USA Cricketer : Aditya Thyagarajan, USA cricket

USA Cricket: Taylor breaks USA T20 record with 95 to spearhead two wins at 2013 ICC Americas T20

openingbat — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:59:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna in Lauderhill, Florida (on Twitter)

DreamCricket.com's coverage on site from the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament is sponsored by New Inning Foundation.

Scorecard vs. Cayman Islands I Commentary vs. Cayman Islands I Scorecard vs. Suriname I Commentary vs. Suriname

USA’s 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Taylor set a record for the highest score in Twenty20 cricket for a USA player with 95 in 59 balls to propel USA to a 100-run win over Cayman Islands on Monday at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. USA made a clean sweep for the day in the afternoon with a 79-run win over Suriname.

“It felt good because it was a long time playing local cricket and I wanted to play some competitive cricket so it felt good,” Taylor said. “[The wicket] played good. Nothing was keeping low. There was no odd bounce or nothing like that.”

In the morning match against Cayman Islands, USA won the toss and elected to bat first. After an initial setback with the dismissal of Timothy Surujbally for 6, Nicholas Standford joined Taylor at the wicket and the pair blasted the Cayman Islands batting unit to produce a 91-run stand for the second wicket. Taylor brought up his 50 off just 37 balls and celebrated by crunching the next delivery for his first six of the match.

Standford went on to score 34 in 30 balls before he was caught at midwicket off the bowling of Kevin Bazil to make it 119 for 2 in 14 overs. USA captain Orlando Baker came to the crease and gave excellent support to Taylor as the teenager pursued triple digits. A single in the 15th over gave Taylor the new record for a T20 score by a USA player as he passed Aditya Thyagarajan’s 72 not out against Ireland in 2010.

Taylor entered the 90s in the 18th over after clubbing his third six straight down the ground followed by a pair of twos to advance to 93. A two on the third ball of the 19th took him within one shot of reaching a century. On the next ball, he skipped down the track to try to hit a six but his attempt at glory fell short when he mistimed a drive in the air to Ronald Ebanks at long on to give Kervin Ebanks his second wicket while also denying Taylor a century that was well within his grasp.

Image (right) - Steven Taylor attemps to reach his century with this shot but only found the fielder at long on. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

Baker was run out on the final ball of the innings for 36 and USA ended on 185 for 4, their second highest total in Twenty20 cricket. The USA record is 193 for 5 against Bermuda in Sharjah last year at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. Kervin Ebanks was the only opposition bowler to come away with his reputation intact, taking 2 for 25 in four overs.

“Playing at the stadium, the total always you want to get is over 130,” Taylor said. “Once you get over 130, it’s going to be a hard chase.”

USA put pressure on Cayman Islands early with four wickets in the first eight overs. Elmore Hutchinson had Zachary McLaughlin caught behind for 10 in the third over before Japen Patel claimed two in two overs, Ramon Sealy and Omar Willis each for 6, to make it 24 for 3. Left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed struck with his third ball, bowling Abali Hoilett for 6 and from then on Cayman Islands set about batting out their overs, showing no interest in chasing the target.

Karan Ganesh and Steven Taylor combined to run out Ronald Ebanks off the bowling of Ahmed, who bowled a stifling spell of 1 for 6 in four overs. Cayman Islands put on a 30-run unbeaten stand over the final 6.2 overs to finish on 85 for 5. Patel had the best figures for USA with 2 for 7 in two overs. Conroy Wright finished 36 not out to top score for Cayman Islands.

In the afternoon game in the stadium, USA again won the toss and decided to bat first vs. Suriname. The host side made one change, subbing out Naseer Jamali so that Akeem Dodson could enter the starting eleven and keep wicket in place of Taylor.

Taylor and Surujbally opened the batting again and engineered USA’s third half-century stand of the match, 67 for the first wicket before Taylor was caught on the long on boundary for 28 off the bowling of Sauid Drepaul. Surujbally carried on to make 44 before he was dismissed after a juggling catch by Romell Douglass at long on to make it 88 for 2. Arun Gokoel took his second wicket when he dismissed Karan Ganesh for 27 to make it 152 for 3 in the 19th over. Ryan Corns was then run out on the next delivery trying to come back for a second run on the first ball he faced.

However, Dodson was on his way to 50 at that point. With Baker there for support, Dodson brought up his first half-century for USA at the senior level on the penultimate ball of the innings and then wrapped up USA’s 20 overs by cracking his fourth boundary straight down the ground. USA finished on 171 for 4 with Dodson 54 not out. Gokoel finished with 2 for 38 for Suriname.

Image (above) - Cayman Islands batsman Ronald Ebanks can't make his ground in time to beat the throw from Karan Ganesh to Steven Taylor. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

Once again, the USA bowling unit was too good for their opponents as Suriname stumbled their way to 26 for 5 inside the power play overs. Ahmed bowled with the new ball and was on a hat trick after dismissing both openers, Vishram Shaw and Shazaam Ramjohn, in the second over. Troy Dudnath was caught behind by Dodson off Hutchinson for 5 in the third before Suriname lost two in two balls again in the sixth over.

Suriname captain Mohindra Boodram was run out for 1 after a mixup with Andre Percival. On the next delivery, Percival slogged Corns to Taylor at long on for 10. It could have been even worse for Suriname had Barrington Bartley held on to a simple return chance off Drepaul in the eighth over when the batsman was on 3 and the score 32 for 5. Suriname took advantage of the lapse to put on 50 for the sixth wicket before Drepaul was bowled by Surujbally’s offspin for a top score in the innings of 31.

The last Suriname wicket to fall was in the final over when a batsman was run out off Ahmed’s bowling for the second time in the day. This time it was Gokoel who couldn’t take off fast enough from the non-striker’s end after Douglass nudged a delivery toward point. Standford charged in and underhanded to Dodson who whipped off the bails to get rid of Gokoel for 17 as Suriname fell to 88 for 7. They eventually finished on 92 for 7. Ahmed wrapped up a superb day with the ball by claiming 2 for 12 in four overs.

In the day’s other matches at Brian Piccolo Park, Bahamas suffered two defeats at the hands of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Bermuda posted 192 for 4 in the morning match before dismissing Bahamas for 65. In the second game, Bahamas were bowled out for 97 before Cayman Islands reached 45 for 2 when rain intervened after eight overs. The match was called with Cayman Islands ahead on Duckworth-Lewis.

USA returns to action at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 against Bahamas. DreamCricket.com’s live coverage made possible by New Inning Foundation will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST from the Central Broward Regional Park.

USA Cricket: ICC WCL Division 3 Report Card

openingbat — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:50:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna

Team Grades

Batting – F: The team amassed 12 ducks and only three half-centuries in the tournament. Two bowlers, Asif Khan and Muhammad Ghous, finished second and third in the averages column behind Steve Massiah. A different order was used in each game so it appeared that no one understood what their specific roles were. Only seven partnerships crossed 50 runs. The opening stand in each game for USA produced 36, 9, 2, 3, 6 and 12 runs. The small grounds in Hong Kong were supposed to favor USA’s heavy hitters. Instead, they fell flat on their faces.

Image (Right): Usman Shuja took five wickets for USA, allowing 3.07 runs per over, the second best economy rate in the entire tournament.

Bowling – B-: It’s hard to fault the efforts produced by the bowling unit. Kevin Darlington and Usman Shuja were as reliable as ever. There was only one half-century opening stand allowed, against Denmark in their initial encounter, while there were three half-century and two century stands overall. Darlington and Orlando Baker were the main victims of poor catching. Asif Khan performed well in his first tour, but the team was a bowler short in most matches and the absence of Timroy Allen hurt the team badly.

Fielding – D: In addition to the batting, this was the major culprit in USA’s losses. USA missed out on 14 definite chances in the field. By comparison, USA’s opponents only gave them five let offs in the tournament. The only game in which USA didn’t miss a chance was against Papua New Guinea and that’s because they were only in the field for six overs. The fielding performance in the rematch with Denmark was an all-time low. The best way for USA to address this is by improving the country’s infrastructure. Better facilities will produce better ground fielding and catching habits, not to mention better overall cricketers.

Fitness – D: Some of the drops in the field were a direct result of players being slow and out of shape. Far too often, players were coming off the field for treatment. There was almost always at least one and sometimes two substitute fielders on the field at the same time. In Italy, the team never looked fitter. This tournament was well below that standard. Not surprisingly, the players who showed the most energy in the field were the ones playing for America for the first time.

Individual Grades

Carl Wright – D: The wicketkeeper scored 82 against Hong Kong and it appeared his form drought from 2010 had finally ended. It was just a mirage. After top scoring with 43 the next day against Denmark, he was a no-show for the rest of the week, scoring seven runs in his last four innings. He looked disinterested at the crease, and carried over the same attitude into the field. No one questions his talent, but his work ethic is a major concern.

Image (Right): Darlington, who took eight wickets in the tournament, broke Hemin Desai's leg stump in the match against Oman. But he will be 40 when USA plays in Division Four next.

Orlando Baker – D: The allrounder’s tour was submarined when he was moved from his spot as an opener after the second match in favor of Lennox Cush. When Baker arrived at the crease against PNG, the score was 25 for 4 and he could only watch helplessly from the non-striker’s end while the team folded. Against Oman, he entered at 16 for 5 and was the only recognized batsman to cross into double-figures. His 17 in that game wound up being his high score for the event. He took five wickets at key times while Denmark’s Michael Pedersen and Italy’s Peter Petricola were dropped off his bowling during their crucial unbeaten knocks. Forces conspired against him throughout the week to derail his chances of success, but there was no excuse for his deplorable attitude in the field on the final day against Denmark.

Steve Massiah – C-: Finished as the leading scorer for USA in the event and seventh overall, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. His pair of dismissals against PNG and Oman were a result of completely irresponsible batting. He finished with three LBW dismissals, two of which can be chalked up to poor umpiring, but his reaction to the final one was way out of line and got him a reprimand from the ICC. He was part of the leadership group that was responsible for the inclusion of Howard Johnson against PNG and his overall captaincy left a lot to be desired.

Lennox Cush – F: There’s simply no way to sugarcoat it. Cush’s tour was an epic failure. He faced 48 deliveries on the week to produce scores of 2*, 16, 0, 0, 1 and 16 at an average of 7. Part of the blame must go to Massiah and Clayton Lambert. Cush was clearly out of form and should have been mercifully dropped at some point, but instead he was repeatedly thrown to the wolves and eaten alive by the opposition. He was also memorably hammered for 28 in an over against Hong Kong. Despite taking five wickets, his main responsibility in this team was to score runs and he never delivered.

Sushil Nadkarni – D: The vice-captain’s batting took a precipitous fall from the lofty heights he reached in Italy where he was Player of the Tournament. In Bologna, he had three half-centuries, but in Hong Kong his high score was 47 against Italy. It was a sign that he should have been opening the entire time in the tournament and USA’s strategy to move him down the order to negotiate the spinners backfired, mainly because the whole lineup collapsed against PNG and Oman before spin was ever introduced. He left his good fitness behind in Italy and had multiple missed chances in the field that were particularly costly.

Rashard Marshall – C: Marshall was one of the few players from the squad who can look at himself in the mirror without hanging his head in shame. His first three dismissals were a result of good bowling rather than the poor shot selection employed by the majority of his teammates. His next one was off a delivery that should have been called a no-ball on height and he finished off the tournament with an unfortunate run out. Marshall’s fielding was extremely valuable once again as he took four catches – the most for any non-wicketkeeper – including a ridiculous one-handed effort against Hong Kong and was responsible for two run outs. USA’s squad is convinced it should have been three when Rocky hit the stumps on a chance involving Italy’s Petricola, but the leg umpire claimed his vision was blocked by Ritesh Kadu running across and so Petricola batted on to the end.

Usman Shuja – B+: The fast bowler took five wickets for USA, allowing 3.07 runs per over which was the best economy rate for USA and second best overall in the tournament. He never had a bad match with the ball and finally lived up to his immense potential with the bat to score 43 not out in the win over Oman. He played the entire tour wearing a splint for a broken pinky on his bowling hand. He proved it wasn’t an issue when he held onto a bullet on the boundary in the first game against Hong Kong. Shuja can always be counted on to give his best.

Image (Right): Asif Khan claimed six wickets and also took three catches.

Asif Khan – B+: Took six wickets in his debut tour for USA and had the team’s second best economy rate surrendering 3.34 runs per over. His fielding was superb both in the circle and on the boundary and he finished with three catches. He scored 31 not out against Oman, teaming up with Shuja to get USA over the line. He also looked capable of doing the same in the group match against Denmark, but ran out of partners in the team’s 30-run loss. The fact that he finished second on the averages list at 27.50 says just as much about his own determination at the crease as it does about the failure of the recognized batsmen.

Kevin Darlington – B+: Led the team with eight wickets and could have had even better figures had his teammates held onto the chances that came their way. Bowled the most maidens for the second tour in a row, but had his economy go up slightly on the small grounds in Hong Kong. His experience is valuable and he’s another player who turns in his best effort on a daily basis. The only worry is his long term health. Darlo spent an awful lot of time coming off the field to ice his knees and was visibly hobbling around the field during matches. He’ll be 40 when the next Division Four comes around and it would be asking a lot to have him stick around to put a toll on his body when the rewards are not guaranteed.

Muhammad Ghous – Incomplete: It’s hard to know if Ghous had a bad tour because of skills or if it was because he wasn’t given a proper chance to succeed. He was asked to bowl with a short boundary at his back against Hong Kong and after getting by unscathed for a few overs, was finally smashed around before being taken off. Against Denmark the first time around, he was given one over before being harshly taken off by Massiah and sat out the next three games. He bowled the maximum amount of overs in the rematch with Denmark, but got no help in the field. He finished with zero wickets in 16 overs at the event. This tour put a major dent in his confidence and he needs a lot of work to get it restored.

Durale Forrest – Incomplete: The way Lambert talked about how good Johnson looked in the nets, one would have thought it was actually Forrest who was the grandpa. When Forrest came on to bowl, he looked quick enough but wasn’t quite penetrative. He showed a lot of heart to come in and fight hard in the final three games after being overlooked against PNG, but the message was sent by the people in charge that they don’t respect him and probably aren’t about to groom him for future tournaments as long as they’re around, which is unfortunate.

Ritesh Kadu – Incomplete: He walked into a buzz saw against PNG on his debut, looked okay against Oman until running out Nadkarni which messed with his head and led to him playing a poor shot to get out a short time later, and was very unlucky to be run out in the manner he was against Denmark on the last day. He got opportunities though and didn’t capitalize on them. His keeping was okay, not spectacular. It’s difficult to say whether or not he’ll get another chance.

Ryan Corns – Incomplete: Was full of hustle as a substitute fielder during the first four games before finally getting his much deserved opportunity in the final match of the group stage. It probably came one or two matches too late. He showed in his 30 against Italy that he has the tools to succeed at the senior level. Now he needs the support of coaches and administrators to make sure that his talent doesn’t go to waste.

Aditya Thyagarajan – Incomplete: He only had one innings, which everyone will remember for a long time because it brought about the end of his tour through injury. The bowler, Denmark’s Bobby Chawla, tried to send down a googly which turned into a loopy, low full toss. Thyagarajan managed to not only york himself, but dislocate his right knee as well. His true value to the team was underscored by the last place finish that followed after he went down.

Howard Johnson – Incomplete: In Italy, where Johnson served on his first tour as an assistant coach, a fast bowler – Timroy Allen – went down injured but the team opted to leave him in the squad to use as a substitute fielder even though he couldn’t throw the ball or lift his arm above his head. In Hong Kong, a batsman – Thyagarajan – went down injured and Johnson went from assistant coach to replacement player, starting ahead of fellow fast bowler Forrest. Johnson took two wickets and was USA’s quickest bowler in his only appearance, which came at the expense of three players who poured their heart and soul into making the squad on merit. Apparently, the team leadership is prepared to sell their souls to the devil if it gives USA a chance to win. Protocol needs to be put in place to make sure such an incident never happens again.

What the team needs heading into Division Four

An attitude adjustment: USA has a bad reputation for being ungracious in defeat. After the first loss to Denmark, post-match presentation officials asked for both teams to pose for a group photo, but USA’s players and coaches walked away despite repeated requests to come back for pictures, which did not sit well with the ICC nor the Denmark squad. After the loss to Papua New Guinea, everyone walked out to shake hands, but six of the 14 players (Wright, Baker, Cush, Nadkarni, Marshall, Johnson) didn’t bother to come back out of the locker room for the post-match presentation.

Where's the pride? This is a group of players that mainly functioned as 14 individuals instead of one team. While the new players demonstrated a lot of hunger, too many veterans played recklessly and without any fear of being dropped. On paper, USA has tens of thousands of players to choose from, but if this was the best 14 that USA had to offer, they’re really just a bunch of big fish in a small pond. The overall demeanor in the field on the last day against Denmark was an absolute disgrace. They did not play as if they were representing more than 150 years of cricket history by pulling on the red, white and blue uniform.

While there shouldn’t be a knee jerk reaction to drop everyone and start from scratch, there is definitely an argument to cut loose more than a few players and bring in some new ones who have the desire and desperation to fight hard for every run, whether it’s in the first match of the tournament or a fifth place playoff. Instead of playing every game like it was their last, they played each match like it was just another game… and finished last.

Pictures Courtesy - Darlington (ICC/CricketEurope), Asif Khan and Usman Shuja (Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com)

[Views expressed in this article are those of the author who was present at all of the team's matches. If you have differing views or opinions, we respect those views and urge you to provide your feedback - both positive and negative - in the comments section.]

2010 Radiant Info USA Cricket Awards: Cricketer of the Year - Aditya Thyagarajan

openingbat — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:33:00 GMT

Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket

By Peter Della Penna

DreamCricket.com is wrapping up the year in United States Cricket by recognizing USA’s standout performers at the international level. The 2010 Radiant Info USA Cricketer of the Year is Aditya Thyagarajan.

It may be hard to remember for most people, but Thyagarajan was left out of the starting XI for USA’s first match of the year at the World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE against Scotland. After a mediocre set of performances in USA’s warm-up matches, he was forced to sit on the sidelines.

Taking it in stride, he returned for USA’s second match against Ireland and scored 72 not out against the most dominant Associate level team of the last five years. He never looked back after that innings and went on to become USA’s leading scorer of the year.

Thyagarajan is not the flashiest or the most devastating batsman on USA’s senior team. But in 2010, his efficiency made him USA’s most valuable player. Of course, nobody in the USA plays the late cut better than Thyagarajan.

Stationed in the middle order, he was literally and figuratively the fulcrum of USA’s batting lineup. For a significant amount of USA’s games, success or failure depended upon the support and stability Thyagarajan provided to get his team out of trouble.

Just as important as his efficiency was his consistency. Rarely did he fail to perform. Whether he came in with 10 overs or 30 overs left to bat, Thyagarajan manufactured runs to keep the scoreboard ticking, taking pressure off him and his teammates and throwing it back onto the opposition.

Not only is he a steady performer for the national team, Thyagarajan also scores plenty of runs playing league cricket for Hollywood CC as well as for the South West Region at USACA tournaments. While the opponents may change, the approach and results remain the same for Thyagarajan.

In 2010, the results were mighty impressive too. In nineteen 50-over matches he scored 612 runs and contributed 150 more in seven Twenty20 contests. He had the top average for USA in Twenty20s with 30.00 and was second in 50-over games with 55.64. He led USA with two centuries and produced USA’s highest score of the year in both 50-over and Twenty20 cricket.

Not only were his stats impressive, but the situations in which he delivered them made them even more special. When all the elements of his performances for USA are taken into account, he became an easy choice for the 2010 Radiant Info Cricketer of the Year.

In recognition of his achievement, Thyagarajan will receive a plaque as well as a $250 gift certificate sponsored by the New Inning Foundation, DreamCricket.com and Radiant Info.

Click here to read > How Aditya turned it around with a little help

About the Radiant Info USA Cricket Awards

USA Cricket 2010 Eastern & Western Conference - Top Performers and All-Tournament XI

openingbat — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:47:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna

The USACA 2010 Eastern and Western Conference Tournaments that took place in Los Angeles, Calif., and Atlanta, Ga., from September 17-19 gave an opportunity for many players around the country to present their case for inclusion in USA’s squad for ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Hong Kong. The best performers are being recognized by this writer in an All-Tournament Team.

The All-Tournament Team is a combined list of players from the Eastern and Western Conference Tournaments. The list has been compiled based on three days of cricket witnessed by the author in Atlanta as well as information obtained from multiple sources about performances that took place in Los Angeles.

Pic (Right): South West were Western Conference champions by a mile. [Courtesy: Theo Mavro]

When compiling the list, several factors were taken into consideration. First and foremost are the statistical achievements of the players involved since they are the most tangible proof of a player’s contributions to their team. As such, there will be players left off the team who may be viewed as more talented than players who made the team, but just did not perform that well over the three days.

Second, when choices between players with similar stats became close, more weight was given to performances against better opponents. For example, a player who scored runs or took wickets in a match against New York or South West, who finished in first place in their respective conference, was deemed to have turned in a more impressive performance compared to runs or wickets against the last place team in their conference.

Third, these two factors are combined with what I saw with my own eyes and from information obtained from sources in matches where I was not present. This was not just the runs or wickets they took, but how they did it. It includes match situations and technique exhibited, as well as the talent they had surrounding them which could have affected how they performed.

Finally, I tried to select a balanced team. If the five highest wicket takers in the tournament turned out to be spinners, not all five would stand a chance of making the team as there needs to be pace bowlers to support them. Likewise, if the four highest scorers in the tournament were opening batsmen, only two of them can be slotted into a role on an All-Tournament Team as an opener.

1. Nauman Mustafa (wicketkeeper), North West – The classy right-hander, Nauman (pictured right) stood head and shoulders above a competitive field of wicketkeeper-batsmen by notching 102 against the defending Western Conference champion Central East team. He finished first among all wicketkeepers and was tied for fifth overall in runs for the weekend.

2. Glen Hall, New York – Hall was the MVP of the Eastern Conference for being the catalyst to New York’s success. New York won the toss and batted first in each game with Hall providing the platform to achieve victory on all three days. He finished as the top run scorer in Atlanta.

3. Ryan Corns, Central West – The 20-year-old brought up the highest score of the weekend in style, scoring 119 in only 77 balls against North West. The pressure was on to perform heading into the final day and Corns (pictured left) delivered in emphatic fashion. He also took 3 for 81 in 27.5 overs of left arm orthodox-spin.

4. James Crosthwaite, North West – No bowling attack was spared from the batting brilliance of Crosthwaite, who arrived in the USA this year from Australia and plays his club cricket for Microsoft CC in Seattle. Crosthwaite scored a half-century in each game and finished as the leading run scorer on the weekend with 247 runs. He won’t be eligible to play for America for another few years, but could be a prolific performer for USA if he sticks around long enough to qualify.

5. Aditya Thyagarajan, South West – The linchpin of any middle order he plays in, Thyagarajan scored 84 runs in two innings without being dismissed on his home turf in Los Angeles. True to form, he took his team out of trouble against Central West to seal a 4-wicket win. South West was 76 for 5 chasing 167, but Thyagarajan scored 62 not out at number five to take his team across the line.

6. Durale Forest, Atlantic – A solid all-rounder, Forest was Man of the Match in his team’s victory over South East with 46 not out and nearly took Atlantic to a win over New York with 62 when he was last man out in a 17-run loss. He also took two wickets bowling tidy fast-medium pace. He tied for fifth in runs on the weekend and could have scored many more were it not for his appalling level of fitness.

7. Neil McGarrell (vice-captain), Atlantic – The cagey left arm spinner (pictured at right) showed off his vast experience during the weekend with a very economical display, taking 7 wickets at under 10 runs per wicket with an economy under three runs per over to receive the Best Bowler award in Atlanta. He also contributed 49 runs in two innings down the order.

8. Mehul Dave (captain), South West – The Tournament MVP in Los Angeles (pictured left) put the clamps on the opposition in the middle overs with his medium pace and was a big reason why South West allowed the fewest runs in Los Angeles. North West’s 170, which included 73 from Crosthwaite, was the highest total scored against South West. Dave turned in figures of 5 for 51 in 22.2 overs during the weekend.

9. Adrian Gordon, New York – Gordon edges out North East’s Srinath Rajagopalan to take one of the fast bowling slots in the starting XI. Each player had an identical average and economy rate, but Gordon was able to bowl his team to victory with a golden five-wicket haul, taking four of the last five wickets to fall in a dramatic 17-run win over Atlantic. He finished with six wickets on the weekend for the Eastern Conference champions.

10. Abhemanyu Rajp, South West – The former 2006 U-19 World Cup vice-captain for USA (pictured right) turned in a record setting performance against Central East, taking 7 for 35 with his off-spinners. He finished with the most wickets on the weekend, claiming nine scalps for the Western Conference champions. Despite his talent, it’ll be difficult for him to break into the USA squad at the moment with a glut of off-spinners currently in the team.

11. Kevin Darlington, New York – The ever reliable Darlington looked nearly untouchable in the two games he played. He imposed himself on South East with 5 for 14, ending their chase before it had a chance to get started. His average of 5.83 runs per wicket is by far the best of any bowler in the top 10 for wicket takers on the weekend, as is his 2.33 economy rate. He is the total package for a limited overs pace bowler.

12^th Man: Srinath Rajagopalan, North East – One of the few bright spots on the only winless team at either tournament, Rajagopalan nearly took his team to victory with 4 for 21 against Atlantic. He finished with eight wickets on the weekend, the most for any pace bowler, but also gave up the most runs of anyone in the top 10 for wicket takers and was tied for the worst economy rate.

13^th Man: Asif Mehmood Khan, Central East – When batsmen from the other three teams in the Western Conference were surveyed for the most impressive and difficult bowler they faced, without hesitation the answer every time was Mehmood. In a 3-run win over Central West, he bowled 10 overs, including 4 maidens, on his way to taking 3 for 12 as Central West defended 172. In that game, he claimed the key wicket of Corns and then the high run scorer Rahul Kukreti to spark Central West’s collapse. In all, he took five wickets in three games at an economy of 2.90 runs per over.

14^th Man: Hussain Haidar, South East – This mystery spinner has a leg-spinner’s action but bowls off-spin. Batsmen have an extremely difficult time reading him and it results in plenty of wickets. He took seven in three games to tie for third on the weekend. However, his fitness needs to be addressed before he can seriously be considered for higher honors.

Eastern Conference U-19 Player for the Future: Zain Ali Syed, South East – The MVP of last month’s U-19 Eastern Conference Tournament in Connecticut, Syed only played one match in Atlanta, but made a huge impression by top scoring for his team with 34 runs against tournament champion New York. He showed no fear in the face of the best pace attack in the tournament and comfortably stroked the ball around the ground right from his first delivery. After the match, USA captain Steve Massiah spent several minutes talking to him to give him some more tips.

Western Conference U-19 Player for the Future: Abbas Jafri, Central West – Jafri turned in the highest score at the U-19 Western Conference in Los Angeles last month with 139 against South West. He had a shaky start in the senior tournament this past weekend with a duck against Central East, but against the tournament champion South West squad, he scored 40 and earned high praise from several members of the opposition.

Top 5 Players in Contention for Selection to USA Senior Team

1. Ryan Corns – The future is now. Corns didn’t bang down the selection door this weekend, he took a flamethrower to it when he torched North West’s bowling attack on Sunday.

2. Asif Mehmood Khan – For the second year in a row, he has had a very solid showing in the Western Conference and has emerged as a top candidate to fill a left arm spinner’s role that the team is desperately seeking.

3. Nauman Mustafa – USA could use an experienced keeper-batsman as insurance in case Carl Wright’s dip in form continues.

4. Neil McGarrell – The former Guyana captain with Test match experience playing for the West Indies has age counting against him, but could be considered as a left arm spinner if Mehmood is not up to scratch.

5. Glen Hall – He toured with USA in February, but only made it onto the field as a substitute fielder. However, his solid form could see him getting another opportunity.

Most Wickets

1. A. Rajp, South West, RA off-spin – 9 for 96 in 27 overs with 4 maidens

2. S. Rajagopalan, North East, RA medium – 8 for 131 in 26.2 overs with 1 maiden

T3. N. McGarrell, Atlantic, LA orthodox-spin – 7 for 60 in 22.5 overs with 2 maidens

T3. H. Haidar, South East, RA off-spin – 7 for 90 in 28 overs with 3 maidens

T3. T. Patel, South West, RA leg-spin – 7 for 119 in 29 overs with 2 maidens

T6. K. Darlington, New York, RA fast-medium – 6 for 35 in 15 overs with 3 maidens

T6. D. Thomas, New York, RA fast-medium – 6 for 76 in 24 overs with 5 maidens

T6. N. Javed, South East, RA leg-spin – 6 for 94 in 28 overs with 1 maiden

T6. A. Gordon, New York, RA fast – 6 for 107 in 21.3 overs with no maidens

T6. S. Verma, North West, RA leg-spin – 6 for 122 in 30 overs with 3 maidens

Five-Wicket Hauls

A. Rajp, South West – 7 for 35 vs. Central East

K. Darlington, New York – 5 for 14 vs. South East

A. Gordon, New York – 5 for 43 vs. Atlantic

Most Runs

1. J. Crosthwaite, North West – 247 runs in three innings, 82.33 AVG, three 50s

2. G. Hall, New York – 171 runs in three innings, 57.00 AVG, two 50s

3. R. Corns, Central West – 152 runs in three innings, 50.67 AVG, one 100

4. F. Ullah, South East – 127 runs in three innings, 42.33 AVG, one 50

T5. N. Mustafa, North West – 126 runs in three innings, 42.00 AVG, one 100

T5. D. Forest, Atlantic – 126 runs in three innings, 63.00 AVG, one 50

7. J. Desai, Central West – 104 in three innings, 52.00 AVG, one 50

8. R. Singh, South West – 92 runs in two innings, 92.00 AVG, one 50

T9. A. Mehdi, Central East – 89 runs in three innings, 29.67 AVG, zero 50s

T9. A. Mishra, Atlantic – 89 runs in three innings, 29.67 AVG, zero 50s

Centuries

R. Corns, Central West – 119 vs. North West

N. Mustafa, North West – 102 vs. Central East

Half-centuries

J. Crosthwaite, North West – 87 vs. Central East; 87 vs. Central West; 73 vs. South West

F. Ullah, South East – 80 vs. North East

R. Singh, South West – 79 not out vs. Central East

S. Malik, Central East – 71 not out vs. Central West

G. Hall, New York – 68 vs. Atlantic; 54 vs. South East

R. Bhardwaj, North West – 66 vs. Central West

J. Patel, South East – 64 vs. Atlantic

Aditya Thyagarajan, South West – 62 not out vs. Central West

D. Forest, Atlantic – 62 vs. New York

J. Desai, Central West – 60 vs. South West

Arjun Thyagarajan, North West – 58 not out vs. Central East

R. Kukreti, Central West – 54 vs. Central East

J. Singh, North East – 54 vs. Atlantic

S. Rajagopalan, North East – 52 not out vs. South East

[Views expressed in the article are those of the author. These are not the official views of views of USACA or its selectors. If you have differing views or your own Tournament XI, you can comment here or send us your comments via email to content@dreamcricket.com]

USA Cricket - WCL Division 4 Report Card

openingbat — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:47:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna

Team Grades

Bowling – A-: The bowling attack functioned well not just as individuals but as a unit. The fast bowlers were outstanding together at the start of a match. The highest first wicket partnership for any opponent was 23 by Cayman Islands, a tribute to the job done by the opening combination of Usman Shuja and Kevin Darlington. There were only three 50+ partnerships by the opposition and one 100+ partnership allowed and that came as a result of a series of drops in the loss to Italy.

Batting – B+: The only three players who scored centuries in the tournament belonged to USA. The team also racked up seven ducks and only one of those happened to a tail ender. Alarmingly, they lost a wicket on the second ball of an innings on three occasions. However, no one could match USA’s batting depth, which saw USA to safety on several occasions. Most notably against Argentina, the numbers seven and eight reached triple figures.

Fielding – C+: There was not a single catch dropped in the slips during the tournament, although one chance was missed when Lennox Cush bizarrely dove backwards with the ball landing in front of him. The outfield catching was hot and cold with several very good catches while at other times there were some very simple chances missed. Some were because of drops while other chances never went to hand because fielders reacted slowly or were not alert. The ground fielding could also use some improvement.

Fitness – B+: When it came down to playing five games in five days in 85 to 90 degree heat, USA’s players held up remarkably well. Kudos to the players for taking on the individual responsibility to come ready to play. Most impressive was the fitness of Shuja and Darlington, who shared the new ball five days in a row and never showed any signs of being worn out.

Individual Grades

Sushil Nadkarni – A-: The heartbeat of the batting order, he set the tone for USA’s success or struggles. His first two half-centuries were accomplished with brute force, while his third against Nepal involved a tremendous amount of skill and patience to guide the team to a winning total. Getting out for a duck to Italy in their first matchup portended the gloom that followed and against Argentina his nought was the first phase of a dramatic top order collapse. As for his fielding, one would never know he is 12 months removed from a torn Achilles tendon. For a man built like a tank, he was extremely nimble in the field and took four catches with only one drop.

Orlando Baker – B: He started off the tournament with a half-century against Tanzania, but never crossed 50 again and could have done much better than he did in the batting department. With his bowling, he had an uncanny knack to come on and be a partnership breaker, hurrying the batsmen with his nippy medium pace. Four times he took a wicket in the first over of a spell. He was very reliable in the field and took three catches.

Steve Massiah – B: Scored one half-century against Cayman Islands, but like Baker, did not reach the level he should have with the bat, especially considering that Massiah was the leading run-scorer at Division 5 in Nepal against much better competition. He demonstrated some very good captaincy though and almost always managed to push the right buttons with his bowling changes. He also leads by example with his fielding. He has perhaps the surest hands on the team and held every chance that came his way.

Lennox Cush – B+: He had a somewhat quiet start to the tournament, but stamped his authority on it at the end with a half-century to initiate a revival against Argentina and a thumping century against Italy in the final to be named Man of the Match. With the ball, he was decent in taking five wickets, but was relied upon less than in other recent tournaments due to the success of Ghous. His fielding was solid in the slips and decent elsewhere.

Carl Wright – C+: Only scored 47 runs in four innings at 15.66, well below his standards. He looked set for a big score against Italy until he was unfortunately run out by Aditya Thyagarajan. Wright kept very well behind the stumps to have seven catches and three stumpings and just missed one or two other sharp chances. He gets docked credit for drawing a reprimand from the match referee for his misconduct in the match against Argentina.

Aditya Thyagarajan – B+: Saved USA’s bacon in the match against Argentina with his second century for USA. His half-century in the first game against Italy was tarnished due to the role he played in running out Wright which sealed his team’s fate in that game. He took two catches, one of them an outstanding diving effort against Cayman Islands, but had multiple drops and needs to get a little sharper with his ground fielding.

Rashard Marshall – B+: Rocky scored a long overdue maiden century for USA, picking the perfect time to do it against Argentina. He could have scored many more runs, but got himself out in his two other times at the crease with a pair of soft dismissals. He is right up there with Massiah in the fielding and catching department. He took four catches and teamed up with Wright for a runout.

Usman Shuja – A: USA’s standout bowler and their leading wicket-taker. He was the catalyst for USA’s dominance in the field, bowling with great ferocity and intimidation. Just as he did in a do or die showdown vs. Nepal on their home turf, he turned in a clutch display in the same situation in Bologna against Nepal to setup victory. His batting technique is good enough to be a number seven or even a six, but once he gets his eye in, he gets overexcited and plays one too many shots to lose his wicket. Concentration at the crease is just about the only thing he needs to adjust to get better.

Muhammad Ghous – A-: The 20-year-old has taken to playing with the national team at the senior level like a duck to water. It’s hard to find fault with anything Ghous did in the tournament. He got hit for a few late against Cayman Islands, but in the big games, he showed himself to be a big game player. With a spot in Division 3 at stake against Nepal, he was given the ball at the midway point of Nepal’s chase in a pressure situation and showed nerves of steel, eventually finishing 3 for 31 to help seal the match.

Adrian Gordon – A: Only played four games, but finished tied for second on the team with 10 wickets and had the best average at 11.80 runs per wicket and stepped up in a big way when Timroy Allen went down with an injury. He sometimes took an over to get his line right and get settled, but once everything with him was in tune, he was marvelous. He was unlucky not to take any wickets during an outstanding spell against Nepal, but reaped just rewards to claim seven wickets in the team’s final two games.

Kevin Darlington – A-: Darlington took 10 wickets in six games and was solid at building pressure, turning in a team high seven maidens. Had an off game against Cayman Islands but after that was solid. The 38-year-old is one of the fittest players on the team as well and tied with Ghous to bowl the most overs on tour with 50.

Nasir “Charlie” Javed – D: Javed looked good against Cayman Islands to take 3 for 29, but then followed that up with a disastrous performance against Italy. He was standing at mid off when Italy’s Peter Petricola drove a chance in his direction while on 3, but Javed’s reaction time was so poor that he never even got a hand to what should have been a catch. Petricola went on to score 85 to be Man of the Match in a win for the hosts. Javed was picked as a specialist bowler, but only bowled three ineffective overs in that match before he was taken off and then got out for a duck to cap off his day. To underscore how bad that error was on Petricola’s chance, Allen was used as a substitute fielder ahead of Javed in USA’s final three matches. Allen fielded for Sushil Nadkarni for the duration of USA’s innings in the field against Nepal, despite the fact that he could not raise his right arm above his head, let alone throw anything in, due to a torn muscle in his upper back sustained while fielding against Tanzania. Javed’s mistake against Italy was so costly and his fielding deemed to be so sub standard that a person who could not use his arm to throw a ball in was preferred as a substitute fielder ahead of him.

Timroy Allen – Incomplete: Allen only bowled six overs in the tournament because of an injury he picked up in the field against Tanzania. However, he showed tremendous heart by coming on as a sub fielder against Nepal to take two catches only a day after his arm was in a sling. He also took another catch as a sub fielder against Argentina.

Steven Taylor – Incomplete: Taylor played one game and got out for a six-ball duck against Argentina. Behind the stumps, he was sloppy in conceding eight byes and had numerous other fumbled takes. Physically, he is capable of holding his own, but on the mental side of the game, he has yet to demonstrate the level of focus and concentration required to play at the senior level.

What the team needs heading into Division 3 – A left-arm spinner: Or at least that’s what Massiah said when posed with this question after the team qualified to play in Hong Kong. “It would be great for us to have the addition of a left-arm spinner in our attack which gives us a little more variety. Over the course of this tournament and the previous tournaments and in world cricket, we see how effective a left-arm spinner can be. So obviously that’s an area in which we’ll have our eyes wide open and the search is on for a good quality left-arm spinner.” This is also another way of saying that the team needs a good spin bowler who can turn the ball away from right-handers, which spells doom for Javed’s spot on the team. Massiah shot down Barrington Bartley and Samarth Shah when asked if they would be suitable to step into the squad.

Ryan Corns is probably still chomping at the bit to get into the senior team after being named Player of the Tournament at the ICC U-19 World Cup Global Qualifier last year and his left-arm spin troubled the senior players during the Twenty20 trial matches played at USACA Nationals last November. It would be a positive step to include him in a 14-man squad for Division 3.

Defiant stand by Wright & Thyagarajan turns the tide for USA in win over Jersey

gchakravarthy — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:45:00 GMT

By Peter Della Penna

With USA in deep trouble batting first at 55 for 5, Carl Wright and Aditya Thyagarajan guided their team to safety in a match-winning partnership as USA beat Jersey by 66 runs on day three of the ICC WCL Division Five Tournament at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, Nepal. Wright was named Man of the Match for his gutsy 76 while Thyagarajan top-scored with 83 for USA as the two combined to put on 118 runs for the sixth wicket.

Pic to the left: Carl Wright punches off the back foot as he got USA out of trouble to be Man of the Match. Courtesy Daniela Zaharia/USACA

“It wasn’t a matter of pressure, but it was just a matter of the situation and what you have to do in that situation,” said Wright. “I think with good support from Aditya, Dhani and the rest of the guys, we actually stuck it out and tried to see how much runs we could get in the situation and it paid off.”

USA won the toss and elected to bat first on a hazy and cool morning and were under pressure immediately. Sushil Nadkarni opened in his first match of the tournament alongside Orlando Baker, but Nadkarni didn’t last long as he chopped a good length ball from Matthew Hague onto his stumps to be out for 1 with USA’s score on 2. Steve Massiah came in, but also fell for 1 just nine balls later, edging a ball from Jersey captain Ryan Driver to Hague at first slip to make it 3 for 2. Lennox Cush, who had been red hot with the bat coming into this match, failed for the first time in the tournament as he edged one from Driver through to the keeper Bobby Minty and USA were struggling badly at 11 for 3 in the 7^th over.

Driver could do no wrong when he snaffled a brilliant return catch off Baker, sending USA’s other opener back for 20 to make it 30 for 4 in the 13^th over. It could have been even worse for USA as Wright was dropped on the sixth ball of his innings off a sharp caught and bowled chance to Hague when he had yet to score. But things did slide further when Sudesh Dhaniram was out for 9, middling one from medium pacer Jonathan Gough straight to Hague at square leg and USA were 55 for 5 after the first ball of the 23^rd over. Visions of USA’s previous meltdown against Jersey in 2008’s Division Five tournament semifinal started to appear when Driver took 3 for 32 and Hague claimed five scalps to take Jersey past USA into Division Four.

But in stepped Thyagarajan with USA in a hairy situation, a scenario he has encountered on more than a few occasions. Once again he answered the call, teaming up with Wright to change USA’s fortunes. Wright took a long time to get going while trying to see off the opening spells of Driver and Hague as wickets were falling opposite him. With Thyagarajan as his partner though, Wright seemed much more at ease turning over the strike. While Wright played straight down the ground and off his legs to score the bulk of his runs, Thyagarajan deftly and repeatedly found the gap between point and third man to frustrate Jersey’s bowlers.

“That’s just my strength,” said Thyagarajan. “Whenever we are down, I always play to my strength.”

The two batsmen progressed steadily to take the score to 136 for 5 when the second drinks break was taken after 39 overs. Wright had just brought up his 50 off 102 balls in the middle of the 39th over and when play resumed, he showed he was hungry for more. They decided to take the batting power play at the start of the 41^st over and Wright feasted immediately on Peter Gough’s off-spin, smashing him for back-to-back fours as part of a 13-run over. Wright started the 43rd over against left arm spinner Ben Stevens by lofting him over mid off on consecutive deliveries for another set of boundaries. However, Stevens got his man next ball, spearing one in fuller to get Wright LBW for 76, ending the century partnership to make the score 173 for 5.

USA turned this setback from a negative into a positive with immediate effect as Rashard Marshall came to the crease. Thyagarajan kept on chugging at the other end, bringing up his 50 with a single off his 60^th ball faced in the very next over. Marshall scored singles routinely to keep the scoreboard ticking as well as give Thyagarajan opportunities to score some boundaries. But after scoring nine singles in his first 12 balls, Marshall was ready to unleash his fury on the Gough twins and Andy Dewhurst. The 27-year-old creamed five sixes in the next seven balls he faced to electrify the crowd of about 600 gathered at the ground. His outburst was primarily responsible for USA scoring 52 runs in their last three overs as the innings ended with an unbroken 80-run partnership in 7.3 overs. Thyagarajan finished 83 not out with seven fours and a six while Marshall’s 42 not out came at two runs per ball.

“Marshall and me have always played together when the team has been down and we always have a partnership,” said Thyagarajan. “There has never been one situation where one of us hasn’t scored. We always go and score. What I do with him is just try to get him back on strike and whenever I get a loose ball, I go behind it. I try to get him back on strike as much as I can because he just strikes the ball so well, as we have seen in this entire tournament.”

Pic to the right: Aditya Thyagarajan goes for another cut. He top scored with 83 for USA vs. Jersey. Courtesy Daniela Zaharia/USACA.

Jersey, who had the match firmly in their grasp in the first half of the innings, saw it slip away in agonizing fashion. USA’s bowlers came out and never let Jersey’s batsmen get away as the biggest partnership in reply was 42 runs. Kevin Darlington made the first breakthrough, having Hague caught behind by Wright for 6 to make it 15 for 1 in 7 overs. After a couple of nervous drops in the field, USA tightened the screws as Massiah employed the off-spin of Dhaniram paired with Baker’s medium pace. Lennox Cush then came on after the runs dried up and struck on his third ball, trapping Dean Morrison LBW for 36 on an attempted sweep to make it 67 for 2 in the 23^rd over. Cush struck again in his next over as he fired in a flatter delivery to beat Peter Gough in flight coming down the pitch and Wright completed the stumping to have Gough out for 24 with Jersey falling further behind at 76 for 3.

Driver tried to lift his team up as he came out to join Sam De La Haye, but Darlington came on for a second spell and after being hit for six by De La Haye, bowled him next ball for 36 to make it 118 for 4. Saurabh Verma then came on to bowl the new batsman Stevens for 2 to make it 128 for 5. Driver tried to rebuild once more with Dewhurst as they put on 41 runs, but Cush came back for another double-strike as Driver tried to clear the ropes but was caught for 29 at long off by Thyagarajan. Three balls later, Cush had Minty out stumped for a golden duck and at 172 for 7 in the 46^th over, Jersey saw their dreams of going back to Division Four vanishing into Nepal’s thin mountain air. Verma took two more wickets but Jersey’s last two men stayed until the end to prevent USA from bowling them out, finishing at 187 for 9 in their 50 overs.

USA is now 3-0 in the tournament along with Nepal, who beat Bahrain on Monday by 8 wickets. Singapore stayed in third place at 2-1 with a tight two-wicket win over Fiji. USA will play Singapore on Tuesday morning at the Pul Chowk Engineering College in Kathmandu. Live coverage of USA’s matches continues on Dreamcricket with play scheduled to start at 10:15 pm EST on Monday night in America.

Video interview with Wright and Thyagarajan

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Official Scorecard

ICC WCL Division Five

Jersey vs. USA

USA won by 66 runs

USA won the toss and elected to bat

Man of the Match: Carl Wright

USA Batting

Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal

SS Nadkarni 1 7 0 0 bowled Hague

OM Baker 20 31 1 0 ct & b Driver

SJ Massiah* 1 6 0 0 ct Hague b Driver

LJ Cush 5 15 1 0 ct Minty+ b Driver

CD Wright+ 76 120 7 1 LBW Stevens

S Dhaniram 9 19 1 0 ct Hague b J Gough

A Thyagarajan 83 82 7 1 not out

RA Marshall 42 21 0 5 not out

Total Extras 16 (1 no ball, 1 bye, 3 leg byes, 11 wides)

Team Total 253 for 6 in 50 overs

Did not bat: TP Allen, S Verma, KG Darlington.

Fall of wicket: 2/1 (Nadkarni), 3/2 (Massiah), 11/3 (Cush), 30/4 (Baker), 55/5 (Dhaniram), 173/6 (Wright).

Jersey Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets

R Driver 10-1-25-3

M Hague 10-1-23-1

J Gough 9-0-58-1

B Stevens 10-1-48-1

P Gough 8-0-60-0

A Dewhurst 2-0-28-0

S Dewhurst 1-0-7-0

Jersey Batting

Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal

D Morrison 36 82 2 0 LBW Cush

M Hague 6 20 1 0 ct Wright+ b Darlington

P Gough 24 41 2 0 st Wright+ b Cush

S De La Haye 36 32 2 3 b Darlington

R Driver+ 29 52 2 0 ct Thyagarajan b Cush

B Stevens 2 18 0 0 b Verma

A Dewhurst 34 32 5 0 b Verma

R Minty+ 0 1 0 0 st Baker+ b Cush

J Gough 5 11 0 0 b Verma

I Crocker 1 9 0 0 not out

S Dewhurst 0 3 0 0 not out

Total Extras 14 (1 no ball, 7 byes, 2 leg byes, 4 wides)

Team Total 187 for 9 in 50 overs

Fall of wicket: 15/1 (Hague), 67/2 (P Gough), 76/3 (Morrison), 118/4 (De La Haye), 128/5 (Stevens), 169/6 (Driver), 172/7 (Minty), 183/8 (A Dewhurst), 186/9 (J Gough).

USA Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets

KG Darlington 10-1-40-2

TP Allen 5-0-17-0

S Dhaniram 10-2-30-0

OM Baker 10-1-34-0

LJ Cush 10-1-37-4

S Verma 4-0-19-3

SJ Massiah 1-0-1-0

Notes: Carl Wright was USA’s wicketkeeper for the first 43 overs in the field. Orlando Baker then padded up to keep wicket for the final 7 overs of the match.