Italy national cricket team

Infobox non test cricket team
country_name = Italy

---

image_caption = Flag of Italy
icc_member_year = 1984
icc_status = Associate member
icc_region = Europe
current_captain = Joe Scuderi
WCL_division = Four
regional_tournament = European Cricket Championship
regional_tournament_division = One
first_match = 15 July 1996 v Ireland at Copenhagen, Denmark
world_ranking = 27th
regional_ranking = 5th
icc_trophy_apps = 1 (plus a withdrawal in 2001)
icc_trophy_first = 1997
icc_trophy_best = 21st place, 1997
asofdate = 27 October 2007

The Italy national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Italy in international cricket matches. They have been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1995, having previously been an affiliate member since 1984. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Countries/62.html Italy] at CricketArchive] The Italian national cricket team is administered by the Federazione Cricket Italiana‎ (Italian Cricket Federation).

They are currently ranked 27th in the world by the ICC, and are ranked fifth amongst European non-Test teams. [ [http://www.icc-cricket.com/icc/development/one-day_rankings.html ICC's one-day rankings] ] They are in Division Four of the World Cricket League [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000046/004698.shtml Uganda lift Division Three title] by Andrew Nixon, 2 June 2007 at CricketEurope] and Division One of the European Championship. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000057/005776.shtml Ireland to host European Championship] ICC Europe Media Release, 3 October 2007]

History

The Early Days

The earliest mention of cricket in Italy is of a match played by Admiral Nelson's sailors in Naples in 1793. Around the end of the 19th century, several combined cricket and football clubs formed, including the world famous A.C. Milan, which was originally the "Milan Cricket and Football Club" and the first Italian football team Genoa Cricket and Football Club, which was originally the "Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club". But these clubs soon forgot about cricket and concentrated on football. Cricket started to be revived after the Second World War. [http://www.italydownunder.com.au/issueeleven/cricket.html Article about Italian cricket] ]

The modern era

The "Federazione Cricket Italiana" (Italian Cricket Federation) was formed in 1980, and they became an affiliate member of the ICC in 1984, and were promoted to associate member in 1995.

In 1996, Italy took part in the first European Championship in Denmark, finishing seventh after beating Israel in a play-off. They took part in the ICC Trophy for the first time in the 1997 tournament and performed poorly, finishing joint last out of the 22 participants. [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/OTHERS+ICC/ICCT97/ 1997 ICC Trophy] at Cricinfo] They finished fifth in the following years European Championship.

In 1999, Italy took part in a quadrangular tournament in Gibraltar also featuring France and Israel. [ [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1999/OTHERS+ICC/GQIT/ 1999 Gibraltar quadrangular] at Cricinfo] They won the tournament, beating the hosts in the final. [ [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1999/OTHERS+ICC/GQIT/GIBR_ITALY_GQIT_25SEP1999.html Scorecard] of Gibraltar v Italy, 25 September 1999 at Cricinfo] They finished fifth in Division One of the European Championship the following year and were due to participate in the 2001 ICC Trophy, but pulled out at the last minute due to a dispute over the eligibility of four players. [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/103659.html Italy Withdraws from ICC Trophy] , ICC Media Release, 25 June 2001]

The 2002 European Championship saw Italy finish sixth in Division One, relegating them to Division Two for 2004, which they promptly won. This qualified them for the repêchage tournament for the 2005 ICC Trophy in early 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They finished seventh in that tournament after beating Zambia in a play-off. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/102/102371.html Scorecard] of Italy v Zambia, 27 February 2005 at CricketArchive]

They took part in Division One of the European Championship in 2006, finishing fifth. In May/June 2007, they travelled to Darwin, Australia to take part in Division Three of the World Cricket League. They finished seventh after beating Fiji in a play-off, and will play in Division Four of the World Cricket League in 2008.

Tournament History

World Cricket League

*2007: 7th place (Division Three)

ICC Trophy

*1979: Not eligible - not an ICC member
*1982: Not eligible - not an ICC member
*1986 to 1994 inclusive: Not eligible - ICC affiliate member
*1997: equal 21st place
*2001: Withdrew (see above)
*2005: Did not qualify [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Records/Italy/Icct/Icct_List.html ICC Trophy matches played by Italy] at CricketArchive]

European Championship

*1996: 7th place [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/1996/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/about.shtml 1996 European Championship] at CricketEurope]
*1998: 5th place [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/1998/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/about.shtml 1998 European Championship] at CricketEurope]
*2000: 5th place (Division One) [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2000/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/about.shtml 2000 European Championship] at CricketEurope]
*2002: 6th place (Division One) [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2002/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/RESULTS/about.shtml 2002 European Championship Official site] , results section]
*2004: Division Two winners [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2004/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMSB/results.shtml 2004 European Championship Division Two results] , European Cricket Council website]
*2006: 5th place (Division One) [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2006/TOURNAMENTS/EURODIV1/about.shtml 2006 European Championship Division One] at CricketEurope]
*2008: 5th place (Division One)

The future

In addition to playing in Division Four of the World Cricket League in 2008 against Fiji, Hong Kong, Tanzania Italy will also participate in Division One of the European Championship in Dublin, playing against Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland.

Players

Current squad

Italy's squad at the World Cricket League Division Three tournament in 2007 was as follows: [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2007/TOURNAMENTS/WCLDIV3/squads.shtml 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three squads] at CricketEurope]

*Joe Scuderi (captain)
*Luis Di Giglio
*Din Alaud
*Alessandro Bonora
*Munasinghe Gayshan
*Dylan Sarnelli
*Hemantha Jayasena
*Samantha Ketipe
*Thushara Kurukulasuriya
*Luca Poli
*Andy Northcote
*Nicholas Northcote
*Kelum Perera
*Peter Petricola

Other players

The following national team players have played first-class or List A cricket:

*Akhlaq Qureshi - played first-class and List A cricket in Pakistan [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4983/4983.html Akhlaq Qureshi] at CricketArchive]
*Samantha de Mel - played first-class cricket in Sri Lanka [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4974/4974.html Samantha de Mel] at CricketArchive]
*Hemantha Jayasena - played first-class cricket in Sri Lanka [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/20/20468/20468.html Hemantha Jayasena] at CricketArchive]
*Joe Scuderi - played for Queensland, South Australia and Lancashire [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/6/6265/6265.html Joe Scuderi] at CricketArchive]
*Nicholas Northcote - played first-class cricket for Boland in South Africa

References

External links

* [http://www.crickitalia.org/ Official Site] - mostly in Italian.