12:51 PM IST That’s all from this game! Italy have secured a massive 112-run victory, gaining crucial momentum just as the World Cup is set to begin. The tournament kicks off this Saturday, February 7th, starting with Pakistan facing the Netherlands at 5.30 am GMT, followed by West Indies taking on Scotland, and concluding with India against the USA. Be sure to tune in early for the toss and team news. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
12:50 PM IST Italy’s dominance with the bat – Italy finished their innings at 193/7, powered by a dominant 81-run opening stand between the Mosca brothers, with Anthony Mosca blasting a rapid 56 and Justin Mosca adding 48. While Italy looked set to breach the 200-run mark, UAE fought back through Simranjeet Singh’s economical spell (1/20) and a brilliant final over from Junaid Siddique. Siddique was the pick of the bowlers (3/32), taking three wickets and conceding just five runs in the 20th over to effectively apply the brakes on Italy’s scoring.
12:49 PM IST United Arab Emirates will look to leave this behind – UAE were skittled out for a paltry 81 in 18.2 overs. It was a clinical all-round display that ticked every box for the Italians just before the World Cup opener. For UAE, the batting capitulation will be a major cause for concern, but for Italy, this commanding win provides the perfect injection of momentum as they head into the main draw with sky-high confidence.
12:48 PM IST A dominating performance from Italy! The UAE chase never got out of first gear and quickly turned into a procession. The Italian bowling unit was relentless, with Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage ripping the heart out of the UAE batting lineup. Stewart was particularly destructive upfront, scalping 3 wickets for just 7 runs, while Kalugamage spun a web around the middle order with his 3 wickets to stifle any hope of a recovery. Only Muhammad Farooq offered any semblance of resistance with his 23 runs, but he lacked support as the pressure of the asking rate forced errors from the other end.
JJ Smuts to Muhammad Farooq, no run
OUT! TAKEN! JJ Smuts finishes the job. Flatter, outside off, Muhammad Farooq stays back and looks to loft it. Gets an outside edge as the ball lobs towards backward point. Justin Mosca moves to his right and takes a fine catch. Italy beat United Arab Emirates by 112 runs!
JJ Smuts to Muhammad Farooq, no run
Flatter, outside off, Muhammad Farooq swings hard but misses.