George Munsey took control of the proceedings and shone with the bat as he scored a masterful 84 off 54 balls to dominate debutants Italy. Scotland thanks to Munsey’s brilliance and contributions at the end from Brandon McMullen and Michael Leask drove home the advantage as Scotland posted a massive 207/4 in 20 overs having a field day in Kolkata.
For Italy, it was a hard morning with their captain getting injured and dislocating his shoulder and then it was all downhill with bowlers and fielders struggling to stem the flow of runs throughout. Italy with all to do now.
George Munsey’s sizzling start gives Scotland a solid foundation in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, George Munsey and Michael Jones came out to open for Scotland while Ali Hasan had ball in hand for Italy. Munsey got things going and got a boundary to the short third man fence. Munsey went again and went over backward point for a boundary. Grant Stewart had the ball in hand from the other end. Munsey hit another boundary by going over mid-off. Hasan continued as Munsey completed 500 T20 World Cup runs as well.
Thomas Draca came into the attack next. Munsey hit Draca through midwicket via a pull shot for a boundary and unfortunately, Wayne Madsen injured himself and dislocated his shoulder and went off the field straightaway as Italy were now without a captain. Munsey continued his merry ways as he smacked him past the bowler for a boundary. Munsey went again as he slapped the ball through covers for a boundary. Hasan continued and bowled a decent over.
Grant Stewart returned to bowl the final over of powerplay. Munsey was on a roll as he whipped it through square leg for a boundary. He got an outside edge that flew away to the short third man fence for a boundary. Munsey got a reprieve off the last ball of powerplay when he was on 40 as Mosca dropped a tough chance at the extra cover region. Scotland reached 49/0 in 6 overs at the end of the powerplay with Munsey unbeaten on 41 off 26 balls while Michael Jones was with him on 7* off 10 balls.
George Munsey powers Scotland into a dominant position in middle phase even as Italy strikes twice.Â
JJ Smuts came into the attack post the powerplay as the 50 came up and of the partnership between the two players. Jones managed to get a boundary away to the third man fence. Jones got a triple to extra cover region before Munsey reverse swept it over short third man for a boundary. Ben Manenti came into the attack next. Munsey welcomed him with a maximum over wide long-on with a slog sweep as the 50 came up for Munsey in 30 balls, his 14th T20I fifty. Munsey hammered down the ground for a boundary to long-on.
Smuts continued and bowled a quiet over. Harry Manenti came into the attack next. Munsey welcomed him with a boundary pumping it over the umpire. Jones joined the fun as he waited and flicked it away over backward square leg for the maximum. Scotland were 91/0 in 10 overs. Crishian Kalugamage came into the attack next. He bowled a good first over. Ben returned as Munsey went big over deep midwicket via a slog sweep for the maximum. The 100 came up in 11.4 overs and of the partnership as well.
Kalugamage continued as Munsey got down and helped it over fine leg for a boundary. Grant Stewart came back as Jones cleared his front leg and muscled it over long-on for the maximum. Munsey then crunched through the covers for a boundary. Munsey then fell for 84 off 54 balls with 13 fours and 2 sixes to his name as Stewart got Italy the first wicket. Brandon McMullen came out to bat next.
Smuts came back into the attack as McMullen swept the bowler over deep midwicket for the maximum. Smuts broke through as he removed Jones for 37 off 30 balls with one four and two sixes to his name as he was holed out at short extra covers. Captain Richie Berrington came to the middle as well. Scotland reached 136/2 in 15 overs with McMullen unbeaten on 10 off 5 balls while Berrington was on 0* off 1 ball.
Late Flourish led by Brandon McMullen powers Scotland to 207/4.Â
Crishan Kalugamage came back into the attack as McMullen took him on and launched it straight down the ground for the maximum. McMullen went big again by lofting over extra covers for the maximum. JJ Smuts came to bowl his final over. Berrington made room and looked to go down the ground and got an outside edge to the deep third man fence. Berrington hit another boundary by sweeping it away to the short fine leg for a boundary.
Grant Stewart came back into the attack as McMullen danced down the track and launched it over long-on for the maximum. Ali Hasan came back to bowl the 19th over and removed Berrington for 15 off 11 balls with 2 fours to his name. Tom Bruce came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Thomas Draca came to bowl his final over and removed Bruce for 1 off 2 balls as the catch was safely taken. Michael Leask came out to bat next.
Leask came and made his intentions clear by hitting a boundary through extra covers to get off the mark. Leask was on a roll as he rocked back and pulled it to deep square leg fence for a boundary. Leask then went big over long-on down the ground for the maximum as the 200 came up for Scotland in 19.5 overs. The last ball was a full toss as Leask pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum and it was just below the waist height.
Scotland finished with 207/4 in 20 overs with McMullen unbeaten on 41 off 18 balls with 4 sixes to his name while Leask was with him on 22* off 5 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name. 7 extras given by the fielding side. For Italy, Ali Hasan was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1/21 in 4 overs. Grant Stewart finished with 1/44 in 4 overs. Thomas Draca finished with 1/37 in 2 overs. JJ Smuts finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Ben Manenti went for 20 in 2 overs. Harry Manentu went for 15 in one over while Crishan Kalugamage went for 32 runs in 3 overs. Italy now needs a massive 208 runs to win the contest.
Who’s Winning, Scotland or Italy?Â
Scotland has got a massive score on the board and it will require a herculean effort from Italy to make a match out of this one. Add to that Wayne Madsen the captain’s dislocated shoulder and the odds get higher. Scotland has the bowling and should get the win in the end. They are favourites at the interval. Miracles do happen often and we will see how we get the chase going.
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