In a game that ebbed and flowed throughout the afternoon and evening at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, USA came up just short in a fighting performance against the Barbados Pride in the crucial Group B match of the Super50 that sets the group wide open with 4 sides all chasing Jamaica who are unbeaten and well clear at the top of the table.
Steven Taylor was the star with the bat for USA helping his team to recover after the early loss of Patel and Jaskaran Malhotra was forced to retire hurt soon after. Alex Amsterdam and Taylor built an impressive 2nd wicket partnership, the largest of the Super 50 this year for USA, as Taylor notched USA’s first 50 of the tournament to go with it.
The promise of that partnership however was soon stunted by a steady flow of wickets as 98 for 1 became 135 for 6 and USA looked in deep trouble, but as Malhotra returned to the crease from his injury he found a wonderful ally in Elmore Hutchinson who found some devastating six hitting with the bat to drive a late USA surge which promised upwards of 200 at one stage.
His innings of 36 was the second highest of the innings and with the Kensington Oval pitch taking significant turn, USA’s total of 196 for 9 from their 50 overs might have been right around par.
USA needed early wickets like they had got against the Leewards in their victory at the same ground two days before, they couldn’t find them with the opening bowlers but Steven Taylor’s wonderful day continued with two wickets in his first over of off-spin and Barbados were wobbling at 41 for 2.
Wickets continued to fall regularly throughout the innings with the spinners proving particularly effective, Usman Ashraf bowled nicely to pick up two wickets, Timil Patel took one and Kenjige was unlucky to go without reward in his economical spell.
Despite the regular fall of wickets, the runs did keep coming for Barbados and it took a late cameo from former West Indies Under 19 star, Shamar Springer to get the hosts over the line and the celebrations showed just how relieved they were to get a first win in Group B over a valiant USA side who were so close to making in two wins in three days.
It’s a break now for Team USA and they will wait four days until their next match on Tuesday the 16th October against the Barbados Pride again but this time at the 3 W’s Oval, you can see the schedule in full here.
#TeamUSA?? come up just short! A fighting performance with the ball but Barbados?? Pride just got over the line despite losing 7 wickets.
Well played to our hosts and congratulations on their win here tonight, it is still all the play for in Group B of the #Super50? pic.twitter.com/HNGqog01pG
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) October 13, 2018
