Captained by former Australian opener Joe Burns, Italy is on the verge of history as they inch closer to sealing a maiden T20 World Cup berth, after defeating Scotland in the European Qualifiers earlier today (July 9).
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137/6
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147/5
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30/2
Match delayed due to rain
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BCC
156/5
91YC
155/3
Bud Cricket Club beat 91 Yards Club by 5 wickets
NAJC
112/10
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114/3
Guwahati Giants beat Nabajyoti Club by 7 wickets
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180/5
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182/1
Amo Sharks beat Band-e-Amir Dragons by 9 wickets
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33/1
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206/10
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Italy outclassed superior-ranked Scotland by 12 runs and in the process, climbed to the top of the points table of the T20 World Cup 2026 Europe Qualifier. Italy now have 5 points in 3 games, which includes two wins against Scotland and Guernsey. One match against Jersey was washed out.
Speaking about the match against Scotland, Italy elected to bat first and put 167/7 on the scoreboard, courtesy of Emilio Gay’s fiery 21-ball fifty, comprising six boundaries and two maximums. Grant Stewart also made a clinical contribution with his quickfire 44, hitting three sixes and two fours in his 27-ball stay.
Coming to the chase, the Scots were dealt a couple of early blows, getting reduced to 29 for 2 by the fifth over but George Munsey’s 72 tipped the scales back in their favour. However, a bowling masterclass by Harry Manenti at death saw Scotland restricted to 155/5 in 20 overs with Manenti taking all five scalps for his side.
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The Azzurri have only one match remaining in the competition—a crucial clash against the Netherlands on July 11. Given that Italy are currently the table-toppers, a victory over the Dutch team will confirm their qualification for the T20 World Cup 2026, slated to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Even if Italy loses their final match, they still have a chance to qualify. With Scotland sitting in third place with just three points from three games, they face a must-win clash against Jersey and need to outclass their opponents by a considerable margin to overtake Italy on net run rate. If Scotland fails to secure a large-margin victory, the Joe Burns-led Italian side will still advance.
Furthermore, the Netherlands have two more matches left and a single loss in either fixture would also ensure Italy’s qualification for the marquee ICC event next year.
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