Canada concluded their Florida tour with two T20 matches against the USA. They easily won the first, thanks to half-centuries from Cheema and Patel, and a solid effort in the field. However, their hopes for a clean sweep of the series were dashed by a strong US performance in the final game, which they lost by 46 runs.
Dreamcricket report
After a start delayed due to overnight rain, Canada batted first in Game 1. After Patel took a single off the first ball of the game, Cheema smashed 24 from the next 5 balls – three fours and two sixes. This prompted an immediate bowling change to McGarrell’s spin, who exerted some control conceding just 4 runs from two overs. Cheema reached his fifty out of 80 in 26 balls, with three sixes and five fours. At the halfway point Canada were 81/0. He hit one more boundary before being bowled attempting an ambitious reverse-sweep. Patel went the offensive with a big six helping bring up the hundred in the 13th over. Gunasekera made three before being well caught at mid-wicket. Patel reached his fifty from 49 balls. The USA did well to keep the scoring mostly to singles in the final overs, and Rahman was caught at long off trying to reach the ropes. Desorath was given leg before next ball – 127/4. It became three wickets in three balls, when Patel was caught off the first ball of the next over for 54. Wickets tumbled as the innings wound down, and Canada closed on 148/8.
Surujbally matched Cheema by hitting the first five balls of the innings for boundaries, four hooks from short balls on leg stump, and a glided drive to third man – 23 off the first over. He however was forced to retire hurt with a pulled hamstring in the third over. Cheema and Siddiqui took wickets to peg the USA back, but the USA fifty came up in the 7th over. Yesterday’s star Raza Rehman came on and had Corns well caught off his second ball – 53-3. After 10 overs USA were 70/3. Manny Aulakh bowled well on the occasion of his birthday, and earned a well deserved wicket when Stanford was lbw. Desorath got into the action, having Bhatti stumped, then Rehman had McGarrell caught by Patel -88/6. A desperate slog from Patel resulted in the 7th wicket, as Canada took control. Jeremy Gordon came back with a double wicket maiden to give Canada a 36 run win.
In the second game the US, batting first, got off to a fast start against the Canadian pacers, led by Perkins who eventually fell to Siddiqui for 32. The hundred came up in the 13th over for the loss of one further wicket. A 55 ball innings of 67 not out from Patel led the Americans to a good total of 162. Canada, batting in fading light, augmented by floodlights, struggled from the start, losing wickets and falling behind the run rate. Several batsmen made promising starts but no-one was able to play the major innings required. Raza Rahman top scored although in a lost cause and the US won by 46 runs.
Game 2 scorecard