Adverse weather in Trinidad and a fine Windward Island Volcanoes performance conspired to prevent a 2nd Group B win in the Super50 for Team USA in the narrowest of circumstances at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium in Trinidad.
Captain Saurabh Netravalkar lost the toss after a rain-filled morning which was a sign of the weather to come later in the day, USA were asked to bowl first and for the first 10 over it was all the Windwards with Devon Smith and Desron Moloney leading the USA to chase leather early, by the time Smith fell to a brilliant Steven Taylor catch the Caribbean side were 83 for 2 inside 15 overs.
Much of the rest of the first innings it was a case of clawing back the run-rate and taking crucial wickets when USA could and they were given the breakthroughs in the middle overs by the two left-arm spinners with Gore continuing his wicket taking run to finish with 1 for 30 from his 7 overs but Nosthush Kenjige being particularly impressive with his 1 for 36 from his full 10 over allotment.
Equally impressive was the bowling at the death as the Windwards looked to accelerate as both Rusty Theron and Saurabh Netravalkar stifled the momentum with wickets at the end of the innings coming from the combination of yorkers and slower-balls that were effectively used to give both bowlers 3 wickets and bowl the Volcanoes out inside their 50 overs for 264.
??Stevenson at the double! After a flying start from the Windwards, #TeamUSA?? are fighting back well, Cameron Stevenson has both wickets, the 2nd one coming from a brilliant Steven Taylor catch
?MATCH CENTER➡️: https://t.co/fpSVzE0jzA
?WATCH LIVE➡️: https://t.co/mmyO8k8Gz0 pic.twitter.com/lCN5Uk3dRd
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) November 23, 2019
It wasn’t the ideal start for USA as both Monank Patel and Steven Taylor fell for low-scores but right from the off both Aaron Jones and in particular Xavier Marshall looked in brilliant touch.
Having had a couple of minor stoppages during the first innings the rain continued to interrupt proceedings in the second innings and after several stoppages which initially led to a one over reduction in the chase, another stoppage then reduced another 3 overs from the chase to leave USA with a DLS target of 253 from 46 Overs, just 12 runs came off the required total at the cost of those 4 overs for USA.
The continued stoppages did neither side any favors and it seemed every time USA were building momentum, yet another shower came down to bring the players off for a short period. The promising Jones and Marshall partnership ended just after USA brought their 100 up in the 23rd over after the two had put on 81 runs.
Marshall was in trouble of running out of partners as Holland and Homraj both fell cheaply and Marshall must have been thinking of another 100 in American colors but he fell looking to up the run-rate even further for a brilliant 79 off 95 balls including 4 x Sixes as Marshall completed a 2nd fifty of the tournament.
Any thoughts of the game being over though were very premature as Karima Gore, Rusty Theron and finally Saurabh Netravalkar all fought to the very death with some big hitting getting USA closer and closer to the target.
But 18 runs from the final over proved to be just to big a hurdle in the end and Netravalkar was the final man dismissed looking for one of the two final big hits that USA were short by and the Windwards won the day by just 11 runs.
ALL OVER: So close for #TeamUSA?? who come up *just* short of the adjusted total and we are bowled out in the final over to lose by 11 run on DLS
FULL SCORECARD➡️: https://t.co/PMQm0FCKa1#Super50 pic.twitter.com/c0ate2oBg0
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) November 24, 2019
Tomorrow is a day off for Team USA before our final match of the Super50 against the Guyana Jaguars at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium on Monday.
Score in brief:
Windward Island Volcanoes beat USA by 11 runs (DLS Method) at Brian Lara Cricket Stadium, Trinidad
Windward Island Volcanoes 264 All Out 49.2 Overs (Devon Smith 45, Jessy Singh 2 for 24, Rusty Theron 3 for 48, Saurabh Netravalkar 3 for 60)
USA 241 All Out 45.5 Overs (Xavier Marshall 79, Aaron Jones 37, Rusty Theron 28, Keron Cottoy 3 for 38)
Team USA’s schedule for the Super 50 is as follows:
November 9 USA vs West Indies Emerging Players – Lost by 6 Wickets
November 11 USA vs Guyana Jaguars – Lost by 13 runs
November 13 USA vs Windward Island Volcanoes – Lost by 43 runs
November 15 USA vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force – Lost by 43 runs
November 19 USA vs West Indies Emerging Players – Won by 43 runs
November 21 USA vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force – Lost by 7 wickets
November 23 USA vs Windward Island Volcanoes – – Lost by 11 runs (DLS Method)
November 25 USA vs Guyana Jaguars
See the full schedule by clicking here.
Team USA squad:
Saurabh Netravalkar (C – Marin 1, Northern California Cricket Association)
Steven Taylor (VC – Sheffield Cricket Club, New York Metropolitan Cricket League)
Karima Gore (Antigua)
Ian Holland (Hampshire, England)
Akshay Homraj (Galaxy Cricket Club, Eastern American Cricket Association)
Elmore Hutchinson (Caribbean CC, Southern California Cricket Association)
Aaron Jones (Atlantis Cricket Club, New York Metropolitan Cricket League)
Nosthush Kenjige (Atlantis Cricket Club, New York Metropolitan Cricket League)
Xavier Marshall (Triggers Cricket Club, Houston Cricket League)
Monank Patel (Freedom Cricket Club, Cricket League of New Jersey)
Nisarg Patel (Vijayta Cricket Club, Southern California Cricket Association)
Sagar Patel (Indian Lions, ArkTenn Cricket League)
Timil Patel (Vijayta Cricket Club, Southern California Cricket Association)
Jasdeep Singh (Smashers Cricket Club, Cricket League of New Jersey)
Cameron Stevenson (Carlton Cricket Club, Australia)
Rusty Theron (Potomac Cricket Club, Washington Cricket League)*
*Rusty Theron will join the squad from Game 5 onwards
