Italy secured a historic four-wicket win over Ireland in the third of their T20 World Cup warm-up matches between the sides, marking Italy's first-ever ICC member victory.
Paul Stirling led Ireland's charge to 154 all out off 19.4 overs with his knock of 45, including three sixes and two fours, alongside Mark Adair (25) and Ben Calitz (22). However, their innings collapsed in a space of just two overs, falling for 16 runs.
In contrast, Italy's response was stuttering at first but eventually found its footing. Wayne Madsen led the way with 39 before his dismissal left his team on 108-5. Gian-Piero Meade soon followed, leaving the score on 111 and requiring 44 from just 23 balls to win.
A crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 46 between Grant Stewart (33) and Marcus Campopiano helped Italy over the line with three deliveries to spare. The two teams had already tied their series at 2-0 after winning the first two games, but this four-wicket loss has now made it a dead heat.
This win marked an important milestone for Italy in their T20 World Cup preparations as they face co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 8th as part of Group C.
Paul Stirling led Ireland's charge to 154 all out off 19.4 overs with his knock of 45, including three sixes and two fours, alongside Mark Adair (25) and Ben Calitz (22). However, their innings collapsed in a space of just two overs, falling for 16 runs.
In contrast, Italy's response was stuttering at first but eventually found its footing. Wayne Madsen led the way with 39 before his dismissal left his team on 108-5. Gian-Piero Meade soon followed, leaving the score on 111 and requiring 44 from just 23 balls to win.
A crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 46 between Grant Stewart (33) and Marcus Campopiano helped Italy over the line with three deliveries to spare. The two teams had already tied their series at 2-0 after winning the first two games, but this four-wicket loss has now made it a dead heat.
This win marked an important milestone for Italy in their T20 World Cup preparations as they face co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 8th as part of Group C.
, i mean i'm happy for italy and all, but have you noticed how irish players just kinda gave up after a certain point? like stirling was having an amazing game then suddenly he just stops trying? it's like something weird is at play 
. meanwhile, italian team was struggling but somehow they find their mojo in the end. sounds fishy to me 
. and what's with all these last-minute wins? first italy beats ireland, now sri lanka might beat them... could this be some kind of setup for a bigger game? 
. The Irish batting line-up was dealt a crushing blow after their middle order collapse, leaving them exposed to Italy's pace attack 
. However, it's worth noting that Italy's early struggles were mitigated by their own batsmen stepping up when needed. Grant Stewart's knock was particularly impressive, showcasing his ability to handle pressure situations 
. With this win, Italy has demonstrated their potential as a contender in the T20 World Cup and I'm excited to see how they'll perform against Sri Lanka 
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The underdogs are finally showing some fight! Italy's four-wicket win over Ireland is a huge confidence booster for their T20 World Cup campaign, and it just goes to show that even the smallest of teams can pack a big punch. Now, they'll be looking to carry this momentum into their next match against Sri Lanka - can't wait to see what happens! 
, can you believe Italy just won their first-ever ICC match against Ireland? I'm loving how their team came together and found a way to win after being stuttering at the start! 
That final partnership between Grant Stewart and Marcus Campopiano was insane! 
And what's up with Paul Stirling's knock, 45 runs off just 19.4 overs is insane 
So Italy just took down Ireland 4-0 in T20 cricket and I'm over the moon (not literally, I don't have a giant Italian flag in my backyard) for them! I mean, who needs pizza when you can have sixes and fours? Paul Stirling was like the Irish superman out there, but his team just couldn't quite fly with him. And Italy's response was like "we've got this" - Wayne Madsen was leading the charge with 39 runs (that's a lot of pasta for an Aussie) and then Grant Stewart and Marcus Campopiano came in to save the day. Now they're all tied up and ready to take on Sri Lanka - who's gonna be the champion? 
Italy's win over Ireland might've been historic, but my internet wasn't exactly celebrating it in real-time 
Anyway, glad they got that crucial win and now the series is tied – fingers crossed for them at the T20 World Cup! The highlight of this match was definitely Gian-Piero Meade's dramatic exit off the bat... pretty intense to watch 
. Stirling was on fire with those 3 sixes and 2 fours, but their collapse in just 2 overs is wild... Italy's team seemed to have lost its focus at first, but then came together and got that win! 
especially with the last 7-wicket partnership, it's like they knew they had this in the bag 
. Italy's been making waves in this T20 World Cup and I'm loving every minute of it 
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. Was it just luck or did they actually deserve it? I'd love to see more from Italy before they head into the T20 World Cup 
they really need to pull it together and make the most of this momentum 
. Italy's win was more of a slow burn, took them time to get going, but they eventually found their rhythm and pulled it off. The fact that Grant Stewart and Marcus Campopiano stepped up with some crucial runs really made a difference, shows that they've got depth in the team now 
. Now they're heading into the big tournament against Sri Lanka, who knows what'll happen? Guess we just have to wait and see how it all unfolds! 
that's some crazy swings of fortune. but congrats to the italian team on their historic win and milestone moment 
. Italy needed a solid middle order to back up their openers and it looks like they've finally found one with Campopiano - now let's see how they perform against Sri Lanka! 
