ICC/CricketEurope

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Italy sprang the first surprise of the tournament, recovering from a disastrous start to complete an 8-run victory over The Netherlands in a tense finish at the Inch, Balrothery.

Put in to bat, Italy were reeling on 21 for four by the seventh over, Edgar Schiferli taking two for 5 and Mudassar Bukhari one for 15.

Captain Joe Scuderi led the recovery, putting on 58 for the fifth wicket with Hemantha Jayasena before the latter was stumped by Jeroen Smits for 10 off the bowling of left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar.

No other Italian batsman reached double figures, but the Dutch contributed no fewer than 44 extras to the total, 25 of them in wides. Maurits Jonkman and Henk-Jan Mol were the main offenders, conceding 21 wides and no balls between them.

Scuderi batted through to the end, making 84 not out off 122 balls and hitting 10 boundaries.

Seelaar bowled a fine spell, taking two for 19 in ten overs, while Schiferli returned to pick up a third wicket at a cost of 24. Henk-Jan Mol took two for 33 as the Italian innings closed on 181.

The Netherlands reached 19 before Vincenzo Pennazza secured the breakthrough in the fourth over, trapping Darron Reekers leg-before. Din Alaud removed Mudassar Bukhari in the next, and the Dutch were 21 for two.

Tom de Grooth, having started by striking Alaud for three fours, was now forced to set about rebuilding the innings, and he and Daan van Bunge added 35 before the latter fell to Gayashan Munasinghe.

De Grooth continued to punish any loose deliveries, and he brought up his half-century in the 22nd over, made out of a total of 76. Almost immediately, however, he was dismissed by Peter Anthony Petricola, and Italy were on top with their opponents on 78 for four.

Their seam attack, comprising Alaud, Pennazza, Petricola and Munasinghe, bowled with much greater discipline, maintaining the pressure and producing a series of catches for keeper Nick Northcote.

Peter Borren showed signs of getting his side back in charge, hitting seven boundaries in a 23-ball innings of 34 and adding 39 for the sixth wicket with Mol, but when he edged Alaud to Northcote the total was 133 for six and the Italians knew they were on the brink of a shock win.

It was even closer when Mol missed a full-length delivery from Petricola in the next over and was bowled. Alaud removed Smits to finish with three for 30, and then Schiferli, after being given a life when a steepling catch was grounded and almost immediately pulling Pennazza high onto the pavilion balcony, hit out once too often and was caught on the midwicket boundary.

That made it 154 for nine, with 28 needed off ten overs. With rain beginning to close in, the Dutch were well behind the Duckworth/Lewis par score, but Maurits Jonkman and Pieter Seelaar, with a mixture of determination, enterprise and good fortune, gradually worked their way towards the target.

By the end of the 43rd over only 9 were needed, and The Netherlands were level with the par score. Alaud, Pennazza and Petricola, moreover, had all bowled their ten overs, and Munasinghe had only one left.

But Scuderi had introduced Alessandro Bonora into the attack, and Jonkman edged the second ball of his second over to Nick Northcote, giving the keeper his fourth catch and Italy a well-deserved 8-run victory.