Italy Cricket Team Guide
The Italy cricket team is governed by the Italian Cricket Federation and is an associate member of the International Cricket Council. Italian cricket has gained popularity in recent years, with the Italy cricket team making increased efforts to establish its overall presence on the international stage.
History of Italy Cricket Team
Cricket actually has its roots in Italian history as far back as 1793, an event in which British sailors played a match when docked in the Naples harbour. Towards the end of the 19th century, a number of combined football and cricket clubs began to be formed, such as the European giants AC Milan and the Genoa Cricket and Football Club.
Although cricket was played by select groups following the Second World War in Rome, it wasn’t until 1980 when the Italian Cricket Federation was founded, with the Italy cricket team becoming affiliate members of the ICC four years after this. The next year, they became full associate members and played their first official international match against the Denmark cricket team.
In 2023, the Italian cricket team actually attempted to step up their efforts on the international stage, pursuing a strategy which saw them aiming to recruit professional cricketers from Australia and England who have tenuous connections and would be eligible for Italian passports. This showed the progressive attitude the country has towards the sport.
Where Does The Italy Cricket Team Play?
The Bologna Cricket Ground and the Roma Cricket Ground are two of the main venues for the Italy cricket team, with these hosting a whole array of matches between international cricket teams.
Top Run Scorers In Italy Cricket Team History
Right-hand batters Marcus Campopiano, Bentota Perera and Gian-Piero Meade have been some notable run scorers for the Italy cricket team, all of these being amongst the first batters to score half a century in a match during T20I matches.
Top Wicket Takers In Italy Cricket Team History
Stefano di Bartolomeo set a milestone for the Italy cricket team, with the right-arm medium bowler being the first to record 5 separate wickets in a single T20I match. Harry Manenti and Gareth Berg have also been prolific bowlers for the Italy cricket team.
Memorable Games For The Italy Cricket Team
In 2013, the Italy cricket team competed in the ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers, their highest level of competition at that point. Despite them taking a dramatic step up, they still managed to put up a number of impressive performances, defying the odds and beating higher-ranked countries such as the USA cricket team, Namibia cricket team and the UAE cricket team.
The Italy cricket team gained full T20 international status alongside all other associate members back in 2018, with their first T20I match taking place against the Germany cricket team. The Germans won the toss, choosing to bat first. From 4 overs, Michael Ross managed to take an impressive 4 wickets as the Germans only managed 53 runs, In strong response, the Italy cricket team matched the score of their opposition in half the amount of overs before winning by 7 wickets in just 8.4 overs.
Rivals Of The Italy Cricket Team
The Italy cricket team doesn’t have any fierce rivalries with any other nations. However, they have frequently had highly competitive matches against the Germany cricket team and the Jersey cricket team of all nations.
