Team USA will be left to rue a missed opportunity as they came us just 13 runs short to Guyana Jaguars after a tight fought tussle that went right the way all 100 overs of the match.
Captain Saurabh Netravalkar won the toss and has no hesitation in deciding to bowl first after some intermittent rain that carried on to cause a few interruptions to the first innings. Netravalkar himself took the new ball and was outstanding throughout his opening spell that featured 4 maidens and an early strike as USA got right on top early.
One of the two debutants for USA in the shape of Cameron Stevenson shared the new ball with Netravalkar and he produced a real beauty to get the second breakthrough as he bowled Savory for a moment he won’t forget.
At the half-way stage of the first innings, USA remained on top with the score 69 for 3 but the 3rd wicket, that came in the 25th over, brought Christopher Barnwall to the wicket and he played an innings that completely changed the tempo of the game.
He struck 80 off just 63 deliveries including 4 x sixes before Ian Holland claimed a maiden international wicket for USA in what was a tidy spell of 2 for 35 from his 10 overs. Karima Gore and the returning Netravalkar then set about finishing off the Guyana innings with 5 wickets shared between them. Gore’s figures of 3 for 38 were the stand-out of the match as Guyana were bowled all out off the final ball of their innings for 226.
Two debutants for #TeamUSA🇺🇸 as both Ian Holland & Cameron Stevenson will make their USA debuts today!🙌
Stevenson will wear #13 and Holland #26 and we wish them every success in their careers in USA colors
MATCH CENTER➡️: https://t.co/PMQm0FCKa1#WeAreUSACricket🇺🇸 #Super50 pic.twitter.com/ZiErRpLqBz
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) November 11, 2019
Scoring proved difficult at the start of the innings for USA, much as it had for the Jaguars earlier in the day and Sagar Patel fell in the 8th over with the score just 21 for 1 but a fluent partnership between Monank Patel and Steven Taylor put USA back on top of the game at 59 for 1 in the 16th over before a crucial moment in the match.
Taylor was adjudged LBW to Ramaal Lewis and didn’t look pleased by the decision but that wicket proved to be a momentum killer for the USA innings as despite a fighting effort from Monank Patel who top scored with 43, wickets began to fall regularly as the required run-rate started to become a factor in the chase.
There were good contributions from Holland with 28, Homraj with 32 and Gore with 17 but there was just too much left for Netravalkar and Timil Patel at the tail-end of the innings and despite a fighting effort USA came up just 13 runs short of a first Group B win in this year’s Super50.
Raymond Reifer was the star with the ball for Guyana as his left-arm seam ended with a match-winning 5 for 35.
1⃣3⃣ runs short! So close but yet so far tonight for #TeamUSA🇺🇸 as Guyana Jaguars are inspired by Raymond Reifer's 5 wicket haul to close out a narrow win against a strong performing USA at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad
FULL SCORECARD➡️: https://t.co/PMQm0FCKa1#Super50 pic.twitter.com/ippHPKyOu8
— USA Cricket (@usacricket) November 12, 2019
Tomorrow is a day off for Team USA before our first game against the Windward Island Volcanoes on Wednesday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium.
Score in brief:
Guyana Jaguars beat USA by 13 runs at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Guyana Jaguars 226 All Out 50.0 Overs (Christopher Barnwall 80, Karima Gore 3-38, Saurabh Netravalkar 2-20, Ian Holland 2-35)
USA 213 for 9 50.0 Overs (Monank Patel 43, Akshay Homraj 32, Raymond Reifer 5 for 35)
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
November 15 USA vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force
November 19 USA vs West Indies Emerging Players
November 21 USA vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force
November 23 USA vs Windward Island Volcanoes
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
