Italy finished first in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League Group B after comfortably beating Tanzania by eight wickets in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Italy chased down the 186-run target that Tanzania set for them with ease as they entered Tuesday's match knowing their fate was in their own hands. They finished the league stage on a high after Uganda lost their last league match against Bahrain, finishing four points ahead of their rivals, the Cricket Cranes, after finishing 15 matches in three legs.

Italy and Uganda Keep 2027 World Cup Dreams Alive

Italy and Uganda both enjoyed the benefit of a draw as they progressed to the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off later this year.

Italy had visited Tanzania on the back of consecutive defeats, with Uganda above them in the table on five match-days after earlier meetings in Hong Kong and Uganda.

However, a win against Uganda in the opening match of their final leg meant that Italy were able to take advantage of the following day's defeat by Hong Kong, with the Azzurri finishing unbeaten in their group in spectacular fashion.

They followed on the loss of the toss with a near collapse to 87/1 after 15 overs against the hosts.

However, Tanzania slumped from there to 142 all out as Italy's spin attack of Rakibul Hasan, Akash Waduwalage and Crishan Kalugamage combined to take all 10 wickets for just 87 runs. Waduwalage proved to be the standout performer with 5/21, including the crucial dismissal of Dhrumit Mehta, who had earlier scored the match's top score of 39.

Kalugamage, who had shone so brilliantly for Italy in the T20 World Cup, took 3/28 as the middle-order folded.

Italy proceeded to post a very comfortable target in reply, with brothers Justin and AJ Mosca forming a vital 121-run stand, both scoring more than half a century.

Justin was out for 52 but AJ remained steady at the crease, scoring a well-timed 75 from 71 balls, while captain Harry Manenti remained unbeaten on eight as Italy completed the win inside 26 overs.

Italy and Uganda now await to learn who they will face in the Qualifier Play-off, with Jersey and Kuwait currently top of Challenge League Group A after also drawing with each other in the penultimate match of the group.

Meanwhile in League 2, Namibia, Canada, Nepal and the UAE are currently the bottom four, but Oman are close to catching them up, with Scotland, the USA and the Netherlands all having qualified for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier as the top four.

The Qualifier Play-off will determine the last four places at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, with the winners of each of the fixtures set to face another clash for the final World Cup berths.

Both matches will be played as ODI fixtures, with Italy and Uganda both getting an opportunity to claim their first ever One-Day International victories.