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By Peter Della Penna in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Official Scorecard I Ball-by-Ball Commentary

Playing in his first match for the national team since 2008, Gowkaran Roopnarine scored 59 not out to lead USA past Suriname by 50 runs on Duckworth-Lewis Method on the first day of the 2011 ICC Americas Division One T20 tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida.

“It was easy for me to get physically fit, but what was hard for me was to get mentally ready,” said Roopnarine about the transformation of his game to get back into the national team. “I’m an aggressive batsman and sometimes I get carried away not choosing the right balls to hit. Over the last year I’ve been working on my game basically while working on my fitness, concentration, picking the right balls to hit, know when to get going and when to stop, know when to rotate the strike. By rededicating myself that way mentally besides the physical part, I really believe my game has improved a little.”

USA won the toss and elected to bat first but moments before the match was set to begin, a lightning detection alarm went off and sent the players off for an 85-minute delay. The game was then reduced from a 20-over match to 13 overs.

When play finally got underway, Roopnarine and Sushil Nadkarni got USA off to a scorching start and the team never looked back. The two added 75 runs for the first wicket as Roopnarine reached 50 in 37 balls with five boundaries and a six. Nadkarni did his bit to demoralize the Suriname attack, launching Vishaul Singh over midwicket for a massive six. Nadkarni hit 26 in 15 balls before top edging a slog to deep midwicket where Arun Gokoel took a simple catch to give Sauid Drepaul one of the two wickets taken by Suriname on the day.

Yet, there was no respite for Suriname at the fall of the first wicket as Quasen Alfred unleashed a ferocious assault on debut. He crushed Drepaul for three sixes off consecutive deliveries in the 10th over before being bowled by Sanjay Oemraw in the 11th over for 20 in 8 balls. Timroy Allen came out to bat, in his first appearance for USA since returning from an injury suffered at WCL Division Four last August in Italy, and hit one six in his short stay at the crease before walking off 10 not out as USA finished at 124 for 2 in their 13 overs.

Usman Shuja and Muhammad Ghous contained in their spells without taking wickets as Suriname struggled to get things moving at the start of their chase. It was USA’s fielders who did the most damage with the ball as four runouts took place in Suriname’s innings. The first happened in the second over as Singh pushed a Ghous delivery to Bhim George at mid off where George fielded and fired a direct hit to send Singh on his way for 2.

In the 9th over, George struck twice with his left-arm spin to remove Mohindra Boodram for 25 and Drepaul for 17 while another run out took place courtesy of teamwork between Orlando Baker and George to remove Troy Dudnath for 1. Suriname fell from 42 for 1 to 48 for 4 and the match was sealed for USA. Ghous and wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson teamed up for the next runout in the 10th over before Baker and Allen combined for the fourth runout and sixth wicket. Suriname was 58 for 6 two balls into the 12th over bowled by Steve Massiah when the lightning alert was sounded for the second time and the match was ended.

In the first match of the day, Bermuda beat Argentina by three wickets. Gary Savage was the backbone of Argentina’s innings, scoring 38 before falling in the 20th over as Argentina finished at 93 for 9. Malachi Jones was the pick of the bowlers for Bermuda, taking 3 for 10 in four overs.

Lionel Cann guided the chase from beginning to end for Bermuda, scoring 55 not out in 42 balls with a four and three sixes. Argentina captain Esteban MacDermott took 3 for 9 bowling off-spin. After Rodney Trott was stumped off MacDermott charging down the track on the last ball of the 15th over, momentum was in Argentina’s favor with Bermuda sinking to 65 for 6. However, Cann kept cool and a series of misfields by Argentina relieved some of the pressure at the crease. Bermuda entered the final over needing seven runs to win but Cann hit a six off the first ball from Donald Forrester before smacking another six over midwicket two balls later to bring up his half-century and end the game at once. The match between Cayman Islands and Canada was still in progress at the time this article was published.