Skipper Shai Hope led from the front with a fluent 75 off 46 balls as West Indies sealed a commanding 42-run victory over Italy to finish as Group C toppers and book their place in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup on Thursday.
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Opting to bat first, West Indies posted a competitive 165 for six in their allotted 20 overs. Hope anchored the innings with six fours and four sixes, holding things together even as the rest of the top order struggled to convert starts against Italy’s disciplined bowling attack.
Late cameos from Sherfane Rutherford (24 off 15 balls) and Matthew Forde (16 not out off 8 balls) provided the finishing push, helping the Caribbean side reach a challenging total.
Italy’s bowling effort was led by Sri Lanka-born leg-spinner Crishan Kalugamage, who impressed with figures of 2 for 25 from his four overs, while Ben Manenti chipped in with two wickets.
In reply, Italy were bowled out for 123 in 18 overs despite fighting knocks from Ben Manenti (26) and JJ Smuts (24). The West Indies bowlers lived up to expectations, with Shamar Joseph returning 4 for 30 and Matthew Forde producing an incisive spell of 3 for 19 to wrap up the innings and complete a comfortable win.
Brief scores:
West Indies 165/6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 75; Crishan Kalugamage 2/25, Ben Manenti 2/37).
Italy 123 all out in 18 overs (Ben Manenti 26, JJ Smuts 24; Matthew Forde 3/19, Shamar Joseph 4/30).
