ENG vs ITA Match 29 Results

1:29 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Will Jacks wins the award for his unbeaten 53 off 22 and the all important wicket of Benjamin Manenti. He says that they had spoken about keeping their intent up and knew it was a fast scoring ground, so they didn't quite know what a defendable score here was. On scoring his maiden T20I fifty, he says he feels happy to have gotten the half-century today and says that it was a long time coming. Further adds that there have been a few role changes for him and he is now settling nicely into this finisher role. On Benjamin Manenti's wicket, Jacks mentions that Manenti played really well, better than the English batters and he just tried to bowl full and straight to him, hoping for him to mishit one, which did happen. Adds that they now move to Sri Lanka, different conditions and feels that they need to adapt quickly to the challenge.

1:22 PM IST England's late overdrive - Electing to bat first, England posted a big total, but they had to work hard for it after slipping to 105 for 5 despite plenty of starts. Will Jacks then provided the late surge, just as he did against Nepal, smashing a 21-ball fifty, his maiden T20I half-century and the fastest by an English batter in a T20 World Cup, to lift England past 200. For Italy, Grant Stewart and Crishan Kalugamage picked up two wickets each but were expensive, while JJ Smuts was the standout with a tidy spell and a wicket. However, a costly final five overs, which went for 78, allowed England to run away with the momentum and that ultimately proved to be the difference.

1:21 PM IST A counter-attack that nearly stunned England - Not many would have given Italy a chance after England posted 202, but this World Cup has shown time and again that any team can challenge anyone. Italy lost three quick wickets early, but they refused to go away, launching a stunning counter-attack through Benjamin Manenti's incredible hitting and Justin Mosca's composure as the pair added 92 off 48 balls to haul them back into the contest. Manenti's dismissal for a 25-ball 60 came at a bad time and stalled the momentum, but Grant Stewart reignited the chase with a fiery 45 off 23. In the end, though, the target proved just a little too much for Italy to overhaul.

1:20 PM IST England hold on at the death - England made a strong start with the ball as Jofra Archer took two in his first over and Jamie Overton struck early as well. They then went quiet through the middle, with Liam Dawson tidy but Adil Rashid taken on despite picking up a wicket. The turning point was Will Jacks dismissing Benjamin Manenti, after which Sam Curran's excellent death bowling and Overton's three wickets got England over the line, though they will know they were pushed hard.

1:17 PM IST All eyes on Colombo now - That is it from this thrilling game, where England once again had to battle hard to get the points and seal qualification for the Super 8s, knocking Italy and Scotland out of contention. The action now moves from India to Sri Lanka, where Sri Lanka and Australia face off in Colombo in a clash that will shape Group B. That game gets underway shortly, with the hosts electing to bowl first, so you can simply switch tabs and enjoy all our coverage. Cheers!

1:16 PM IST The victorious skipper of England - Harry Brook starts by saying that they haven't played their best cricket but at the end of the day, they have made it through and are happy with it. Adds that it has been a bit of a trend for them in this tournament to let things slip with the bat but it is all about taking the right options. Brook reckons that they fielded really well and applauds the likes of Sam Curran and Will Jacks, who have stepped up in tricky situations. On giving Jofra Archer the extra over up top, Brook mentions that Jofra was on a heater at the start of the game and felt that they needed to make the most out of that fire and hence he was given 3 overs at the top. Ends by saying that they haven't been brave enough with the bat thus far and will look to do better as they now head to Sri Lanka.