South Carolina LLWS Team Erases Five-Run Deficit in Extras to Avoid Elimination

Chaos was on the menu in Williamsport, Pa. Wednesday night.

In an elimination game that went to extra innings at the Little League World Series, the team representing the Southeast region from Irmo, S.C. gave up five runs in the top of the seventh inning to their opponent out of the Midwest region from Sioux Falls, S.D.

With just three outs for South Carolina to overcome a five-run deficit to keep their LLWS title hopes alive they somehow pulled it off.

The rally started right away in the bottom half of the seventh as South Carolina had their first batter draw a walk to fill the empty first base before they drove in a run on their next at-bat. Brayden Gerard doubled next to drive in the second run of the inning to trim South Dakota's lead to three runs.

Then South Dakota let up two walks in a row, first to load the bases and then to force in a run. South Carolina's next batter struck out, putting South Dakota two outs away from shutting the door, albeit in a bases-loaded jam.

Another bases-loaded walk drove in one more run that cut the lead down to one run, which put South Carolina one base away from completing a miraculous comeback in extras. Their catcher, Andrew Bogan, played hero when he stepped up to the plate, doubling to right to secure the walk-off win despite a valiant effort from South Dakota right fielder Grayson Rehfeldt who laid out to try and make the grab.

You can watch the wild sequence with all of South Carolina's scoring plays to win the game in extras below:

Great time for an offensive explosion from both sides who each scored one run apiece in the first six innings.

South Carolina keeps the dream alive and will play the team from Las Vegas representing the Mountain region Thursday in yet another elimination game. The winner of South Carolina and Las Vegas will move on to the United States final against Fairfield, Conn. out of the Metro region. We'll see if South Carolina has some magic left.

Mason Greenwood told he’s ‘becoming a complete player’ by Robert De Zerbi after firing brace against Nice to send Marseille back to top of Ligue 1

Former Manchester United star Mason Greenwood has been told he is 'becoming a complete player' after starring with a brace in Marseille's 5-1 demolition of Nice in Ligue 1 on Friday. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Timothy Weah and Igor Paixao were also on target as Robert De Zerbi's side registered a thumping victory and climbed up to the top of the table, overtaking Paris Saint-Germain.

Greenwood's purple patch continues

Greenwood has been in prolific form for Marseille since joining the club from Manchester United. After ending his maiden campaign in France with 22 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, the former Red Devils star picked up where he left off last season. The 24-year-old has already scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 this season and 11 in all competitions. He also recently won the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for October, marking the second time he has received the accolade since his move to the French league. 

On Friday, Greenwood hit the target twice as Marseille leapfrogged PSG in the Ligue 1 table to clinch the top position after a magnificent 5-1 win over Nice away from home. 

AdvertisementGettyDe Zerbi praises Greenwood after Marseille win

Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi was understandably elated after the brilliant result as he hailed Greenwood's performance by saying: "We played well against a tough team, Nice. For them, it's a derby. It was a very tense match; we needed to play better in the second half. Everything's fine, we scored 5 goals and we're provisionally top of Ligue 1. We need to get some injured players back (Aguerd, Medina). That shouldn't be an excuse. We have to see what we can do in these circumstances. Greenwood? He's doing a good job. He's scoring goals, providing assists. He's more involved in the game. He's becoming a complete player."

The former Brighton manager added: "I was hoping for this result. It was a tough match, a derby. Both teams wanted to do well. We can still play better. I'm not satisfied with the quality of our play. Even though we won 5-1, we can do better. I'm certain this team can and must play better because it has more quality than it showed tonight. Despite the 5-1 scoreline, I expect even more. I'm thinking about the number of people we made happy. We have strong players; the only thing that worries me is the injury list. It's a real morale booster, we're top of the league tonight. We need to put that aside, there's Newcastle on Tuesday, Toulouse this weekend. We need to remember how we can improve. We need to maintain this momentum. We can't always play at the same level with the succession of matches. It's up to me and the physical staff to manage it. Weah? We missed him against Atalanta; he's a unique player, with a different profile than Murillo. We have a lot of respect for him; he needs to play with more courage and personality."

Greenwood's goal sparked mass brawl

Greenwood doubled his team's lead just past the half-hour mark after Aubameyang opened the scoring in derby. Following his first goal, the entire Marseille team celebrated in front of Nice Ultras, which triggered an extreme action. According to , Marseille defender Emerson Palmieri was struck with a lighter that was thrown by a Nice supporter.

The violence at the stand soon entered the pitch as a melee broke out involving Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and Nice defender Ali Al-Abdi. The two substitutes were then cautioned. 

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GettyGreenwood still dreams of playing for England

Earlier this month, the reported that Greenwood still dreams of making a comeback for the England national team despite being blacklisted by the FA and head coach Thomas Tuchel from selection. The winger's last and only appearance for the Three Lions came in 2020 in a Nations League clash against Iceland.

However, with only months left before the 2026 World Cup, Greenwood's comeback into the national team looks improbable currently, with Tuchel having said back in September he is not being considered for selection.

Paul Skenes Had High Praise for Oneil Cruz Ahead of Home Run Derby Debut

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz was announced Tuesday as the fifth participant in this year's Home Run Derby, bringing one of the game's biggest sluggers to the forefront of MLB's ultimate test of power.

Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who will be making his second All-Star appearance this year, offered some words of excitement after news of Cruz's addition to the player pool was announced.

Skenes has watched his teammate take batting practice many times over the past year, and he described it as being "the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen in my life."

"My pick is Oneil to win (the Home Run Derby). The BP he takes everyday is the most impressive batting practice I've ever seen in my life. Just some of the balls he hits––he mishits balls and they go into the fifth row and the second deck at some of these stadiums. I think he hit a ball over the Chop House when were in at Atlanta last year, so he's gonna be doing that a lot," Skenes said via MLB Network Radio.

"I think I'm as excited about that as I am about the actual All-Star Game. It's going to be pretty dang cool."

Cruz is frequently listed atop or near the top of Statcast's tracked data for hardest hit baseballs. On May 25, he mashed the hardest hit home run in Statcast history, cranking a 122.9 mph blast into the seats against the Milwaukee Brewers. That type of power is rare to find, and Cruz will be looking to showcase all of it at the derby.

Skenes seems to already know what's coming next Monday, and he's eager for the rest of the baseball world to get a glimpse of what he's seen regularly from his slugger of a teammate.

موندو ديبورتيفو: تطور هام في مفاوضات برشلونة مع الأهلي لضم حمزة عبد الكريم

كشفت صحيفة موندو ديبورتيفو اليوم الخميس، عن آخر التطورات المتعلقة بمفاوضات نادي برشلونة مع الأهلي المصري لضم مهاجمه الشاب، حمزة عبد الكريم.

حمزة عبد الكريم يعتبر بين أبرز المواهب الشابة في كرة القدم المصرية خلال السنوات الأخيرة، ويبلغ المهاجم من العمر 17 عامًا فقط.

وتألق حمزة عبد الكريم في الفئات السنية بالنادي الأهلي، وقدم مستوى مميزًا مع منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العالم للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا.

وجعل مستوى عبد الكريم اسمه يرتبط بالعديد من الأندية الأوروبية الكبرى خلال الفترة الأخيرة، وعلى رأسها برشلونة، وكذلك بايرن ميونخ.

طالع.. حقيقة انتقال رافينها إلى الدوري السعودي بعد كأس العالم

وأكدت موندو، أن نادي برشلونة قد اقترب وبشدة من التوصل إلى اتفاق مع الأهلي من أجل التعاقد مع حمزة عبد الكريم خلال فترة الميركاتو الشتوي المقبل في يناير.

وأضافت أنه حال سارت المفاوضات بشكل جيد بين الأهلي وبرشلونة، فإن عبد الكريم سوف يوقع للبلوجرانا الشهر المقبل عندما يبلغ من العمر 18 عامًا.

وأوضحت أن الأهلي وبرشلونة تجمعهما علاقة جيدة حقًا، حيث استقبل النادي الإسباني وفدًا من المارد الأحمر بقيادة الرئيس محمود الخطيب ومحمد كامل، رئيس شركة ريد كاسل ورئيس مشروع الملعب الذي يأملان افتتاحه عام 2029 في مدينة برشلونة.

وأردفت أن عبد الكريم سوف يوقع للفريق الثاني لبرشلونة، وذلك في ظل غياب نجوم الفريق أوسكار جيستاو وفيكتور باربيرا، بسبب الإصابة.

ومن المرجح أن يوقع عبد الكريم ستة أشهر في صفوف برشلونة على سبيل الإعارة، قبل أن تصبح الصفقة نهائية في نهاية الموسم.

ANÁLISE: Crise no Vasco tem erros graves de gestão e responsáveis ausentes

MatériaMais Notícias

Mais de R$ 220 milhões em reforços entre os anos de 2023 e 2024. Sem técnico. Sem patrocínio máster. Sem Diretor Comercial. Promessas de grandes melhorias no CT Moacyr Barbosa. Três pontos de 12 disputados no Brasileirão. Este é o panorama atual do Vasco.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoNarrador da Globo viraliza ao falar da torcida do Vasco: ‘Aplaude o momento histórico que vivemos’Fora de Campo27/04/2024Fora de CampoJornalistas e influenciadores detonam Vasco após derrota: ‘Ridículo, péssimo’Fora de Campo27/04/2024Fora de CampoJornalista dá forte declaração após goleada do Criciúma em cima do Vasco e detona equipe: ‘Desprezível’Fora de Campo27/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Panorama fora de campo que se reflete nas quatro linhas e sugere ao torcedor, o maior patrimônio do Vasco, que o clube terá mais um ano de sofrimento. São muitos “sem” para uma gestão, que aparentemente, não aprendeu com os erros de um passado recente. 2023 foi logo ali.

O Vasco vai para o quarto técnico no comando e para o terceiro diretor executivo de futebol. Antes de Ramón Díaz, Jorginho e Barbieri foram os treinadores. Como dirigentes cruz-maltinos, Paulo Bracks e Alexandre Mattos antecederam Pedro Martins, que tem o acerto encaminhado.

continua após a publicidade

Quais são os reforços da “Era SAF”, dentro dos mais de R$ 220 milhões gastos, que são unanimidade? Apenas Léo Jardim, Lucas Piton, Paulinho e Vegetti.

Há responsáveis no Rio de Janeiro, sim. No entanto, os maiores culpados estão nos Estados Unidos. Por que a 777 Partners e a 777 Football Group não se manifestam? Porque os donos da SAF não se comunicam com o torcedor? Qual o protejo esportivo do grupo? São essas e tantas outras perguntas que os vascaínos se fazem e estão sem respostas até então.

continua após a publicidade

Quem vê se questiona se foi para isso que o Vasco se tornou SAF, que de fato foi uma solução financeira para o clube. Porém, não é o dinheiro que entra em campo.

Grande parte dos que cobram não estão torcendo contra, muito menos estão sorrindo com o caos. Na verdade, só querem parar de ver o Vasco agonizando por mais alguns anos.

Tudo sobre

777 PartnersFutebol NacionalVasco

Travishek rack up another entry in the IPL's highest powerplay totals

Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma began SRH’s 2025 season with another rocket-propelled opening partnership

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Mar-20253:14

Cricinformed – SRH’s six-hitters set for a new IPL high?

125 for 0, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2024
Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma had one thing in mind – like they did when they rocketed Sunrisers Hyderabad to 277 for 3 and 287 for 3 earlier in the season – to maximise the powerplay. Head faced 26 of the 36 balls and smashed 84, which would make a good team score. Hard to wrap your head around that, yeah? Well, Abhishek Sharma struck at 400 at the other end. Yep, ten balls, 40 runs, five sixes and two fours. The first over was the least expensive, and that went for 19. Sunrisers finished their innings at 266 for 7.107 for 0, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants, IPL 2024
Travishek? Again? Yeah, and it won’t be the last time either. For a change, this didn’t come while batting first. Lucknow Super Giants had set them 166 to win, a par score in general, not if Head and Abhishek could help it, not even if K Gowtham gave away just eight runs in the first over. Of course not, 99 runs came off the next five overs, Gowtham’s following over went for 22. Five bowlers were tried, all of them were taken down for 13 fours and eight sixes in the first six. The target was chased down with 62 balls to spare with ten wickets in hand.105 for 0, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2017
Chasing 159, KKR sprung a surprise by opening with pinch-hitter Sunil Narine, who many thought would drop back down the order with Chris Lynn returning from injury and Gautam Gambhir still around. It led to RCB being under attack from both ends. Lynn scored 14 runs in the first over and another 14 in the third, and then Narine smashed the fourth over for 26. By the end of the Powerplay, Narine had reached his fifty, the joint-fastest in IPL, while Lynn was on 49.100 for 2, Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, 2nd qualifying play-off, IPL 2014
The first 36 balls of Super Kings’ chase of 227 in a knock-out game featured the following – 87 runs off Suresh Raina’s bat alone, including 12 fours and six sixes, apart from two wickets in between. It was the first three-figure Powerplay score in IPL history, but it wasn’t enough as CSK lost by 24 runs.94 for 1, Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2025
New season, same old Travishek. It didn’t matter that they weren’t batting deep as they did the previous year. Coach Daniel Vettori had said SRH would be aggressive and that promise was delivered on day one. This was coming, and Rajasthan Royals, who had won the toss and chose to field, helped SRH’s cause. Head hit six fours to six different directions, and the sixes came over cow corner, long on, and backward point. Abhishek hit Fazalhaq Farooqi for five fours, Ishan Kishan hit five fours off Mahesh Theekshana.

ICC set to approve continental qualification system for LA Olympics 2028

The six teams each in men’s and women’s categories are set to be decided based on the top-ranked team from each continent

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Jul-2025The ICC is set to approve a continental qualification system to decide the six participating teams in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. That means that Full Members such as Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka among others, could miss out on cricket’s much-anticipated return to the Olympics after over a century.ESPNcricinfo understands that the board discussed a proposal at the recent AGM which allows for one team from each continent. Though some details still need to be finalised, in essence, the majority approval for a regional qualification system is in place, with a minority of members expressing dissent.Six teams each in the men’s and women’s categories will contest for Olympic medals between July 14 and 29 in 2028 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed cricket to be added to the roster for the first time since the Paris 1900 Olympics. While the ICC’s initial thinking was that it would shortlist the top six-ranked teams at a pre-determined cut-off date, several Full Member countries believed such an approach wouldn’t allow for a wider representation of countries from across the globe.Related

  • Boards set to discuss India-Pakistan fallout during ICC quarterly meeting

  • Fairgrounds in Pomona to host cricket at LA28 Olympics

  • Cricket at LA28: both men's and women's events to be six-team contests

  • Cricket at LA Olympics 2028 to start on July 12

That has now changed to a one-country-per-continent qualification system, which is thought to be more in line with the Olympic participation ethos.Which countries are shortlisted will be based on the rankings on a set date. But if the ICC plan goes through, it could mean the Olympics may not have one of the most widely watched contests in global sport: India vs Pakistan. Based on the current ICC T20 rankings, in both men’s and women’s competitions, India will qualify from Asia, Australia from Oceania, England from Europe, with one between USA or one of the islands from the Caribbean from the Americas, while South Africa qualify from Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC is still discussing the participation of USA, who potentially get direct entry as hosts.But questions remain around the make-up of the USA men’s team, the majority of whom are US residents but not naturalised US citizens. The ICC is also concerned that the USA women’s team are not in the top 20-ranked teams at the moment. A final decision is likely to be taken at the ICC’s next quarterly meeting in October.The ECB, along with Cricket Scotland and Cricket Ireland, have formed Great Britain Cricket as an entity, which will help facilitate players from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to represent Great Britain at the Games.An artist impression of Brisbane Stadium in Victoria Park for Brisbane 2032 Olympics•Queensland Government

As for West Indies, CWI wrote to ICC in May, pitching two ideas that could allow one of the regional countries to represent the Caribbean in the Olympics. One suggestion was an internal qualifying tournament conducted among the Caribbean countries with the winner heading to the Olympics. The other involved conducting a global qualifying pathway that would pit countries in the five ICC development regions alongside regions in the West Indies.For the sixth team, the ICC is considering the option of a global qualifier, the structure for which is still being fine-tuned.Speaking on Thursday to BBC’s , ECB chairman Richard Thompson said that the IOC was keen on having a team from each continent which satisfies the Olympics charter. “The preference from the IOC is to work to the ‘five ring’ principle, which is teams from each of the continents represent their continent,” Thompson said.The ICC is also optimistic about increasing the number of participating teams in the next two Olympics – in 2032 in Brisbane and in 2036, the venue for which is yet to be finalised by IOC. Thompson said that with India expected to bid hard to host the 2036 Summer Games, cricket could receive a massive boost.”The hope is, when we get to Brisbane, we might be up to eight or ten teams, and in 2036, there’s a three-way shoot-out between Qatar, Saudi and India, and clearly the real hope is that India get in it 2036, in which case, cricket will be front and centre. Who knows? It could be ten or 12 teams by that stage.”At this stage, we are there by the invitation of the IOC and on that basis, you abide by their rules, and that is to play the geography of your game as opposed to necessarily the top six playing nations.”

Pooran declines stumping, Holden retires out – big drama at ILT20

Desert Vipers gained from their tactical decision to retire Max Holden out, going on to win the contest by one run

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2025Desert Vipers won a one-run thriller over MI Emirates in the ILT20 on Tuesday night, and fun as the game itself was, nothing beat what transpired in the 16th over of the first innings, which involved a declined stumping and a retired out, off successive balls, involving Nicholas Pooran and Max Holden.Batting first after losing the toss in Abu Dhabi, Vipers had started the 16th over on 110 for 1. Max Holden and Sam Curran were in the middle, but were going nowhere. The four preceding overs had netted exactly 20 runs, and Shimron Hetmyer and Dan Lawrence were in the shed.Vipers needed a move on, and Englishman Holden, their top-scorer in the innings, was on strike from the third ball after Curran had hit a four and taken a single off Rashid Khan. But no runs came off the third and fourth balls, and MI Emirates lost a review off the last of those when Pooran felt Holden had nicked the ball but the ball had only come to him off the pads. The fifth ball went for two.Then the drama began.Rashid to Holden. Holden charges down the track and goes for maximum, but misses the line completely as Rashid keeps it wide. He is so far down the pitch that he doesn’t even attempt to get back. Pooran has the ball, but isn’t interested in effecting the stumping. Holden realises what Pooran is up to and returns to ground his bat.

“Oh! He did not stump him. Did not stump him,” the commentator says on the broadcast. “Wide is called. Could have stumped him by some distance.”Next ball, Rashid to Holden again. Quicker and flatter and at the stumps, heave-ho but no cigar. And then came part two of the incident: Holden is retired out straightaway. Tactical, obviously. For MI Emirates, it would appear, keeping the slow-moving Holden in there made most sense. For Vipers, calling him back was the better option.Curran’s presence didn’t really help hugely, as he ended with 19 off 19, but Hetmyer, who replaced Holden, struck 15 in nine, and Lawrence, who walked out next, hit 15 off eight.For Vipers, that call turned out to be the right one, as the 41 runs they got off the last four overs made all the difference in the end, MI Emirates getting to 158 for 9 in response to their 159 for 4.

Vladimir Guerrero Used a Broken Bat to Hit a Ball Three Times on One Swing

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his torrid postseason on Sunday night as the Blue Jays fought off the Mariners to force a winner-take-all Game 7 against the Mariners. Guerrero's sixth-inning home run was his sixth of the playoffs and he carries a .462/.532/1.000 slash line into Monday night's action.

He had seemingly done it all for the Blue Jays in October when he stepped into the batters' box in the eighth inning so he had to get extremely creative to create something new. A broken-bat single on which his bat made contact with the ball three times certainly qualifies.

Here's the slow-motion replay of the oddity, which proves that when things are going well at the dish, everything seems to work.

For as rare as such an occurrence is, there is some late-October precedent. The Giants' Hunter Pence parlayed the trick into some wicked spin and a two-run single during Game 7 of the NLCS back in 2012.

What will Guerrero do for his next trick as he steps on to the biggest stage of his young career? That depends on how willing the Mariners are to pitch to him.

Burns hopes Italy team 'is a beacon for Italians everywhere'

Italy captain says when he is asked about the plan for the 2026 World Cup, his reply is, they’re planning to “win every game”

Matt Roller12-Jul-2025At least one will play at a next year. Italian football is in chaos: their men’s national team have a proud World Cup history but have failed to reach the last two, and sacked their manager after losing the opening match of their qualifying group for the 2026 edition. But in a small Dutch town on Friday, their cricketers created their own legacy.Italy lost by nine wickets to Netherlands in Voorburg, but Jersey’s win over Scotland earlier in the day – and their own results over the previous week – meant that it did not matter. Instead, Italy wrapped up one of the two spots available at the European Qualifiers for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the first time that Italy have reached a major ICC event.”It’s still very surreal,” Joe Burns, Italy’s captain, told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday morning. “We’ll probably take a few weeks to get home and decompress a bit to fully realise the impact that the occasion will have on so many people. It was an emotional moment that we’re going to try and reflect on as a group as much as we can over the next few months.”The crucial result for Italy was their 12-run win over Scotland on Wednesday. It was launched by Emilio Gay, the Durham opener, who cracked 50 off 21 balls; set up by Grant Stewart, the Kent allrounder, who hit 44 not out off 27; and sealed by Harry Manenti, who has played a couple of BBL games for Adelaide Strikers, and took 5 for 31 with his medium pace.Those names are reflective of a disparate group of players who are based all over the world, but their heritage provides a common thread. Burns’ own story is typical: his roots are in Calabria, in southern Italy, but his grandfather was a prisoner-of-war in North Africa during the second world war and the family relocated to Australia. He has always felt a connection with Italy, and made his debut for them last year.

“I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion”Joe Burns

It was a long way removed from his first international career, which saw him hit four hundreds in his 23 Tests for Australia. “When you play for Australia, there’s such a history to the baggy green that you’re honouring the past and representing the people that have gone before,” Burns said. “When you’re playing for Italy, it’s very much a blank canvas, trying to shape the future.”Burns first reached out to Cricket Italia in 2009, when qualification rules were stricter, and had to undergo a three-year cooling-off period from his final Australia appearance, in 2020, before he became eligible. But he has thrown himself into his new challenge, taking over the captaincy this summer, and has worn the number 85 shirt in tribute to his late brother, Dominic.”A lot of our grandparents left Italy after World War II, so it’s very much a shared story to come together and to represent past generations,” he said. “I know my grandparents would be very proud, and I know mum and dad have been following the games really closely. There are Italians dispersed all over the world, and I hope this team is a beacon for Italians everywhere.”Burns admires his medal•International Cricket CouncilItaly ramped up preparations for the qualifiers last month with a training camp in Rome, and Burns has demanded the full focus of his team-mates: “I told the guys that I don’t care if we’re playing Luxembourg in the sub-regional qualifiers or India in a T20 World Cup final: I want our team to be the most prepared team in world cricket for every game that we play.”This has all come together on the back of a lot of planning. People ask me what the goal for the World Cup is and I say, ‘Look, we’re planning and preparing to win every game – so we’re planning to win the World Cup.’ I want the guys to enjoy the experience and play with freedom – but you have to earn the right to play with freedom on the back of really solid preparation.”Cricket is a niche sport in Italy, but World Cup qualification will unlock new sources of funding. “It will go a long way for us,” Burns said. “We don’t have any turf facilities, and very little facilities in general, but this gives us an opportunity to develop the game. We’ve had a lot of support from CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee) which keeps building in the background.Time to celebrate after Italy qualified for the T20 World Cup for the first time•International Cricket Council”Associate cricket is very much the grassroots of international cricket, so for us, it’s about trying to unlock funding and build facilities to create opportunities for future generations to come. It’s very rewarding. At different stages in your career, you have different motivations, and I think this came at a really good time for me. It really reinvigorated my love for the game.”Italy will welcome back Wayne Madsen – a man with more than 20,000 runs in county cricket to his name – for the World Cup after he missed the qualifiers due to his Derbyshire commitments, but Burns hinted that he himself may step aside before the main event. “This [qualification] was such a big goal for me,” he said. “It’s probably going to take me a few months to think about it.”But if Burns, 35, does play on, there is one team he would relish the chance to face next year. “We’ve said briefly as a group that we want the big stage. We want to be drawn against the best in the world, and we want to take it on. I think we had six Australian-born players in our team yesterday… If we do play Australia and I’m on the field, it’ll obviously be a very special occasion.”

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