Grainville, St Saviour (Italy won toss): Italy (2pts) beat Bermuda (0pts) by 185 runs

Bermuda crashed to another heavy defeat on the international stage against Italy in a lopsided ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B contest in Jersey yesterday.

The Italians, who won by ten wickets in their last meeting in June, piled up 301 all out in 48.1 overs and then dismissed Bermuda for 116 in 34.5 overs as the island’s batting woes continued at the Grainville ground in St Saviour.

The result extended a sequence that has Bermuda winless through 11 of this 15-match league, despite this squad being supplemented by Somerset Cup Match stars Terryn Fray and wicketkeeper Khiry Furbert, whose international debut ended in a one-ball duck.

“We were not consistent with our bowling and bowled well but in patches,” Niraj Odedra, the Bermuda coach, told The Royal Gazette.

“Chasing 301 after losing early wickets was always going to be difficult, but we still tried and hung in for 34 overs.

“A lot of room for improvement. And as I always say, we have talent but needs little more application.”

Anthony Joseph Mosca was the mainstay of the Italian innings as he stroked a polished hundred and led a fightback that virtually put the match beyond Bermuda’s reach.

The top-order batter gathered 104 from 117 balls, which included nine boundaries, and added 100 runs with Gian-Piero Meade for the fifth wicket to put his team in control after slipping to 82 for four in the sixteenth over.

He brought up his fifty in the 29th over off 61 balls after nudging a single off all-rounder Charles Trott and a well-deserved hundred off 114 balls in the 47th over in similar fashion after scampering through for another single off seamer Jabari Darrell.

The Italians also got solid contributions from opener Justin Mosca, who chipped in with 41, and middle-order bat Meade made 48.

Bermuda held their catches but were generous in the field, as they leaked 34 runs in extras, including 23 wides and five no-balls.

Cameron Jeffers and Darrell bagged six wickets between them.

Leg spinner Jeffers claimed three for 55 and Darrell three for 70.

Kamau Leverock, the Bermuda captain, took two for 58 and was unfortunate not to have taken more scalps as he tormented the Italian batters with his nagging line and length.

Bermuda had their work cut in reply with a daunting asking rate of 6.2 and got off to a horrendous start after quickly slumping to 33 for five by the thirteenth over.

Harry John Manenti made the early breakthrough when he had Leverock caught behind for seven to a shocking shot on the last of a nine-ball second over.

Leverock’s dismissal, an attemped cut of a wide ball with little to no foot movement, ignited a slide that saw four wickets tumble in the space of six runs as the Italians tightened their grip on the match.

Middle-order bat Dominic Sabir (21) led a mini-fightback, adding 17 with opener Solomon Burrows (2) and 20 with Steven Bremar (12).

However, Bermuda suffered another collapse with four wickets falling for 21 runs before last pair Zeko Burgess (29 not out) and Jeffers (9) produced the island’s biggest stand of 27 to carry them past the century mark.

Five Italy bowlers took two wickets each, with captain Gareth Berg, who was unplayable with the new ball in his hand, claiming two for 11 from eight overs.

Bermuda are back in action on Sunday when they face Hong Kong at Farmers Cricket Club Ground, St Martin.