Eden Gardens witnessed a batting masterclass on Tuesday as Scotland hammered 207 for 4 against debutants Italy in their opening T20 World Cup encounter. Having qualified for the tournament in place of Bangladesh, Scotland made an emphatic statement with aggressive strokeplay that left Italy’s bowlers reeling.
Italy’s captain called correctly at the toss and chose to field, but it backfired spectacularly. Openers George Munsey (84 off 54, 13×4, 2×6) and Michael Jones (37 off 30) piled on 126 runs in the first wicket stand over 13.5 overs, dictating terms from the outset.
Post partnership, the acceleration came from Brandon McMullen’s unbeaten 41 (18 balls, 4×6) and Michael Leask’s explosive 22 not out (5 balls, 2×4, 2×6). These late assaults in the final overs lifted the score to intimidating heights. Richie Berrington (15) and Tom Bruce (1) were the other dismissals.
Italy’s bowling effort was patchy, with Ali Hassan shining brightest at 1/21 in his four overs as the lone left-arm pacer to contain the damage. Grant Stewart proved costly, conceding 44 runs, while others like Grant Stewart, Thomas Draca, and JJ Smuts picked a wicket each but couldn’t stem the flow.
Coming into the game after upsetting Ireland, Italy’s chase of 208 will test their batting depth. Analysts predict a tense finish, with Scotland’s bowlers licking their lips at the prospect of defending such a total under lights. Stay tuned for live updates as the drama unfolds in Group C.