Will Jacks and Harry Brook for England [Source: X]It was a fight for the ages for Italy against England in the T20 World Cup 2026. The muse of Italy, though were not the Gods but Ben Manenti himself. The skilful batter almost started an upset against the Three Lions before a mammoth total set by Harry Brook & Co. became a heavy burden on the first-time T20 World Cup qualifiers.Even though England bagged the match to qualify for the Super 8s with 6 points, it was an exciting affair on February 16 that shrouded the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. England Start With Early Scare After England won the toss and chose to bat at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the White Lions had solid control of the match from the beginning. There was an early scare when Jos Buttler fell in the third over, courtesy of Grant Stewart, but Phil Salt, who had disappointed so far in the World Cup campaign, stepped up with a fiery 15-ball 28 to give England a strong start. Jacob Bethell, who came in at number three, was steady with 23 off 20 balls, and Tom Banton followed with 30 off 21. However, the most impactful innings came from Will Jacks. After decent partnerships between Salt and Bethell, and later between Banton and Harry Brook, Italy’s bowlers managed to pull things back, reducing England to 92 for 4 in 11 overs as they struggled to push past the 100-run mark. Will Jacks Saves England’s Drowning Ship Nevertheless, after Banton's dismissal, Will Jacks turned the momentum around. The experienced all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls, accelerating England’s innings and rescuing them from what could have been a disappointing outing against Italy. His explosive knock included four sixes and three boundaries at a massive strike rate of 240.91. Jamie Overton joined the charge with a quickfire 50 off nine balls, which ultimately helped England post a mammoth total of 202 for 7. For Italy, the key wickets were taken by Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage. Ali Hasan, JJ Smuts, and Ben Manenti also chipped in with one wicket each to halt England’s early onslaught. Italy Rocked At The Very BeginningItaly started their chase on a disastrous note as Jofra Archer bagged the wickets of Anthony Mosca and JJ Smuts in the very first over. After the powerplay, Italy were 47 for 3, with Justin Mosca and Harry Manenti at the crease. However, Harry's stint did not last long, as Ben Manenti came in during the fifth over to take charge alongside Mosca. Smashing six sixes and four boundaries, Manenti scored a 25-ball 60 that briefly threatened England’s chances of winning. Justin Mosca proved to be a solid partner with his 34-ball 43, as the duo stitched together a 92-run partnership off just 48 deliveries. However, Italy's joy was short-lived as Ben Manenti and Justin Mosca were dismissed by Adil Rashid and Will Jacks respectively, pushing Italy further behind in the required run rate. By the end of 15 overs, Italy were 136 for 5, needing 67 runs from 30 deliveries.Ben Manenti Massacre Fails To Make Much DamageBen Manenti's injection of adrenaline and hope with his explosive knock came as a sigh of relief for Italy. However, the chase remained too steep for the team. Grant Stewart, coming in at number six, tried his best with a similar effort, scoring 45 off 23 deliveries, but he was eventually dismissed by Sam Curran.The chase ended with Italy reaching 178 at the end of 20 overs, with Kalugamage and Ali Hasan at the crease. Even though Italy tried their best, they are now out of contention for the Super 8 stage in this tournament. For England, Jamie Overton led with three scalps, while Jofra Archer took two and Sam Curran also claimed three wickets. Will Jacks and Adil Rashid picked up one wicket each, as England secured a 24-run win to qualify for the Super 8 stage with six points on the table of Group C.
