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By Peter Della Penna
First innings scorecard powered by New Inning Foundation
Second innings scorecard powered by New Inning Foundation
Canada captain Jimmy Hansra’s all-round efforts were the difference
for Canada on Tuesday as his side defeated USA by 34 runs to retain the
K.A. Auty Cup at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club in
Toronto to end the 2011 Etihad Summer Cricket Festival. Hansra scored
100 in 89 balls before taking 3 for 39 to help bowl USA out for 270 as
they failed to chase a stiff target of 305.
Having entered the day with a 73-run first innings deficit, USA made
solid inroads by getting Canada opener Khushroo Wadia out for 1, caught
behind off the bowling of George Adams, before fellow medium pacer Anand
Tummala dismissed Usman Limbada for 8 and Nitish Kumar for 0 to leave
Canada at 39 for 3.
USA was unable to sustain the pressure though as Hiral Patel forged
his second half-century of the match, scoring 80 and building an 87-run
partnership with Hansra to regain control for Canada. Patel was removed
by Muhammad Ghous, who took the wicket of Rizwan Cheema a short time
later for 21 to make it 161 for 5. Hansra went on to build another
half-century stand, this time with Rustam Bhatti as the two put on 70
for the sixth wicket. Hansra brought up his century in 88 balls with
seven fours and six sixes before being dismissed by Adams one ball later
after which Canada declared at 231 for 6 in 40 overs with a lead of
304.
USA made an aggressive start to the chase with opening batsmen Quasen
Alfred and Andy Mohammed scoring 38 off 28 balls and 33 off 27
respectively. Amir Nanjee could only add 3 before being dismissed by
Patel’s off-spin as USA went from a position of 68 for 0 to 84 for 3.
Hansra dented USA’s hopes further when he dismissed Bhim George and
Akeem Dodson off back-to-back deliveries to make it 131 for 5 and Charan
Singh also fell for a duck to Junaid Siddiqui to make it 131 for 6.
Tummala fought back with Jignesh Desai to put on 81 runs for the seventh
wicket, but Tummala finally fell for 63 to Siddiqui and Hussain Haider
fell one run later to Hansra to make it 213 for 8.
Desai added 48 runs with Ghous for the ninth wicket but there was too
much work left to do in the end. Desai eventually got out for 62 and
Ghous was last man out nine runs later for 39 as USA finished all out
for 270 in the 40th over. In addition to the three wickets taken by
Hansra’s off-spin, leg-spinner Siddiqui took 3 for 71 and left-arm
spinner Parth Desai 3 for 72 to thwart USA’s batsmen.