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3 min readFeb 8, 2026 09:26 PM IST
Italy coach Dougie Brown guides the players during a practice session on the eve of the team's match against Scotland in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Sunday. (ANI Photo)
The Nelson number, 111, has a special place in cricket where wickets unwittingly fall and signal bad luck for a team. The myth can be traced back to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who is supposed to have finished with one eye, one arm, and one leg, and the three oneses resemble cricket stumps. Nelson actually had both legs.
But what has revived cricket’s Halloween score is the debut of its most charming newcomer – Italy. The ICC celebrating the addition of a new nation – rare in cricket where the same old people keep playing – put out a nugget from deep history.
According to ICC, the English naval hero Horatio Nelson ‘organised the first-ever recorded game in Naples’ in 1793. “Most likely to keep his sailors out of trouble while in port,” wrote AFP.
But some reputed Italian football clubs were first established to import both British sports cricket and football to Italy. AC Milan even released a long sleeved heritage jersey a few years back on its 125th commemorative year, with cricket proudly displayed on the crest, according to Insta cricket fanatic handle, cricketdistrict.
Genoa CFC and AC Milan were both originally founded as cricket and football club in a country that AFP says has 4,000 registered male players and nearly 80 clubs competing in a two-tier league. The website adds that Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club was founded in 1893 at the British consulate, aiming to play cricket in summer and football in winter. It was the oldest Italian club and win Serie A 9 times.
The English frequented Italy for textile trade, and Italian English-born colonel, Francis Maceroni, then took the game to Naples in the 1810s, says AFP. ‘The first difficulty was to get bats and balls. I set to work and made both with my own hands,’ Maceroni is quoted as saying in his memoir.
Crickettdistrict further notes that English businessman Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin started AC Milan in 1899 to bring football & cricket to Italy – and Inter Milan followed. The limited edition crest jersey was snapped up by many three years back for the club that cricketdistrict says chased both “Goals and wickets.”
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AFP quoted Riccardo Maggio, Italian cricket’s development officer as saying, “How did we get to the World Cup cup? In Italy we say Miracolo Italiano, an Italian miracle.”
On Monday at the historic Eden Gardens, Italy start against Scotland, whom they beat in the qualifiers. Maggio played in the 1998 victory of Italy over English cricket board XI sharing a historic six wicket win. In true Italian style, he told AFP, “I was in the field that day and we had to play out of our skins. And now we’re playing England at the World Cup. I’m going to cry!”
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