Unbeaten West Indies Beat Italy by 42 Runs

West Indies secured their place in the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup after remaining unbeaten in the group phase. At Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the Caribbean side registered their fourth consecutive victory by defeating tournament debutants Italy by 42 runs.

With this win, West Indies became the third team to progress to the next round with a perfect record in the group stage. India and South Africa had earlier achieved the same feat.

After winning the toss, Italy captain Harry Manenti opted to field first on a spin-friendly surface. However, West Indies did not get off to a strong start. Opener Brandon King was dismissed for 4, while Shimron Hetmyer fell for just 1, leaving the team under pressure inside the powerplay.

Captain Shai Hope then played a responsible innings to guide his team to recovery. He scored 75 off 46 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes. Roston Chase added 24 runs. Late contributions from Sherfane Rutherford (24 not out) and Matthew Forde (16 not out) helped West Indies post 165 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.

For Italy, Crishan Kalugamage impressed with the ball, taking 2 wickets for 25 runs in four overs, including the crucial dismissal of Hope.

Chasing 166, Italy lost an early wicket as Justin Mosca departed quickly. Anthony Mosca struck two sixes off Akeal Hosein in a single over but was dismissed in that very over.

Gudakesh Motie took control of the middle overs, removing JJ Smuts (24) and Ben Manenti (26) to put Italy under pressure. Later, Shamar Joseph claimed 4 wickets for 30 runs and Matthew Forde picked up 3 for 19, bowling Italy out for 123 in 18 overs.

Although Italy showed signs of strong resistance, West Indies advanced to the Super 8 stage with confidence after winning all four of their group matches. They had earlier defeated strong opponents like England. The Caribbean side now look determined in their pursuit of the title.