West Indies ease past Italy to tune up for T20 Super Eights

KOLKATA (AFP): The West Indies tuned up for the T20 World Cup Super Eights in perfect fashion on Thursday with a comfortable 42-run victory over Italy in their final group match in Kolkata.

After being asked to bat, the West Indies captain Shai Hope scored 75 off 46 balls with four sixes to help his side post 165-6 in the dead rubber Group C clash.

They then easily defended the total by bowling out Italy for 123 off 18 overs.

Italy finished with one win in four matches at their debut World Cup, and Hope said it wasn’t easy when his side did not know many of the opposition players.

“When you face unfamiliar opposition, you plan but are unsure. You are facing many bowlers for the first time,” he said.

“They bowled well in patches, it was tough to score early on. You have to be ruthless early on.”

Italy lost regular wickets and were always behind in their chase in the face of tight bowling by the West Indies.

JJ Smuts took 27 balls to score 24 as Italy failed to break the shackles in the middle overs.

Ben Manenti whacked 26 off 21 balls before having his stumps shattered by Gudakesh Motie with four overs to go, and from 115-7 the rest folded quickly.

Pace bowler Shamar Joseph took a superb 4-30 backed up ably by fellow seamer Matthew Forde, who had 3-19.

Joseph also had a great day in the field and became the first player to take four wickets and four catches in a T20 international.

Left-arm spinner Motie was the pick of the slow bowlers, finishing with 2-24 from his four overs.

The West Indies will face Zimbabwe in Mumbai on Monday to kick off their Super Eights campaign, with clashes against South Africa and co-hosts India to follow.