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SCO vs ITA | Twitter in awe as Munsey and Leask shine for Scotland as Italian dreams go up in smoke

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ByVenkateswaran N, SportsCafe Editor

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Scotland beat Italy by 73 runs in a Group C clash at the 2026 T20 World Cup in Kolkata on Monday. Opener George Munsey’s power-packed half-century powered the side to 207/4, their highest total in the T20 World Cup before Michael Leask shone with a four-wicket haul to skittle out the Italians.

‌Scotland got their first points in the T20 World Cup 2026 in some style thrashing a hapless Italy by 73 runs in the Group C encounter in Kolkata. Opener George Munsey top-scored in the game with a 54-ball 84, smashing 13 fours and two sixes, to power the side to 207/4 before Michael Leask returned a four-fer to bowl the World Cup debutants for just 134 despite Ben Manenti’s fighting half-century.

After being put into bat at the Eden Gardens, Scotland were given an excellent start by opener Munsey, who hit two fours in the opening over of Ali Hasan. The southpaw continued to be aggressive with three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over from Thomas Draca before ending the powerplay with two more hits to the fence, guiding the side to 49 without the loss of any wickets. He got to his fifty in style, an over later, with a huge six off Ben Manenti’s first ball in the World Cup.  Meanwhile, fellow opener Michael Jones also joined the act, after taking his time to settle down, with a six in Harry Manenti’s first over, as Scotland marched to a dominant 91/0 at the halfway stage. However, Italy finally breathed a sigh of relief after waiting for 13.4 overs to get their first World Cup wicket, with Grant Stewart being the benefactor. The medium pacer dismissed Munsey, who missed out on a well-deserved century but that was just a temporary relief for the Italians as Brandon McMullen subjected them to further misery. The middle-order batter tonked four sixes during his unbeaten knock of 41 off just 18 balls, while Leask’s entertaining cameo of two fours and two sixes in five balls took the side past 200 and to their highest total in the T20 World Cup.

The Italian chase started on a horrifc note as Leask, after his guest appearance with the bat, struck with the first ball after the restart to dismiss Justin Mosca. Though JJ Smuts looked promising, smashing two sixes and a four in a 23-run first over from Brad Wheal, he was send back in the first ball of the next over by Brad Currie. And the side’s troubles deepened with fellow opener Anthony Mosca also following duit in the next, but the Manenti brothers, Harry and Ben, ensured that the side did not lose another wicket, ending the powerplay at 54/3. The pair kept Italy in the hunt with Harry being the aggressor with sixes in consecutive overs to take the side to the three-figure mark at the end of the 11th over. Meanwhile, Ben, who played second fiddle till then, shifted gears with back-to-back boundaries in the next over, but Leask once again proved to be Scotland’s go-to man, breaking the 73-run stand with Harry’s scalp. Though Ben smashed Oliver Davidson for a four and a six in the next over to complete his half-century, he was dismissed in the same over as Italy’s hopes went up in smoke. Unsurprisingly, the last four wickets fell for just five runs as the innings concluded with more than three overs to spare. Meanwhile, Leask ended with impressive figures of 4/17 in four overs for Scotland, with Mark Watt chipping in with two wickets.

Victory!

SCO beat ITA!

SCO won!

Flying!

History!

Powerful!

!st Fifty!

Heated moment!

Well played!

Ben manenti!

Half century!

👀

Haha

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