Theron closes out thriller for USA to beat Guyana

Team USA finished their Super50 campaign in perfect style with a win that also deprived the Guyana Jaguars of a place in the semi-finals of the tournament in a thrilling rain-affected match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

Captain Saurabh Netravalkar won the toss and has no hesitation in deciding to bat first after there was again intermittent rain that carried on to cause a few interruptions throughout the evening meaning.

USA Head Coach James Pamment had been calling on his top-order batsmen to play big innings and after Xavier Marshall’s big innings, this time it was the turn of Monank Patel to show his class. He made a glorious 85 with a mixture of elegant drives and bludgeoning power that brought him 3 maximums.

Aaron Jones also continued his revival in form with the bat with a classy 37 but the innings that really changed the game for USA was Ian Holland’s blazing knock of 59 not out. Coming to the crease after another rain delay had shortened the match to 41 overs a side, USA needed some momentum and Holland chose a fine time to play his finest international innings to date.

He struck 59 off just 37 deliveries including 3 x sixes and was well supported by Patel and a fine 5 ball cameo of 12 from Elmore Hutchinson as USA powered their way to 230 for 5 from 41 overs with their best run-rate of the competition batting first.

Duckworth Lewis Stern then adjusted that total up to 242 that Guyana needed to chase but after yet another stoppage for rain the final adjustment left Guyana requiring 222 from 36 overs.

Karima Gore was fantastic with the ball in the middle overs for USA again and made the second breakthrough after an early Netravalkar wicket-maiden. Gore’s pressure also led to a run-out as Guyana’s middle order showed the pressure of a must-win match as USA got the squeeze on throughout the second innings.

Christopher Barnwall, USA’s nemesis from the first match between the sides however swung the game back in Guyana’s favor with a fifty that included 4  x sixes and when Jonathan Foo started to find the boundary quickly too the game hung right in the balance.

Tricky death overs were well delivered by Netravalkar who finished with 3 wickets and Ian Holland, but when Holland’s final ball of the penultimate over of the match was smashed for a glorious straight 6 by Foo, Guyana looked to be on track with 11 required off the final over.

Step up Rusty Theron who called on all of his international experience to deliver a quite stunning final over, just 2 runs came from it, coupled with 2 wickets including the big dismissal of Foo bowled for an excellent 41 off 22 deliveries and Theron had sealed a memorable win for Team USA.

Monank Patel was named as the Man of the Match for his brilliant innings of 85 earlier in the day and USA finished with a record of 2 wins from 8 matches as they finish their Super50 campaign in Trinidad.

So the perfect end to preparations for Team USA for their crucial tour of the UAE for the upcoming challenge of UAE and Scotland in the latest round of ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 matches next month. The squad for the tour will be named this week.

Score in brief:

USA beat Guyana Jaguars by 8 runs at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium, Trinidad

USA 213 for 9, 41.0 Overs (Monank Patel 85, Ian Holland 59, Akshay Homraj 32, Aaron Jones 37)

Guyana Jaguars 213 for 7, 41.0 Overs (Christopher Barnwall 54, Saurabh Netravalkar 3-42, Rusty Theron 2-44, Karima Gore 1-25)

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 – Won by 8 runs

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)