Canada’s last game in the Group phase of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier this year is against Afghanistan. Looking on the bright side of life, Canada beat Afghanistan thanks to a single by Hamza Tariq to end a T20 game that was part of Cricket Canada’s 2011 Etihad Summer Festival. Hamza Tariq’s 33* brought him the Man of the Match award.

Afghanistan scored 140/9 from 20 overs with Mohammad Shahzad making 31 and Mohammad Nabi 29. Riwan Cheema picked up 2 wickets for 13 runs with his medium pace bowling and Hiral Patel took 3 wickets for just 2 runs from his one over.

Hiral Patel scored 33 at the top of the Canadian batting order and Cheema chipped in with 19 before Usman Limbada and Hamza Tariq gave Canada the chance of victory. Limbada went on to make 24 but Hamza Tariq hit some boundaries and picked up the winning single with the field closing in for the last few balls of Canada’s innings on August 12, 2011. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi took 3/11 in a useful all-round performance.

Hamza began the 2011 Etihad Cricket Festival with a game winning knock of 61* against the USA on August 11th. Canada tallied 158/5 from 20 overs, including 39 from Hiral Patel. USA replied with 86/7 from 20 overs. Jignesh Desai lead the US batting with 34. Rizwan Cheema took 2/9, Khurram Chohan 2/13 and Parth Desai 2/14.

Jimmy Hansra top-scored with 24 when Canada struggled to 111/9 in the closing game against Trinidad & Tobago (August 13). Adrian Barath lead the T&T response with 68* and Jason Mohammed chipped in with 30.
But overall, several of Canada’s current squad produced some useful performances back in that 2011 Etihad Summer Festival. Hopefully these players and other squad members can repeat some past quality efforts during in this ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier as Canada attempts the climb back up the ICC Associates and Affiliates ladder.

Eddie Norfolk