For the second match in a row, Canada and USA have contested a thrilling T20- and this time the US came out on top. Canada made a good total of 178/8 batting first after at one point being 98/6. Nikhil Dutta made 31, as did Hamza Tariq, with Rizwan Cheema contributing 27. Canada seemed to have the game well in hand when the USA were 65/6, but a brilliant innings of 96 by Steve Taylor, culminating with 22 from the final over won the match for the USA.
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Canada won the toss and batted first, with the match now under way after the start was delayed 30 minutes. Wijeyeratne and Dhaliwal opened the batting for Canada and got off to a good start, putting on 34 before Wijeratne (19) lofted a skier to cover. Dhaliwal (17) followed in the same over, hitting a short ball down the throat of the fielder at deep square, placed there for the shot. Abraash Khan joined Kumar, and struck the wicket-taker Hutchinson for two boundaries in his next over a classy cut and a powerful pull. They fifty came up in the 7th over. The introduction of spin saw the demise of Kumar, clean bowled trying to cut a straight good length ball. Abraash Khan had been playing well but hit a sweep shot to deep square leg- out for 19, Canada 4 down with 67 on the board. Kenjige had taken 2/5 but Hamza Tariq spoiled his analysis with two sixes in the over. Saad Bin Zafar called for a suicidal run to mid-off and paid the penalty – a direct hit saw him on his way. Hamza Tariq made 31 before falling to a good catch, taken over the shoulder running back. Cheema had been kept off strike and relatively quiet but hit out in the 16th over with two straight sixes. He hit another six in the next over but then holed out to point for 27. Heyliger was yorked for a golden duck. Nikhil Dutta batted well, and hit the last two balls of the final over for four, then six to take Canada to 173/8.
Cecil Pervez opened the bowling for Canada, and struck in his first over, when Patel played all around a straight ball and was bowled. Malhotra hit Heyliger for a couple of boundaries but was caught behind, trying another big hit – 34/2 in the 4th over. Junaid Siddiqui was brought on early and bowled Solal in the 6th over. Nitish Kumar has been in fine form with the ball, and had Silva leg before 54/4 in 7 overs. Dutta took two wickets in the 9th over – Khaleel to an excellent catch by Junaid Siddiqui at point, and hutchinson caught behind as the USA slumped to 65/6. Steve Taylor who had been batting patiently started to attack, and Patel proved a good partner as they kept USA in the match. With 5 overs left they needed 65 runs. Pervez broke the partnership (worth 47), bowling Patel. Taylor reached his fifty with a six off Dutta. It seemed as though a brilliant relay catch on the boundary had ended his innings but the umpires thought otherwise- another six, and twenty runs from the over kept the game alive. Brilliant work by Hamza Tariq behind the stumps ran out Netravalkar – 8 down. Taylor was still there, and with 2 overs left 29 were needed. Heyliger conceded 7 runs from the 19th, leaving Junaid Siddiqui to defend 22 in the 20th.
His first ball was well pitched up on the leg stump and disappeared over mid wicket. The next two were hit to the outfield and good running kept Taylor on strike with twos. With 12 to win, Taylor smashed the next two balls- both full tosses – for 6, and a win with a ball to spare.