USA Men’s National Team continued their perfect week on home soil as a superb bowling performance from Karima Gore coupled with a gritty innings from Monank Patel secured a third win for the hosts in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 in Florida.
USA won the toss and had elected to bat first under blue skies in Fort Lauderdale but lost their first wicket in just the 3rd over and were struggling after 19 overs with the score on 63 for 5. The Papua New Guinea seam bowlers did the early damage but when spinners Jason Kila and Lega Siaka came into the attack, USA were reduced to 100 for 7 and in deep trouble.
Monank Patel led the fightback and he went on to make the only half-century of the match, scoring 66 runs. 26-year-old Patel and the 37-year-old veteran Elmore Hutchinson built a partnership of 48 before a late contribution from Jessy Singh helped steer USA up to a defendable total. It was in the 46th over, Nosaina Pokana, now the leading wicket-taker (12) for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2, finally dismissed Monank Patel, and PNG were able to bowl USA All Out for a total of 177.
Monank Patel top scored for USA © ICC/Peter Della Penna
Rain then briefly interrupted the match but fortunately no overs were lost and PNG required 178 to get their first win of ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, their chase started off well until Steven Taylor took the wicket of Tony Ura (19) in the 7th over, with a brilliant catch from Timil Patel. In the very next over, USA’s captain Saurabh Netravalakar took the wicket of Gaudi Toka (6) and USA looked like they were back in the game.
PNG’s captain, Assad Vala put pressure on USA by hitting a few boundaries, but in the 23rd over, Nisarg Patel provided the critical breakthrough before Karima Gore’s wonderful spell of left-arm spin bowling turned the game on its head. The 21 year-old Gore bowled a quite brilliant triple-wicket maiden as USA’s bowlers took control and brought the match back in their hands and PNG collapsed from 87 for 3 to 115 all out. Karima Gore finished with 4 for 20 from 10 Overs and the Player of the match award as USA won by 62 runs.
The result means that the United States are now on top of the ICC Men’s World Cup League 2 Table. USA will be hoping for a fourth win as they play their final match of the tri-series against Namibia tomorrow. PNG has 2 more matches, both against Namibia.
Player of the Match, USA’s Karima Gore said: “My basic plan was to bowl a lot of dot balls and feel as the guys really came around me with the support. Which helped give me confidence and put a good plan too.”
Score in brief:
USA beat PNG by 62 runs at Fort Lauderhill, FL, USA
USA 177 All Out 48.1 Overs (Monank Patel, 66, Elmore Hutchinson, 28; Karima Gore 4-20)
PNG 115 All Out 38.1 Overs (Assad Vala, 38, Tony Ura; Nosaina Pokana 3-44)
Remaining Schedule:
Friday September 20: USA v Namibia (09:45)
Sunday September 22: PNG v Namibia (09:45)
Monday September 23: Namibia v PNG (09:45)
STANDINGS
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 standings
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/USA)
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)
Jaskaran Malhotra (Triggers Cricket Club, Houston Cricket League)
Xavier Marshall (Villagers Athletic Sports Club, New York Metropolitan 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)
Rusty Theron (Potomac Cricket Club, Washington Cricket League)
