Kolkata, Feb 9 (IANS) Italy vice-captain Harry Manenti opined that their captain, Wayne Madsen, who was sidelined for most of the game due to an on-field injury, deserved the opportunity to demonstrate his skills on the international stage after the team lost by 73 runs to Scotland in their Group C match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens on Monday.

Manenti assumed on-field leadership duties after Madsen dislocated his left shoulder following a fall in the fourth over of Scotland’s innings, an incident that cast an early shadow over Italy’s maiden T20 WC campaign.

Speaking after the match, Manenti addressed the setback and its impact on the team. “Wayne obviously had a tough fall in that powerplay there and hit the deck and we believe dislocated his shoulder. So, obviously, more to come with that, and hopefully he’s alright.

“And, Wayne’s obviously our leader. He’s played for a long time and was so deserving to show the world his abilities. So that’s probably the sad thing for him personally and for us as a team, not to be able to see that shown on the world stage,” said Manenti.

Asked about the challenge of bowling first on a surface that produced the tournament’s first 200-plus total, Manenti felt Scotland’s score was still within reach at the halfway stage.

“That was a good total. We thought going into the break that they probably got me just above par, around par. So if we batted well and gave ourselves a chance to capitalise on that powerplay and kick on from there, we backed ourselves to chase it. Obviously, once you lose a few wickets, it’s always tough, and then it’s just one of those totals that you need things to go right for you, and it wasn’t to be today.”

Scotland posted 207/4, powered by George Munsey’s 84 and late acceleration from Michael Leask, before their bowlers applied relentless pressure during Italy’s chase. Italy lost early wickets and were eventually bowled out for 134 in 16.4 overs, despite resistance from the Manenti brothers.

Reflecting on the demands of chasing such a steep target, Harry acknowledged the risks involved against a disciplined Scottish attack.

“When you’re chasing 200, you’ve got to go pretty hard, and there’s going to be times where it doesn’t come off, and there’s going to be wickets, and it’s the high-risk cricket, and that’s T20 cricket. And when you’re playing against a quality outfit like Scotland, who keep themselves in the game for as long as they can, it obviously can happen when you lose one, you can lose a few quickly. So we’re understanding of trying to build a partnership through that middle period and hopefully back-ending it with some power at the back.”

Harry’s 37 off 25 balls, alongside his brother Ben Manenti’s top score of 52, briefly revived Italy’s hopes and marked a memorable moment for the siblings on the world stage.

Speaking of playing with his brother, Harry said, “It was pretty special. Probably didn’t quite take it for what it was when we were out there, just because we were so caught up in the game situation, trying to win it. But hopefully we’ll sit down at some stage and reflect on that little partnership that we had, and it would have been nice to contribute to a win there, would have been what we were both wanting, and we are pretty frustrated coming off the two of us.

“But yeah, it was special, obviously, growing up and playing backyard cricket with him, batting together, and as young kids, then dreaming of being at a World Cup batting together, and we’ve got to live that out today.”

Despite the disappointment, Manenti stressed that Italy’s campaign is far from over as they look ahead to their next fixture. Asked how everyone in the team was feeling after the win, he said, “I imagine they’ll be pretty flat in the changerooms right now, and a little bit disappointed. We wanted to show the world what we had and win our first couple of games and really put some pressure on this competition. Obviously not to be today, and it doesn’t mean we’re out. And that’s the beauty of this cricket. We get another chance in a few days’ time against a strong Nepal team, and hopefully we can bounce back and get them in three days’ time.”

Italy will now regroup as they prepare for that crucial encounter, aiming to turn lessons from their World Cup debut into a stronger showing in the days ahead.

–IANS

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