Caption: Shamar Joseph

• West Indies beat Italy by 42 runs to enter the Super Eight stage with four wins from four in Group C.
• Shai Hope top-scored with 75, registering his second consecutive half-century as West Indies posted 165 for six.
• After early losses, Hope and Roston Chase added 64 for the third wicket, before Rutherford and Forde boosted the total late.
• Italy were bowled out for 123 in 18 overs, with Joseph (4 for 39), Forde (3 for 19) and Motie (2 for 24) leading the attack.
• West Indies are scheduled to face Zimbabwe in their first Super Eight match on February 23 at the Wankhede Stadium.
• West Indies 165 for 6 (Hope 75, Kalugamage 2-25, B Manenti 2-37) beat Italy 123 (B Manenti 26, Joseph 4-30, Forde 3-19, Motie 2-24) by 42 runs

 

KOLKATA – The West Indies were not at their clinical best but were still good enough to dispatch Italy by 42 runs and stroll into the Super Eight phase of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on a winning note on Thursday.

Captain Shai Hope notched his second successive half-century in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort by the Windies, who mustered 165 for six in their 20 overs after being sent in to bat at Eden Gardens.

Shamar Joseph, Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie then shared nine wickets, as the Windies bowled Italy out for 123 in 18 overs to seal their fourth win in as many matches in Group C.

Despite having already secured qualification to the Super Eights, the West Indies’ serious approach was evident in their decision to name the same team that trounced Nepal by nine wickets on Sunday.

They did not get off to the best of starts, however, as Brandon King’s struggles at the top continued, with left-arm seamer Ali Hasan having him caught behind for four in the second over.

The in-form Shimron Hetmyer scored a solitary run before edging Thomas Draca to short third man, where JJ Smuts took a fine catch diving to his right, leaving the Windies 31 for two early in the fifth over.

Roston Chase looked out of sorts in making 24 off 25 balls, but he put on a crucial 64-run third-wicket stand with Hope.

Hope, meanwhile, found his rhythm after a slow start, moving into the 40s by clobbering Ben Manenti over cover for six. He brought up his second straight half-century off 28 balls in the next over, driving Smuts to long off for a single.

Chase was dropped by Justin Mosca when he was 18, but his innings still ended tamely when he hit Manenti straight to deep backward square.

Rovman Powell struck Manenti for a thunderous six but fell for nine trying to repeat the shot, caught on the midwicket boundary, as the Windies slipped to 113 for four in the 15th over.

Player-of-the-Match Hope was then bowled by Crishan Kalugamage for 75 off 46 balls (six fours, four sixes), leaving the West Indies 115 for five and in some trouble.

However, Sherfane Rutherford, who made an unbeaten 24 off 15 balls, and Matthew Forde, who hit 16 off eight, powered 50 runs from the last five overs to lift the total to a respectable 165.

Kalugamage took 2 for 25, while Manenti finished with 2 for 37 for Italy.

Chasing a reachable target, Italy’s batting never fired and wickets fell regularly as they slipped behind the required rate.

Forde struck twice in his first over, bowling Justin Mosca for two with an inswinger and then removing Syed Naqvi for six, as Italy limped to 37 for three at the end of the powerplay.

Captain Harry Manenti edged Joseph behind, before Smuts picked out Joseph at deep backward square off Motie to leave Italy 78 for five after 12 overs.

Joseph, who also took four catches, then removed Grant Stewart (12), Thomas Draca (5) and last man Hasan (0) to wrap up the match.

Joseph ended with 4 for 39, Forde took 3 for 19 and Motie 2 for 24.

The West Indies will play their first Super Eight match against Zimbabwe on February 23 at the Wankhede Stadium. (CMC)