasan high over square leg. After a dot ball, Salt then steers a ball through mid-wicket for a four.
England 9-0 (Salt 7, Buttler 2)
Over 1
Italy begin with spin and drops the first ball shorter with Salt smacking him cross-batted straight down the ground. Good fielding on the boundary ensures Italy get out of the over without too much damage.
We are ready to go...
Buttler and Salt are on their way into the middle.
The players are walking out onto the field
There are huge flags on the field as the anthems are set to start, but a sparse crowd in the famous ground.
Both teams are unchanged
England: Salt, Buttler, Bethell, Banton, Brook, Curran, Jacks, Dawson, Overton, Archer, Rashid.
Italy: A Mosca, J Mosca, Smuts, Campopiano, H Manenti, B Manenti, Stewart, Meade, Singh, Kalugamage, Hasan.
Italy would have chased anyway
Unsurprisingly after their ten-wicket win against Nepal, they see chasing as their best chance of victory.
"Everyone is up and about," Itay skipper Harry Manenti said.
"Massive game against England but coming off the win gives us a bit of confidence."
Brook wants to see fearless England
"It's about going out and being fearless, looking to put the opposition under pressure," Brooks said.
"We've scraped through in a couple of games, hopefully produce our best today."
England win toss and elect to bat
Unsurprising call from Harry Brook as the English top order will look to get some time and runs in the middle before the second stage.
Hello and Welcome
Thanks for joining our coverage of England's T20 World Cup clash with Italy at Eden Gardens.
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