USA Clinches T20 Series Against Canada in World Cup Prep
USA v Canada Scorecard
Boosting their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, USA triumphed over Canada with a four-wicket victory in the final T20I of the series on 13 April.
Canada, led by skipper Saad Bin Zafar, chose to bat first, setting a challenging total of 168/5, thanks to notable performances from Aaron Johnson (33), Harsh Thaker (38), and Dilpreet Singh (33). USA’s bowlers, Sauarbh Netravalkar (1/29), Shadley van Schalkwyk (2/42), and Nisarg Patel (1/22), made significant contributions.
USA faced an early setback with Rishiv Joshi and Saad claiming early wickets, leaving the team at a precarious 9/3. However, former Canada international Nitish Kumar led a spirited fightback for USA, scoring a quickfire 64 off just 38 balls. Harmeet Singh and Nisarg Patel played crucial roles in securing the win with four wickets in hand.
Nitish was awarded Player of the Match for his game-changing innings.
As co-hosts of the T20 World Cup, USA maintained their winning momentum, having already clinched the series 3-0 before the final game.
USA started the series on a high, winning the first game by six wickets, chasing down Canada’s target of 132 in 17.3 overs. Nosthusha Kenjige was the standout performer with 3/21.
In the second match, USA set a record with their highest-ever total in T20I cricket, posting an imposing 230/3. Steven Taylor (54 from 25), Monank Patel (68 from 35), and Andries Gous (57 off 35) led the charge. Despite Aaron’s brilliant 74, Canada fell short by 31 runs.
The third match was abandoned, while USA sealed the series in the fourth game with a 14-run victory. Harmeet’s quickfire 34* from 17 and a career-best 4/18 bowling performance kept Canada to 145/6.
Harmeet Singh was named Player of the Series for his all-round performance, claiming six wickets at an average of 12.66 and scoring 48 runs. Monank Patel (120 runs at a strike rate of 169) and Steven Taylor (115 runs at a strike rate of 159.72) were the top run-scorers for USA. Schalkwyk claimed six wickets at an average of 22.16, with Netravalkar supporting with five wickets at an average of 20.8.
For Canada, Johnson led the scoring with 124 runs at a strike rate of 144.18, while skipper Saad was the leading wicket-taker with five wickets at 18.6.
The series served as an excellent platform for both teams to refine their squads ahead of the T20 World Cup, where they will compete in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, and Ireland.
USA and Canada will meet again in the opening match of the T20 World Cup on 1 June.