US triumphs over Canada in T20 World Cup opener: A thrilling start to global cricket

Ajay Jha-

Circa 2007. Cricket’s shortest format T20 Cricket is still at its nascent stage. India walks away with the inaugural World T20 Cup, a year before the lucrative and popular IPL (Indian Premier League), which was to become an annual pilgrimage of international cricketers, is launched. Back then none could have predicted how the T20 cricket would pan out.

USA, batter Aaron Jones rewrite record books following historic win against Canada in T20 WC opener.

Circa 2024. Two non-traditional cricketing nations, the US and Canada, clash in the inaugural match of the World Cup T20. Canada is there by being one of the eight associate nations to qualify for the main event, while the US, which had missed out on qualification, walks into the tournament for being the co-host of the mega event. If anything, it was a tribute to the ICC (International Cricket Council) endeavor of globalizing cricket.

A decent crowd, not confined to just those with subcontinental roots, throngs the small Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, which also plays host to far more popular Rugby matches. The hosts record a convincing victory in a high-scoring thriller, worthy of a World Cup match by all yardsticks, as the US beats Canada by 7 wickets with 14 balls remaining. The intensity of players and the skill sets on display never suggested that it was a clash between two minnows of world cricket.

It is debatable if the Canada skipper Saad Bin Zafar’s decision to bat first after the coin fell in his favor lacked maturity. The Pakistan-born Zafar, aged 37, is an all-rounder who can bat and bowl decently. He opted to bat first, keeping in mind the ground’s history where eight of 12 Minor League Cricket matches had been won by the team batting first. In the process, however, Zafar neglected the dew factor, which becomes crucial when cricket is played under the lights. The wicket eased out, enabling the US batsmen to score freely.

To Canada’s credit, they put up a decent target for the US to chase and helped them inadvertently become a team to watch as the US scored the required 195 runs without much fuss, becoming the third team behind England and South Africa to successfully chase a target of 195 plus in a T20 World Cup match.

The visitors put up 194 runs in the allotted 20 overs with the loss of five wickets, helped by opener Navneet Dhaliwal’s 61 runs off 44 deliveries. His knock was studded with six hits to the fence and three over it. Dhaliwal was ably supported by Nicholas Kirton, who scored a brisk 51 runs from 31 deliveries. Wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva chipped in by displaying his big-hitting abilities as he scored 32 runs off just 16 balls. For Team US, left-arm orthodox spinner Harmeet Singh was the standout bowler, conceding just 27 runs in his quota of four overs and picking up a wicket. Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson and fast bowler Ali Khan picked up a wicket each.

In response, Team US lost two quick wickets, opener Steven Taylor was out for zero while captain Monak Patel, returning in time from a viral fever to lead the side in this important match, fell after scoring a run-a-ball 16. However, No. 3 and No. 4 batters Andries Gous and Aaron Jones virtually massacred the Canada bowling by putting up a 131-run partnership to navigate the US to a comfortable victory. Gous fell for a well-made 65 runs while Player of the Match Jones went berserk by scoring 94 runs off just 40 balls with an astounding strike rate of 235. His innings was laced with 10 sixes that placed him joint second in the list of players to have hit the maximum number of sixes in a T20 World Cup game, along with West Indies’ Chris Gayle. If Jones’ form and hitting prowess are any indication, Gayle’s record of hitting 11 sixes in an innings in a T20 World Cup match could be in danger. The two US batters made mincemeat of Canadian bowling, guiding their team to a resounding victory in the end.

Team US may have to pull out a miracle to win the next match when they face the World’s No. 1 ranked team India in their next match on June 12 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

India has already got a hang of the venue as they played and convincingly beat Bangladesh in a practice match played on Saturday, May 31. India, ranked among the favorites to lift the trophy when the final is played at Bridgetown, Barbados on June 29, is scheduled to play its first match against Ireland on June 5, to be followed by the mouth-watering and much-awaited match against Pakistan on June 9 at the same venue.

Incidentally, the India-Pakistan clash always evokes sentiments and emotions, more so since they do not play bilateral cricket any longer due to the deterioration of ties between the two neighbors. The organizers ensure that both these teams are placed in the same group to ensure they play against each other at least once. It is always a bonus if they clash in the knockout stages of any tournament.

Another such famous rivalry is the matches between England and Australia. They clash in Barbados on June 8. The US-Canada matches in other sports evoke almost the same response otherwise. The Saturday clash between the two sides on a cricket field has the seeds of turning out to be a mega-blockbuster event in the future if both teams manage to continue their progress in international cricket.

 

[Above photo: Canada’s Pargat Singh gets runout by United States’ Monank Patel (wk) in the opening match of the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024, at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Sunday. (ANI Photo)]

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