Canada beat USA by 7 wickets By Sham Samaroo
June 5, 2010
Team USA suffered yet another loss to neighbors Canada on day two of the ICC Americas T20 Cup. Asked to take first strike, Team USA lost two quick wickets – Carl Wright for one and Lennox Cush without scoring. Opener Sushil Nadkarni continued his fine form scoring 22 from 16 (3x4 and 1x6), and shared in a 24-run 3rd wicket partnership with his skipper Steve Massiah. Massiah featured in three crucial partnerships, but each time USA seemed ready to take control a wicket fell. When Nadkarni departed, Aditya Thyagarajan joined Massiah in a 22-run 4th wicket partnership. At the end of 10 overs, USA were 66 for 3 and appeared to have fully weathered the early storm. But as happened so often in the recent past, USA once again suffered a middle order collapse losing Thyagarajan for 17, and both Orlando Baker and Rashard Marshall without scoring as USA went from a respectable 66 for 3 to an embarrassing 67 for 6.
Wicketkeeper Ashhar Medhi then joined his skipper and the two staged a mini – recovery sharing in a 35-run partnership to take USA to 102. But once again USA lost two quick wickets – Massiah for a well played 35 from 36 (4x4 and 1x6) and Medhi for 9. Timroy Allen managed 14 at the end as USA folded for 126. Colvert Hooper was the pick of the bowlers for Canada taking 3 for 21 from his four overs.
When Canada took to the crease, Allen snared both openers but a 54-run partnership between Hiral Patel (40) and Zubin Surkari (42 not out) set the stage for a comfortable 7-wicket victory. Despite the loss, Team USA’s victory over Argentina assures them of a spot in the semifinals against host Bermuda. A win against Bermuda could see a rematch with Canada in the finals. Canada’s record to date (undefeated in 7 games) shows that the team has benefitted enormously from its experiences at the international level having forged ahead in the last few years earning ODI status and the opportunity to play in the big league. Much of that time, Team USA was sitting at home serving its suspension from the ICC, and suffering relegation through no fault of the players but that of an inept administration.
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