ICC CWC Challenge League A: 19 September 2019 at Kinrara Oval, Kuala Lumpur): Result: Canada 408/7 (50 overs) beat Malaysia 202 all out (46.3 overs) by 206 runs.
Canada lost the toss, was asked to bat first against Malaysia and responded with an impressive total of 408 for 7 wickets and won by 206 runs in Thursday’s (19 Sept 2019) ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League A game in Kuala Lumpur. Captain Navneet Dhaliwal and Rodrigo Thomas fired 140 runs fired runs for the first wicket before Thomas drove fiercely down the track to be caught and bowled by Anwar Rahman for 62. Dhaliwal went on to reach his century with a shot for 2 in the xth over and was caught off the last ball of the 31st over after striking each of the previous five deliveries for 6.
Dhaliwal’s 31st over fireworks lifted Canada to 240/2 and capped a second wicket with Nitish Kumar at an even 100. Kumar went on to strike 60 runs from 50 balls before being caught two balls into the last ten overs of the innings. Ravinderpal Singh, who recently hit xxx against xx in the ICC Americas T20 Championship, hit powerfully before being caught off the last ball of Canada’s 50 overs for 94. Ravinderpal Singh’s knock included 2 sixes in the 45th over and three from the 47th over off spinner Suharril Fehtri in leading a seventh wicket stand of 99 in 7.3 overs with Harsh Thaker (18*).
Dilon Heyliger caught Syed Aziz for 9 off left-arm pacer Romesh Eranga as Canada picked up a first wicket at 15 (2.4 overs). Heyliger, a right-arm seamer, had Shaifq Sharif caught by wicketkeeper Hamza Tariq for 13 to leave Malaysia 31/2 after 5.4 overs. Malaysian captain Ahmed Faiz struck 41 from 55 balls, including 5 boundaries, before he was caught by Saad Bin Zafar to bring off-spinner Nitish Kumar the first of three wickets. Ahmed Faiz dismissal left Malaysia 84/3 from 19.1 overs and new batsman Muhammad Suhqyadat was soon run out for 5 to leave Malaysia struggling on 91/4 after 21 overs chasing Canada’s total of 408.
Aminuddin Ramly hit 3 boundaries in making 25 runs before being bowled by Saad Bin Zafar. Four balls later, without a run added, Virandeep Singh was caught in the covers by Nitish Kumar off Romesh Eranga and Canada was strongly placed with Malaysia 143 for 6 from 32.2 overs. Virendeep Singh had scored 35 from 67 balls.
Nitish Kumar captured the next two wickets as Navneet Dhaliwal caught Norwira Zazmie for 16 to end the 40th over (175/7) then Harsh Thaker caught Suharril Fehtri for 21 to leave Malaysia on 188/8 after 41.4 overs. Rodrigo Thomas caught Dhivendran Mogan for 6 off Heyliger (199/9) and the Malaysian innings ended with the run out of Anwar Rahman for 8.
So Malaysia 202 all out after 46.3 overs and an important win and a win by a big margin for Canada that boosts morale and the net run rate.
In Thursday’s other game, played at the Selangor Turf Club, Singapore scored 249/7 from 50 overs then bowled out Denmark for 213 all out (50 overs) to win by 36 runs. Tim David, who has playing experience in Australia’s Big Bash League, lead the Singapore with 97 from 75 balls.
David made 75 in Singapore’s opening win against Denmark.
Qatar (W 1, L 0) play Malaysia (W 1, L1) in the next pair of games on Friday. Canada (W 2, L 0) next two matches are against Qatar on Sunday and Denmark on Wednesday at the Kinrara Oval, scene of today’s big win against Malaysia. Canada’s last game is against Singapore at the Selangor Turf Club next Thursday, a wicket where the ball moved around in the air and off the pitch in Canada’s opening win against Vanuatu.
Challenge League A Standings (after 19 Sept 2019 matches)
Canada Won 2, Lost 0, Net Run Rate (NRR) +3.319 Qatar Won 1, Lost 0, NRR +0.38
Singapore Won 1, Lost 1, NRR +0.17
Malaysia Won 1, Lost 1, NRR -0.8
Vanuatu Won 0, Lost 1, NRR -1.831