USA Cricketer : Cayman Islands cricket

USA Cricket: Taylor's 127 not out caps record-breaking week, USA goes 8-0 at 2013 ICC Americas T20

openingbat — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 23:57:00 GMT

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

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

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

Scorecard powered by New Inning Foundation I Match Commentary

Records continued to tumble on Sunday as Steven Taylor’s 127 not out spearheaded a 77-run win over Cayman Islands to wrap up an undefeated week for USA at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. USA finished 8-0 with the win while Cayman Islands dropped to 1-7 with the loss and as a result they have been relegated to ICC Americas Division Two.

Image (above) - USA finishes number one at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

“We really worked hard since we arrived in Florida and the effort that we come here and put out to go 8-0, it’s a big achievement for USACA,” said USA captain Orlando Baker.

Taylor’s second century in as many matches reset his own USA T20 record and took him to 413 runs overall on the week to put him atop the run charts for the tournament.

“It was a dream come true and I’m happy for my accomplishment,” Taylor said. “I had one goal, my main goal was to become the highest run getter…. It’s a big boost for me because we qualified to the UAE and I’d like to do good in the UAE.”

USA won the toss and elected to bat first with no changes made to the side that beat Bermuda on Friday as Elmore Hutchinson and Saqib Saleem nursed injuries while Timothy Surujbally sat out. Taylor and Akeem Dodson opened and set a USA record for the country’s largest partnership in T20 cricket. The pair added 155 in 15.1 overs, breaking the mark for highest first-wicket partnership previously held by Taylor and Aditya Mishra with 78 vs. Scotland at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai and the highest partnership overall which was held by Aditya Thyagarajan and Baker with 99 not out in a seventh-wicket stand vs. Ireland at the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Unlike his innings in the first match against Cayman Islands when he scored 95, Taylor’s time at the crease on Sunday was a charmed one with two straightforward chances being put down. The first came when he was on 21 in the fifth over with the score 41 for 0. Taylor top edged a sweep against offspinner Kevin Bazil that went straight to Alessandro Morris at fine leg. Morris misjudged it initially and then reached up over his head while backpedalling before spilling the chance.

Taylor treated Cayman Islands medium pacer Troy Taylor with particular disdain, torching him for a six and three boundaries in the 10th over as he brought up his 50 off just 30 balls in the process. On the first ball of the 11th over, Dodson scooped Ramon Sealy over fine leg for a boundary to break Baker and Thyagarajan’s partnership record.

The partnership finally ended when Dodson missed a slog to midwicket against Kervin Ebanks and was bowled for 46. Baker came out to the middle and for the second match in a row was present when Taylor brought up three digits. Bermuda had another chance to deny him of three figures though just five balls after Dodson got out when Taylor sliced a full toss straight to point but the fielder grassed the chance at chest height.

Instead, Taylor reached his century three balls into the 17th over with a single to the leg side. He scored his second 50 in just 21 balls. Cayman Islands still had three more overs to feel Taylor’s wrath though. The teenager added another three fours and a six in the final two overs before he carried his bat off the field with 14 fours and six sixes at the end of his 62-ball knock. The total of 198 for 1 was a record score for USA in T20 cricket, eclipsing the 193 for 5 USA made against Bermuda in Sharjah at the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.

Image (above) - Man of the Match Steven Taylor after breaking his own USA record T20 score with 127 not out vs. Cayman Islands. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna]

“There’s so many things that happened. There’s so many records that has break in this tournament, with the batters and partnerships.” Baker said. “But from a personal point of view, I’m very happy to lead this team, a young team. I get the respect from each and every player, from the managers right down to the guys. When I came here to Florida, I said I’m here on a mission as a captain and a senior player and the mission is complete.”

Cayman Islands never had a chance to chase the total despite a 60-run opening stand between Sealy and Zachary McLaughlin. Sealy was dismissed for 27 by Danial Ahmed in the 10th over and from there wickets fell regularly. McLaughlin was the first of three wickets taken by Ryan Corns, caught by Taylor at long on for a top score of 35. Corns had Ronald Ebanks stumped for 12 before Abhimanyu Rajp got into the act, removing Conroy Wright for 8 through the assistance of a brilliant catch on the boundary by Naseer Jamali to make it 100 for 4 in the 17th.

Corns capped off career best figures of 3 for 12 with the wicket of Kervin Ebanks, caught at deep midwicket by Japen Patel for 12 to make it 106 for 5 in the 18th. The last wicket to fall for Cayman Islands was that of Troy Taylor, stumped by Dodson for 1 in the 19th over, before Cayman Islands finished on 121 for 6.

In the day’s other match, Suriname stunned Bermuda by five wickets to take their record to 4-4 while Bermuda finished the tournament at 5-3 but still finished in second place to join USA as the two teams advancing from this tournament to the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE this November. Tre Manders and David Hemp both made 51 in Bermuda’s total of 144 for 4, but Suriname chased it down with two balls to spare aided by some shoddy fielding from Bermuda. Sauid Drepaul led Suriname with 42.

USA has an off day on Monday before a three-match 50-over series against Bermuda begins at Brian Piccolo Park beginning at 10 a.m. DreamCricket.com will have live coverage sponsored by New Inning Foundation for all three matches.

USA Cricket: Patel named Man of Match, USA grinds out 6-wicket win over Suriname at 2013 ICC Americas T20

openingbat — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 01:32:00 GMT

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

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

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

Scorecard powered by New Inning Foundation I Match Commentary

Japen Patel’s responsible innings helped clinch USA’s fifth win in five games on Thursday as they defeated Suriname by 6 wickets on day four of the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. Suriname fell to 2-3 with the loss while USA strengthened their position at the top of the standings. Patel was named Man of the Match for his 27 not out at number six as USA chased Suriname’s 110 for 6 with seven balls to spare.

“I saw that the wicket was staying low,” Patel said. “I told myself that if me and [Nicholas] Standford can bat on through 20 overs, we can pull through. We just have to play a lot of straight shots and nothing across the line because people before us got out the same way. Our game plan was simple. Look for singles, doubles and when we get a bad ball capitalize on it.”

Suriname won the toss and elected to bat first. USA fielded an unchanged eleven from their win on Wednesday over Bermuda as Naseer Jamali and Saqib Saleem remained on the bench while Karan Ganesh was sidelined with a right knee injury. It was confirmed on Thursday by USA team manager Shoaib Ahmed that Ganesh will not take any further part in the tournament due to the injury. Adil Bhatti is scheduled to arrive on Thursday night in Florida as a replacement player ahead of USA’s pair of matches on Friday against Bahamas and Bermuda.

Romell Douglass and Arun Gokoel opened the batting for Suriname. The pair labored for runs, putting on 40 in 9.1 overs before Abhimanyu Rajp struck as Gokoel was caught at long off by Steven Taylor for 16. Douglass was removed by Ryan Corns eight balls later for 23, caught at long on by Barrington Bartley.

Sauid Drepaul and Shazaam Ramjohn took their side to 67 before Ramjohn was caught at deep backward square leg by Elmore Hutchinson off Bartley for 7. Drepaul was dropped twice, first on 9 and again on 22 before he was run out by a spectacular piece of fielding from wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson. Danial Ahmed bowled a delivery that Drepaul tried to nudge into the off side for a quick single, but Dodson bolted out from behind the stumps, ripped off one of his wicketkeeping gloves and fired a direct hit into the stumps at the non-striker’s end to leave Drepaul stunned as Suriname lost their best batsman for 28.

It was the first of three runouts completed in the field by USA. Vishram Shaw was the second for 3 at the end of the 18th when he decided to take on Bartley’s arm from the boundary for a second run. The throw from long off to Hutchinson over the non-striker’s stumps was on target to leave Suriname at 94 for 5. Suriname captain Mohindra Boodram was out on the final ball of the innings, running on anything from the non-striker’s end only to see Hutchinson field one-handed in his follow-through before flicking off the bails. Rajp and Corns both finished with 1 for 23 while Ahmed bowled a miserly spell to finish with 0 for 15 in four overs.

Taylor and Timothy Surujbally opened USA’s chase with Taylor doing all the scoring in their 22-run opening stand. Surujbally lasted nine balls before holing out to mid off for a duck in the fourth over to Arun Gokoel’s offspin. Taylor made 23 before he was run out for the second time in three matches. The teenager got into a mixup with Dodson and couldn’t make his ground in time at the non-striker’s end ahead of Boodram’s throw from midwicket to Drepaul over the stumps.

Dodson and USA captain Orlando Baker took the score to 49 before the wicketkeeper was bowled for 15 playing across the line to a ball that kept slightly low. Baker made 19 before he fell victim to some variable bounce in the pitch, spooning a return catch to Shaw to make it 69 for 4 in the 12th.

Image (right) - Nicholas Standford drives down the ground on his way to 23 not out. Standford is third on the team in runs at the tournament with 93 at a team best average of 46.50. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

Standford was joined at the crease by Patel and unlike the previous day against Bermuda, this time Standford was able to stay until the end as the pair played it safe with ones and twos to take USA closer to victory. There was only one four and one six, both hit by Patel, during their unbeaten 42-run partnership which culminated in a single by Patel over midwicket for the winning run five balls into the 19th over. Gokoel finished with Suriname’s best figures taking 1 for 19 in three overs.

In the day’s other game, Bahamas shocked Cayman Islands by 9 wickets. Cayman Islands struggled to make 122 for 9 in their 20 overs before Marc Taylor slammed 89 not out off 61 balls as Bahamas reached the target in 16.1 overs. Both teams now stand at 1-4 and the fight to avoid relegation to Division Two could come down to net run rate by the end of the tournament.

USA returns to the Central Broward Regional Park on Friday morning to take on Bahamas at 10 a.m. EST. In the afternoon, USA head over to Brian Piccolo Park to play Bermuda at 3 p.m. EST. DreamCricket.com’s live coverage sponsored by New Inning Foundation, will begin at 9:30 a.m. EST.

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

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

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: Baker looks forward to captaincy challenge at 2013 ICC Americas Division One T20

openingbat — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:44:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Veteran allrounder Orlando Baker says he’s ready for the opportunity to captain a young USA side at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament, which begins next Monday in Lauderhill, Florida at the Central Broward Regional Park. USA kicks off the tournament against Suriname at 10 a.m. on March 18 and Baker says he’s ready to take on more responsibility, not just as a captain but by bringing his talents to the fore with bat and ball as well.

“It’s a good feeling. It’s always a pleasure when you’re captaining your country so it’s an honor,” Baker told DreamCricket.com. “I’m looking forward to leading from the front. I’ve been around for a while now and I know a lot rests on my shoulders. I’m looking forward to take this opportunity to really showcase my talent and show what I can do. It’s always a challenge but I’m just going to go ahead and put my right foot forward and keep working hard.”

Image (right) - In 2010, Orlando Baker combined with Aditya Thyagarajan to produce the highest partnership for USA in Twenty20 matches, an unbroken 99-run stand for the seventh wicket against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia/USACA]

Baker previously captained USA in 2008 at the West Indies Cricket Board Cup 50-over tournament in Guyana. USA failed to win a game in that event, but the tournament provided opportunities for non-first choice players to get exposure such as Timroy Allen who made his USA debut against Barbados and took 1 for 26 in eight overs. Baker says he wants the players to enjoy themselves on the field and not feel pressure but at the same time they’ll need to adjust quickly to the demands of an ICC qualifying tournament that features eight games in seven days for USA.

“As you know, Twenty20 cricket is not a game that you have too much time,” Baker said. “I think new guys who are coming in, they have to learn pretty fast. There’s a few senior players – myself, Elmore [Hutchinson], [Barrington] Bartley comes back into the team – and then you have Ryan Corns there, Japen Patel, guys who have been around. I think myself and those guys have to really carry the bulk of the work in this tournament. A lot is gonna depend on me as a senior player and the captain but maybe one or two guys will rise to the occasion.”

With several first choice players missing out on this tournament in order to have enough time off work for 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three next month in Bermuda, USA’s Twenty20 squad includes a few fresh faces competing in an ICC tourney for the first time and one in which their endurance and conditioning will be severely tested. The top two teams out of Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Suriname and USA will advance to the 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE. Only six out of this 14-man squad were part of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier squad that played a grueling nine matches in 11 days in the UAE.

The fast bowling department looks particularly thin for USA without Allen and Usman Shuja. With only 14 caps, Hutchinson is the senior fast bowler in the squad and as a result, fellow left-arm seamer Naseer Jamali is expected to get plenty of opportunities after debuting in The Auty Cup last November. However, there are no specialist pacemen besides them in a spin heavy bowling unit.

On the batting side, Steven Taylor is the only man in the squad who has been a significant contributor with the bat over the past year and the absence of Sushil Nadkarni, USA’s leading scorer from 2012, creates a big hole to fill. Rather than be worried about the overall inexperience, Baker says this is a chance for younger players to push for a regular spot and increase the level of competition within the national team.

Image (left) - Steven Taylor will be looking for a good foil at the top of the order in the absence of Sushil Nadkarni. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com]

“There’s a lot of guys there,” Baker said. “You can’t really say someone will fill Sushil’s role. It’s just that somebody has to open with Steven. There’s a lot of guys, Timmy [Surujbally] who has come in as an opener. You have Ryan [Corns] who has batted up the order for the US before. You have young [Nicholas] Standford, even myself. When we get to Florida with Robin [Singh] the coach and the management staff, I think we’ll get to that point when we get there.”

“I’m not worried about the depth,” Baker said. “I think guys have been waiting for the opportunity. I’m looking forward to guys standing up and try and grab the opportunity, try and push the players in the squad for Bermuda. That’s the challenge these guys have ahead. They have to come here and perform. They’ve been given a chance. A lot of people have been calling for younger guys in the US team. You look at this team and it’s a really young team. This is their chance and they have the opportunity to showcase themselves and push their claims.”

The format of the ICC Americas tournament was a single round-robin event in 2011, but that has been revised in the region as a result of Canada not participating in this year’s tournament due to automatic qualification for the World Twenty20 Qualifier after a top-six finish in the same event last year. Instead of a six-team ICC Americas event with everyone playing each other once across six days, this year will see five teams all playing each other twice for a total of eight matches per team crammed into seven days. Although it will be taxing, Baker says there is a silver lining with more players getting more chances to show their stuff on the field and have as much time as possible out in the middle.

“It’s gonna be really tough. There’s going to be a lot of cricket. I think the players themselves have gotta take care of themselves,” Baker said. “If you look back at the [2012] tournament in Dubai, it was really tough. We’ve been getting a program. Robin sent out a program over the last couple of months for guys to be working on physically so I’m expecting everyone to be ready come March 17. I welcome the opportunity. It’s a challenge but I welcome the opportunity to play more games. At least you get to see more players. Players get more opportunities so I welcome the challenge. It’ll be tough but as I said if each individual player is following the training program, the physical program, they should be ready come March 17.”

“I’m not feeling pressure. I’ve played a lot of cricket over the years for the US and outside of the US before I became a member of the team. I’m just looking forward to the challenge. I like challenges. It’s something that I always look up to. I think when I have challenges, that’s when I get the best out of me. I’m looking forward to it. I’m not worried about pressure or worried about senior guys who aren’t there because at the end of the day we all have to perform.”

DreamCricket.com will have live coverage for all of USA’s matches at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament beginning with the opening contest on Monday, March 18 against Suriname. Coverage begins at 9:30 a.m. EST with the first ball scheduled to be sent down at 10 a.m.

USA Cricket: Men's team opens with two matches on first day of 2013 ICC Americas Division One T20

openingbat — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:31:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

USA begins next week’s 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament with two matches on the opening day in a packed schedule in which the five competing teams will each play eight matches inside of seven days spanning from March 18-24 at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill and Brian Piccolo Park in Cooper City, Florida. Four of the five teams in the tournament – Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and USA – will have one off day inside of the seven days of matches. The only team that does not have a scheduled day off is Suriname but they only have one match day where they have two matches to play on the same day whereas the other four teams are scheduled to have two days inside the seven-day schedule in which they’ll have to play a morning and an afternoon match on the same day.

DreamCricket.com will have live text commentary coverage for all of USA’s matches from Florida at the 2013 ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament, beginning on March 18 when the hosts kick off the tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park against Cayman Islands at 10 a.m. before taking on Suriname at the same venue at 3 p.m. USA returns to the same facility on March 19 at 3 p.m. to play Bahamas, which gained promotion from ICC Americas Division Two in February. USA completes the first phase of the double round-robin event by going up against Bermuda at 3 p.m. on March 20 at the Central Broward Regional Park.

USA begins round two with a 10 a.m. fixture against Suriname at the Central Broward Regional Park on March 21. The most grueling day of the tourney for USA arrives on March 22 when USA plays Bahamas at 10 a.m. at the Central Broward Regional Park, then has to drive to Brian Piccolo Park to face Bermuda at 3 p.m. It will be USA’s seventh game in five days.

Although Bermuda has a 10 a.m. match against Cayman Islands at Brian Piccolo Park on March 22 ahead of their afternoon showdown with USA, Bermuda has the advantage of having their scheduled off day for the tournament the day before on March 21. As a result, Bermuda may be fresher than USA in the final matchup between the two highest ranked sides in the event.

March 23 is a scheduled off day for USA before they return to the stadium on March 24 for their final scheduled fixture against Cayman Islands. March 25 is currently scheduled as a rain/reserve day to make up any fixtures affected by weather. If there are no weather interruptions during the tournament, Cayman Islands will play Suriname in a 50-over match at the Central Broward Regional Park on March 25 before Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Suriname depart Florida on March 26.

On March 26, USA and Bermuda will begin their three-match 50-over series at Brian Piccolo Park. March 27 is listed as a rain/reserve date in case of any weather interruptions. On March 28, USA and Bermuda continue their 50-over series at the Central Broward Regional Park before returning for the third and final game at the same venue on March 29. All three matches are scheduled for a 10 a.m. start. Both teams will then depart Florida on March 30.

USA and Bermuda are using the 50-over contests against each other as match practice ahead of 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Three, which will take place in Bermuda from April 28-May 5. Bermuda, Italy, Nepal, Oman, Uganda and USA will duke it out for two spots available at the 2014 ICC World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. In addition to the two spots available for promotion into that event, an increase in ICC funding grants is also at stake.

USA also has the opportunity to parlay a spot at the 2014 ICC World Cup Qualifier into securing top 6 Associate and Affiliate ODI status and a place in the next edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, the premier multi-day cricket tournament for Associate and Affiliate teams. USA participated in the inaugural Intercontinental Cup in 2004 but was barred from participating in the 2005 edition while under ICC suspension and has not participated since.

USA Cricket: Gruny stars in 68-run win over Cayman Islands at 2012 ICC Americas Women's Twenty20

openingbat — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:35:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Scorecard powered by the New Inning Foundation

USA gave the Cayman Islands Women’s team a harsh introduction to international cricket, beating the host country by 68 runs on Monday in the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship at Smith Road Oval in George Town, Cayman Islands. Nadia Gruny top scored with 36 off 32 balls, including three boundaries, in USA’s total of 125 for 4 before they bowled out Cayman Islands for 57 in 19 overs.

USA won the toss and batted first as Geetha Shawkarla, Delkash Shahriarian and Sahar Azmat sat out of the starting lineup for USA while the Cayman Islands Women’s team embarked on their first ever official match. Gruny and Karen Bayles opening the batting but Bayles didn’t last long, out third ball without scoring to Paulette Robinson to make it 16 for 1. Gruny was joined by USA captain Candacy Atkins and the two added 38 for the second wicket before Gruny was bowled by Sheila Rankine.

Former Trinidad & Tobago representative Melissa Sandy came to the crease and along with Atkins produced the biggest partnership of the match with 55 runs for the third wicket. Sandy eventually departed for 27 off 32 balls, caught by Cayman Islands captain Molly Anne Moore off the bowling of Carmel Harms. Atkins left two runs later for 29 off 44, caught by Harms off Deserne Cox. Samantha Ramautar and Triholder Marshall then added on another 14 runs before the end of the innings to take USA to a total which they easily defended.

Robinson had the best figures for Cayman Islands with 1 for 6 in two overs. Rankine was the most expensive with 1 for 33 in four overs. Cayman Islands conceded a total of 23 extras in the field, including 16 wides.

Cayman Islands never had a chance in the chase after losing three quick wickets, sliding to 7 for 3 in the sixth over. Robinson was run out without facing a delivery while her fellow opener Harms got a duck in more orthodox fashion, trapped LBW by Ramautar before Indiana Watson-Scott was bowled by Claudine Beckford for 1.

The fourth wicket stand of 18 between Moore and Wyvonne Forbes was the best of the innings for Cayman Islands. Forbes was eventually out for 4 to give Beckford her second wicket. Akshatha Rao dismissed Carnet McField for 3 to make it 36 for 5 and Gruny bowled Cox for 2 to make it 43 for 6 in the 14th over.

After being USA’s leading wicket-taker last November in Bangladesh, Marshall finally got into the act as Vanessa Cameron Clarke was pinned LBW for 2 to make it 52 for 7 in the 17th. Moore’s resistance was finally ended by Ramautar in the next over for 18 off 45 balls to make it 52 for 8. Marshall ran out Melrose McFarlane for 1 to make it 53 for 9 and Beulah Pidakala wrapped up the match at the end of the 19th as she pulled off USA’s third runout of the innings, sending Rankine on her way for 2.

Beckford had USA’s best figures in the match with 2 for 2 in four overs including three maidens. Ramautar was just as impressive with 2 for 4 in three. Marshall finished with 1 for 10 in four but only three of those runs were conceded off the bat. Extras wound up being the top score for Cayman Islands in the innings as USA gave away 23 of them including 18 wides.

In the other matches on Monday, Canada defeated Brazil by 126 runs in the morning match at J.P. Powell Oval. Brazil won the toss and sent Canada in to bat and the tournament favorites were happy to oblige, racking up 181 for 3 in their 20 overs. Durriya Shabbir top scored for Canada with 63 off 52 balls, including four boundaries, and was part of a 99-run partnership for the third wicket with Joanna White. Brazil was then restricted to 55 for 8 in their 20 overs. Kamna Mirchandani took 3 for 13 in four overs in the field for Canada.

In the late game at J.P. Powell Oval, Argentina won by 8 wickets over Bermuda. Argentina won the toss and sent Bermuda in to bat. The decision worked to great effect as Bermuda was bowled out for 59 in 17.5 overs. Sharon Seaton opened the bowling and did the early damage for Argentina, taking 3 for 24 in four overs. Mercedes Esperon applied pressure later in the innings, taking 2 for 1 in three overs. Extras top scored for Bermuda with 14. Argentina chased the target in 10.4 overs. Dirce Yuli top scored with 23 off 25 balls.

USA returns to action on Tuesday against Brazil at the J.P. Powell Oval at 11:30 a.m. EST.

USA Cricket: Understrength team heads to Cayman Islands for 2012 ICC Americas Women's T20

openingbat — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:05:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

The USA Women’s team will be working at less than full strength for the second tournament in a row as several first-choice players could not make the trip to the Cayman Islands for this week’s 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship. The winner of the round-robin event featuring Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands and USA will clinch a spot at the 2013 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier.

The tournament figures to be a two-horse race between the USA and Canada. USA went to the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier after beating Canada in a three-match 50-over challenge series at Toronto in July 2010. However, Canada swept USA convincingly in a pair of Twenty20 matches on the same 2010 tour and enters this tournament as the likely favorite to come out on top.

Of greater concern for USA is team stability and chemistry. Last November, a half-dozen players stayed home after a dispute with USACA over tour stipends for the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh. At least four first-choice players won’t be going to the Cayman Islands either and six changes overall have been made from the squad that went to Bangladesh.

Shebani Bhaskar, USA’s leading scorer in Bangladesh, is unavailable due to school commitments. Also staying home are the second and third leading scorers from the tour to Bangladesh, Erica Rendler and former captain Doris Francis, as well as Ritu Bhargava.

On the positive side, Triholder Marshall and Samantha Ramautar, USA’s top two wicket-takers from the Bangladesh tour, have made the trip to the Cayman Islands. Ramautar was also USA’s most economical bowler in Bangladesh with 4.28 runs per over and the off-spinner bowled the most overs on tour with 50 in six matches.

Another plus is the return of Candacy Atkins. One of the top performers at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament, Atkins was also a vital member of the USA Women’s team in 2010 that beat Canada in the three-match 50-over series. However, she was one of the players who stayed home from going to Bangladesh after the dispute over stipends. Not only is she returning to the squad, but she will captain the team. USA will need major contributions from Atkins to have any shot at finishing in first place.

Atkins needs to step up to help bridge the gap that exists between senior players and very inexperienced ones. Five players have yet to make their debuts for USA. They include Sahar Azmat, Karen Bayles, Beulah Pidakala, Melissa Sandy and Geetha Shawkarla. Sandy formerly represented Trinidad & Tobago before moving to the USA and Bayles turned in decent but not great stats at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament.

Azmat and Pidakala were bizarrely selected despite a total of four runs in three innings between the two at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament while Azmat had bowling figures of 1 for 128 in one match against the tournament champion Tri-State Lynx squad. Shawkarla didn’t participate in the USACA Women’s Tournament in 2011.

The team will be coached by Basil Butcher Jr. Other members of the management team are manager Jacqueline Frank, Selwyn Caesar and Brian Jackson. USACA has not made any formal announcement about what roles Caesar and Jackson are serving on tour.

USA squad for 2012 ICC Americas Women's Twenty20 Championship: Candacy Atkins (captain), Anahita Arora, Sahar Azmat, Karen Bayles, Claudine Beckford, Sara Farooq, Nadia Gruny, Triholder Marshall, Beulah Pidakala, Samantha Ramautar, Akshatha Rao, Melissa Sandy, Delkash Shahriarian, Geetha Shawkarla.

USA’s schedule at the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship
Monday, March 23 – vs. Cayman Islands at 3:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, March 24 – vs. Brazil at 11:30 a.m. EST
Wednesday, March 25 – vs. Argentina at 11:30 a.m. EST
Friday, March 27 – vs. Bermuda at 3:30 p.m. EST
Saturday, March 28 – vs. Canada at 3:30 p.m. EST

USA Cricket: Allen bags four with pace and spin to lead USA past Cayman Islands by 7 wickets at 2011 ICC Americas T20

openingbat — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:16:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Official Scorecard I Ball-by-Ball Commentary

USA all-rounder Timroy Allen took 4 for 8 in 3.4 overs to be named Man of the Match as USA defeated Cayman Islands by 7 wickets on the second day of the 2011 ICC Americas Division One T20 tournament at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. Allen started off bowling pace and took two wickets in the fourth over to be on a hat trick before returning to claim two wickets in the 20th over bowling off-spin.

"I try to do my best," said Allen. "There's a lot of new faces in the team and we need a lot of intensity in the team. All the new guys, they expect somebody to lead from front and of course one of the senior players is gonna have to play that role. I happened to step up today. The captain's real confident in me."

USA won the toss on a bright, sunny morning and elected to field first, using the same XI that won on Monday against Suriname. Usman Shuja struck first in the third over, bowling Ramon Sealy for 6 to make it 8 for 1. Two runs later in the next over, Allen had Ricardo Roach caught behind by Akeem Dodson for an 11-ball duck before dismissing Pearson Best in similar fashion on the very next delivery.

Image (right) - Timroy Allen file photo. [Courtesy: Daniela Zaharia/USACA]

Steve Gordon and Cayman Islands captain Abali Hoilett pieced together a 40-run partnership over the next 10.2 overs by working Muhammad Ghous and Bhim George around the ground. Gordon finally fell for 26 to George, chipping the left-arm spinner to Sushil Nadkarni at midwicket.

USA captain Steve Massiah took the first of two wickets to make it 53 for 5 in the 15th over when Conroy Wright overbalanced after missing a drive and was stumped by Dodson for 2. Kevin Bazil was run out for 2 in the following over before Kervin Ebanks chipped Massiah to George at long off for 2 in the 17th over to make it 61 for 7. Hoilett left in the 19th over, holing out for 19 to Allen on the long on rope off the bowling of Baker to make it 68 for 8. Allen finished off the innings with two wickets in the final over, bowling Troy Taylor with a flighted off-break before Marlon Bryan played onto his stumps three balls later as Cayman Islands were bowled out for 72 in 19.4 overs.

Nadkarni and Gowkaran Roopnarine opened again for USA, but Roopnarine couldn’t replicate his success from day one as Ebanks trapped him LBW in the second over for 3. Massiah’s stay at the crease was brief after he was rapped on the pads four balls later and joined Roopnarine in the pavilion without scoring as USA made a shaky start at 8 for 2 in the second over.

Aditya Mishra joined Nadkarni and the two former Ranji Trophy players calmly constructed a 48-run partnership for the third wicket. Nadkarni finished with four boundaries in his 26 before he spooned a catch to Hoilett at cover to give Taylor his only wicket. Mishra continued with Quasen Alfred until the target was reached with one ball to go in the 14th over. Alfred finished 14 not and Mishra was unbeaten on 28.

USA’s next match is against Argentina on Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. EST. Live coverage on DreamCricket.com begins at 1 p.m.

USA Cricket: Cayman Islands left in USA's wake after 10-wicket thrashing

openingbat — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:26:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna in Fort Lauderdale

Another day and another romp for USA as the team bowled out Cayman Islands for 40 before chasing the runs in 4.4 overs to win by 10 wickets on Wednesday inside the Central Broward Regional Park stadium at the ICC Americas U-19 Division One in Lauderhill, Fla. Left-arm orthodox spinner Shayan Abdulghani was named Man of the Match for USA after finishing with figures of 3 for 3 in four overs.

“I’ve been practicing mostly my line and length and flighting the ball because I bowl a little flat,” said Abdulghani. “Coach told me flight the ball a little towards middle stump and you’ll get more wickets and you’ll get more nicks, edges and stuff like that.”

Cayman Islands won the toss and elected to bat first on a sunny morning with a different pitch being used than the ones for the first two matches inside the stadium at the tournament. They came into the match 1-1 with a narrow defeat to Bermuda and a win over Argentina during which opening batsman Sacha DeAlwis racked up 196 runs. However, it was a much different story on Wednesday for DeAlwis and the rest of his team.

Salman Ahmad made the first breakthrough for USA, claiming DeAlwis’ fellow opener Shane Cato for a five-ball duck, playing around a full length ball to be hit in front and given LBW with the score on 6 in the third over. Ahmad struck again two overs later when he got DeAlwis to chase a wide delivery and an edge was sent to Gurpreet Sandhu at gully. After a bobble, Sandhu took the catch and DeAlwis walked off for 5 to make it 8 for 2.

Image (right) - USA U-19 opening bowler Salman Ahmad goes up for an unsuccessful LBW appeal against Cayman Islands batsman John Tweedie. USA piled on the pressure all morning to bowl out Cayman Islands for 40 in 25 overs. [Courtesy - Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket]

“I guess the batting was revolving around their opener,” said USA U-19 Coach Robin Singh. “It was a question of getting him out early. He’s probably scored most of the runs in the past few games so we just really needed to go and get his wicket and I think we did that quite easily.”

With the backbone of the Cayman Islands order gone, captain Darren Cato arrived at number four and tried to provide as much resistance as possible. He added 20 runs with John Tweedie for the third wicket, but Tweedie finally departed after facing 23 balls without scoring when he was clean bowled by Hammad Shahid. Cato fell four runs later for 13, bowled through the gate by Mital Patel and from there the rout was on in full force.

After Shahid claimed Edward Bodden for 1 to make it 33 for 5, Sandhu and Abdulghani came on for a twin spin attack and quickly wiped out the tail. Extras wound up being top score with 14 while Darren Cato was the only batsman to reach double figures as Cayman Islands were bowled out for 40 in 25 overs.

“I think once you get the opposition on the ropes, I think you need to bury them,” said Singh. “That’s what we want to do in all the games. Any opposition where we have an advantage, we want to make sure that we stay with the advantage whether we bat first or we bowl.”

Steven Taylor and Fahad Babar came out and quickly picked off the runs. Taylor set the tone with a boundary hooked to fine leg on the first ball and he added three more on his way to 23 not out in 15 balls. Babar scored 7 in 15. Cayman Islands conceded 11 extras, including a wide to end the match, as USA reached the target of 41 with 45.2 overs to spare.

“I still think that even this was quite a weak team,” said Singh. “We have yet to face any really good opposition. Saying that, I think the players and our guys have actually improved as matches have gone by. I think they’re slowly getting into the routine. They understand what their roles are and what needs to be done. I think the last two games, we want to give a few guys a run and see how they play because I’m seeing these guys for the first time, most of these guys. I’m pretty happy and pretty satisfied with the way we’re going about things.”

All teams have an off day on Thursday before resuming play on Friday with USA scheduled to take on Bermuda at Brian Piccolo Park. A 30% chance of showers is in the weather forecast. Any rain that could come is projected to start around noon. Live coverage of USA’s match against Bermuda will begin Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. on DreamCricket.

ICC WCL Division 4 - USA cricket juggernaut rolls on with 9-wicket win over Cayman Islands

openingbat — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:39:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna in Bologna, Italy

Cayman Islands delayed the inevitable for only so long as USA completed a crushing nine-wicket victory at Centro Sportivo Dozza on Tuesday at the ICC WCL Division 4 in Bologna, Italy. Sushil Nadkarni was named Man of the Match for the second game in a row at the tournament after finishing 84 not out to lead USA past the Cayman Islands total of 181 for 9. He also took the Man of the Match award against Cayman Islands in June at the ICC Americas Division One when he scored 101 not out off 54 balls.

Image: Sushil Nadkarni tore into the Cayman Islands bowling attack once again to the tune of 84 not out, earning another Man of the Match medal. [Courtesy: ICC]

“I thought it was a very good team performance,” said USA captain Steve Massiah. “I thought we executed our plan very well.”

Cayman Islands won the toss and elected to bat first on a clear day with a temperature in the mid 80s. The Caymanian opening pair of Ricardo Roach and Ramon Sealy were not scoring very many runs against the opening combination of Kevin Darlington and Usman Shuja, but they each had solid defensive techniques and were determined not to be removed.

In stepped Orlando Baker for the ninth over and on the final ball of the over, he got one to jag back to beat Sealy through the gate for 8 to make it 23 for 1. Pearson Best was the new man in but survived for only 11 balls when he was beaten by a bouncer-yorker combo from Shuja. Against the bouncer, he cut Shuja for four behind point but when the yorker came on the next ball, Best had no answer and was bowled for 6 to make it 36 for 2. Roach was finally removed three balls after the first drinks break for 29 when he drove Shuja in the air to mid off where Aditya Thyagarajan sprinted to his left and took a spectacular diving catch.

In stepped Charlie Javed and the leg-spinner bowled a tidy line and length and along with Muhammad Ghous bowling at the other end, built pressure on the Cayman Islands middle order. Javed finally struck in his fourth over with the wicket of the captain Saheed Mohamed, out for 26. Mohamed tried to flick a full length ball through the on side but a leading edge popped up to Javed’s left and he dove forward to take a brilliant catch inches from the ground to make it 79 for 4.

Javed’s second wicket was Abali Hoilett for 3 to make it 91 for 5. Hoilett got a full ball on his legs and tried to sweep but sent it low and fast to Thyagarajan at fine leg in the circle who held on to the catch. For the second time in the match, USA took a wicket three balls after a drinks break as Javed claimed Ryan Bovell for 26 to make it 98 for 6 in the 40^th over. Bovell had been batting with great resistance but could hold himself in no more and went for a big swing to midwicket only to send an edge to Lennox Cush at slip to give Javed his third.

“I thought Charlie and Ghous bowled brilliantly, especially Javed,” said Massiah. “10 overs, three wickets, I thought it was exceptional. That was the reason why we had selected him knowing the weaknesses of certain teams and I thought today we exploited that brilliantly.”

USA vs. Cayman Islands Post Match Interview with Massiah & Nadkarni from Peter Della Penna on Vimeo.

Cayman Islands took the batting power play at the start of the 41^st over and did well to score 41 runs from it while only losing one wicket, that of Kevin Bazil for 9 when he sliced a delivery from Baker to Javed at short third man to make it 126 for 7. Number seven batsman Ronald Ebanks top-scored with 46 and targeted Ghous to score the bulk of his runs. Ghous had figures of 0 for 17 after eight overs, but finished with 0 for 41 in 10 after Ebanks launched him over the sightscreen on consecutive deliveries to start the 48^th over. However on the fourth ball of the over, Conroy Wright clipped a ball to midwicket and set off for a single, only to find himself short when Darlington fielded and fired a direct hit at the bowler’s end to send Wright off for 4, ending the biggest partnership of the innings at 37 to make it 163 for 8.

USA should have bowled out Cayman Islands for 168 in the final over, but on the ball after Baker dismissed Ebanks for the ninth wicket, Alassandro Morris was dropped when his top edged pull bounced off Darlington’s hands at midwicket. On the very next ball, Morris sent a catching opportunity to Ghous at long on, who wasn’t paying attention and the ball landed just in front of him and bounced by for four runs. On the next delivery, Morris hit Baker for six before taking a single off the final ball. Instead of finishing with figures of 4 for 17, Baker had to settle for 3 for 30 in 10 overs.

“I thought it was just a little lapse in concentration,” said Massiah. “Probably we got a little complacent. It’s cricket. These things are gonna happen and it’s just unfortunate that we dropped a few catches in the last over but luckily in the end it didn’t hurt us.”

The extra runs conceded only presented an opportunity for Nadkarni and friends to score more runs. On the fifth ball of USA’s innings, Nadkarni declared his intentions with a gargantuan hook over square leg for six off the bowling of Wright. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, Baker launched a mega hit over the fence at midwicket a few overs later against the off-spin of Morris.

The two men took USA to 71 when on the last ball of the ninth over, Baker went back to defend and was hit high on the pads and given out LBW for 32 to pace bowler Marlon Bryan. Massiah joined Nadkarni and the two methodically went about their business to guide USA toward the target.

Nadkarni brought up his 50 in 53 balls when he flicked a ball to fine leg and the fielder let it go through his legs and over the line. Massiah reached his half-century in 56 balls by clobbering the off-spin of Ebanks out of the ground for his third six. Massiah then finished the match two overs later when he spanked a free hit from Bovell over the midwicket boundary for the winning runs.

USA’s position at the top of the table was cemented about 30 minutes later when Nepal lost their match against Tanzania by 9 runs. Italy defeated Argentina by 60 runs to produce a four-way tie at 1-1 for second place while Argentina is at the bottom of the group with an 0-2 record. Play continues on Wednesday with USA playing for the first time in Medicina in a matchup against Italy while Argentina plays Nepal and Cayman Islands take on Tanzania in Bologna.

Match Scorecard

Cayman Islands vs. USA

USA won by 9 wickets

Cayman Islands won the toss and elected to bat

Man of the Match: SS Nadkarni

Cayman Islands Batting

Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal

RN Roach 29 81 3 0 ct Thyagarajan b Shuja

RA Sealy+ 8 14 1 0 b Baker

PI Best 6 11 1 0 b Shuja

SA Mohamed* 26 49 3 0 ct & b Javed

RD Bovell 20 55 0 0 ct Cush b Javed

A Hoilett 3 20 0 0 ct Thyagarajan b Javed

R Ebanks 46 39 5 2 ct Shuja b Baker

KF Bazil 9 10 0 1 ct Javed b Baker

C Wright 4 11 0 0 runout (Darlington)

A Morris 14 10 1 1 not out

MO Bryan 0 0 0 0 not out

Total Extras 16 (0 no balls, 5 byes, 3 leg byes, 8 wides)

Team Total 181 for 9 in 50 overs

Fall of wicket: 23/1 (Sealy), 36/2 (Best), 47/3 (Roach), 79/4 (Mohamed), 91/5 (Hoilett), 98/6 (Bovell), 126/7 (Bazil), 163/8 (Wright), 168/9 (Ebanks)

USA Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets

KG Darlington 10-0-47-0

KU Shuja 10-2-26-2

OM Baker 10-1-30-3

N Javed 10-1-29-3

MA Ghous 10-0-41-0

USA Batting

Batsman Runs Balls 4s 6s Dismissal

SS Nadkarni 84 92 11 2 not out

OM Baker 32 25 3 2 LBW Bryan

SJ Massiah* 59 62 4 4 not out

Total Extras 7 (2 no balls, 0 byes, 1 leg bye, 4 wides)

Team Total 182 for 1 in 29.3 overs

Did not bat: LJ Cush, A Thyagarajan, CD Wright+, RA Marshall, KU Shuja, MA Ghous, KG Darlington, N Javed

Fall of wicket: 71/1 (Baker)

Cayman Islands Bowling Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets

C Wright 4-0-26-0

A Morris 9-0-55-0

K Bazil 8-0-41-0

MO Bryan 3-0-22-1

RD Bovell 4.3-0-22-0

R Ebanks 1-0-15-0

Teams get ready for ICC WCL Division 4 Tournament in Italy

openingbat — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:09:00 GMT

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The International Cricket Council announced the squads for the six nations competing at the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 (WCL Div. 4) 2010 that will take place between 14th and 21st of August. The tournament will be played on artificial turf wickets at Pianaro, Medicina and Bologna in Italy.

Peter Della Penna will travel to Italy and cover USA's matches in the tournament exclusively for DreamCricket.com.

While Nepal and USA have earned their promotion from Division 5 and are strong favorites, the remaining teams - Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania could still spring surprises as they push ultimately towards inclusion in the next ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) which is scheduled for 2013. The top four finishers of the ICC CWCQ 2013 win themselves a place at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to be staged in Australia and New Zealand.

For USA, it is a do-or-die battle as they try to meet their own 15-15 goal of becoming a top 15 cricketing nation by 2015. If USA gets a top-two finish in WCL Division 4, they will proceed to WCL Division 3 to be staged in Hong Kong in January 2011.

[Click here for a previous article titled "WCL Division 4 Preview - The long road to Italy."]

Nepal, which is the top team in this tournament, has been working hard under the guidance of Roy Luke Dias, the former Sri Lankan cricketer who has helped transform the Nepal team during his tenure as the coach. Nepal's national team have been playing top-grade cricket for some months now - beginning with the ACC T20 Cup in UAE in November, the Pepsi World Cricket League Division 5 on home ground in February and the Pepsi One Day National Cricket Tournament in June. When the players, who play on natural turf, were a bit low on confidence about their ability to play on the artificial turf wickets of Italy, the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) imported an artificial turf surface before rains intervened.

“We are well prepared in terms of fitness, but the rain has been disrupting our practice sessions,” coach Dias told the nation's top cricket website - Cricket Nepal. Nepal and USA have met on four occasions and the record to date is 2 wins for Nepal, 1 win to USA with 1 match abandoned. Nepal's captain Paras Khadka is optimistic about a repeat of their Division 5 performance in the final match. “We are going to Italy to secure a final berth and then to fight for the title. We should not only hope to win but should be determined for it," he told Cricket Nepal.

Nepal Squad: Paras Kadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Shakti Gauchan, Sharad Vesawkar, Mahesh Kumar Chhetri, Anil Kumar Mandal, Amrit Battarai, Basant Regmi, Binod Kumar Das, Sanjam Regmi, Rahul Kumar Vishwakarma, Mahaboob Alam, Manjeet Shrestha, Pradeep Airee.

USA are seeded second in this tournament and Captain Steve Massiah sounded confident when he told ICC that "We have good knowledge of Nepal who we played against in February and also Cayman Islands and Argentina whom we have regularly played, including as recently as May in ICC Americas Division 1 and we beat them on both occasions. The other two teams we don't know so well, but I'm confident we're prepared and ready to continue moving up the World Cricket League ladder."

The Americans have not practiced as a team ahead of the tournament. But with the cricket season currently in progress, nearly all of the team members have been playing league-level cricket and are in good shape. Lennox Cush (pictured above), who is USA's most experienced cricketer at the international level, represented Guyana in the Caribbean T20 competition where he was the top wicket-taker (11 wickets from 4 appearances). He also took his second T20 hat-trick in the tournament.

USA Squad: Steve Massiah (captain), Muhammad Asad Ghous, Steven Taylor, Rashard Marshall, Sushil Nadkarni, Timroy Allen, Orlando Baker, Carl Wright, Aditya Thyagarajan, Adrian Gordon, Lennox Cush, Khawaja Usman Shuja, Kevin Darlington, Nasir Javed.

Tanzania appears to have taken the tournament more seriously than the remaining teams. The TCA arranged for a Nairobi Select team to play a series of one-day matches in Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania cricket team then left for UK on July 29th as part of their final preparations where they are scheduled to play six matches against local teams including Countesthrope, MCC, Hertfordshire and Sussex 2.

Unfortunately for Tanzania, its top order batsman and legspinner, Athumani Kakonzi, who plays first division cricket in Hertfordshire, is out of reckoning as he recovers from surgery. Three other Tanzanian players play first division cricket in UK - fast bowler Khalil Rehemtulla plays for Abbots Langley Cricket Club and Abhik Patwa plays for Countesthope Cricket Club - both in Leicester. Tanzania skipper Hamzi Abdallah also plays for the same club as Kakonzi - Watford Cricket Club in Hertfordshire. The preparation will hopefully firm up Tanzania's position in Division 4 and may even help them earn a well-deserved promotion. The team nearly got jettisoned out in 2008 but survived thanks to a superior NRR in a 3-way tie.

Tanzania Squad: Hamzi Abdallah (captain), Abhik Patwa, Hasnain Damji, Khalil Rehemtulla, Seif Khalifa, Riziki Kiseto, Kassim Nassoro, Issa Kikasi, Enjo Kiongozi, Shaheed Danani, Rashidi Amiri, Benson Mwita, Harsh Ramaiya, Ally Kimote.

Italy is something of a wild card not counting its home-ground advantage. The Italians have defeated Tanzania and Argentina in the past and appear confident of keeping their place in Division 4. "We have played against Nepal, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania before, all of which are good teams. However, we have never played the USA, and I believe, they can provide tough competition," Italy's coach Joe Scuderi was quoted as saying on the official website of International Cricket Council (ICC). Australia-born Scuderi played first class cricket for South Australia and English county team Lancashire.

"Most of our players [reside] outside Italy, and have not found the time for preparation. Fortunately, a few from our team are participating in the ICC European Division 1 Championship 2010 in Jersey [in July], and we plan to make the most of it," Scuderi told ICC.

Several Italian cricketers either play or have played professional cricket. Andy Northcote has played first-class cricket in South Africa for the Western Province and his brother, Nicholas, who also plays for Italy has also played top-shelf cricket in South Africa. Another Italian player, Peter Petricola, has played for Middlesex Second. In the European Division 1 tournament last month, Italians earned a surprise victory over Scotland A thanks to a massive second-wicket partnership of 134 between Andy Northcote (72) and Damian Fernando (62).

Italy Squad: Alessandro Bonora (captain), Roshendra Suroshan Abewickrama, Din Alaud, Dilan Shameera Fernando Arsakulasuriya, Damien Crowley, Gayashan Ranga de Silva Munasinghe, Thushara Achintha Kurukulasuriya, Damian Muthunamagonnage Fernando, Andrew Northcote, Nicholas Northcote, Hayden Patrizi dell'Agnello, Peter Petricola, Michael Raso, Stanly Hemantha Samaraweera Kankanamge.

For Cayman Islands and Argentina, which were relegated to Division 4 after finishing poorly in Division Three in 2009, the challenge will be to remain in the fourth division. This is particularly tough for Argentina, having lost to Cayman Islands and USA in all its matches since 2008. Cayman Islands' coach Theo Cuffy said, "We're looking forward to the tournament, it will be the first time to Europe for a number of our team and it's going to be a tough tournament with strong teams, but we're confident we can do well."

Cayman Islands Squad: Saheed Mohamed (captain), Pearson Best, Ryan Bovell, Kervin Ebanks, Paul Chin, Marlon Byran, Ricardo Roach, Jaylon Linton, Abali Hoilett, Conroy Wright, Alassandra Morris, Kevin Bazil, Ramon Sealy, Ronald Ebanks.

Argentina Squad: Esteban MacDermott (captain), Grant Dugmore, Agustin Casime, Alejandro Ferguson, Pablo Ferguson, Donald Forrester, Tomas Francis, Carlos Gibson, Diego Lord, Lucas Paterlini, Matias Paterlini, Pablo Ryan, Gary Savage, Martin Siri.

Schedule

14 August - USA v Nepal (Pianoro); Italy v Cayman Islands (Medicina); Tanzania v Argentina (Bologna)

15 August - Italy v Nepal (Pianoro); Argentina v Cayman Islands (Medicina); USA v Tanzania (Bologna)

16 August - Rest/Reserve Day

17 August - Italy v Argentina (Pianoro); Nepal v Tanzania (Medicina); USA v Cayman Islands (Bologna)

18 August - Cayman Islands v Tanzania (Pianoro); Italy v USA (Medicina); Nepal v Argentina (Bologna)

19 August - Rest/Reserve Day

20 August - USA v Argentina (Pianoro); Cayman Islands v Nepal (Medicina); Tanzania v Italy (Bologna)

21 August - Final (Pianoro); third/fourth play-off (Medicina); fifth/sixth play-off (Bologna)

Picture Courtesy: ICC

World Cricket League Division 4 Preview - The long road to Italy

openingbat — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:26:00 GMT

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World Cricket League Division 4 Preview - The long road to Italy

By Venu Palaparthi

Comments

On paper, based on their ICC ODI rankings, the countries of the ICC Division 4 are all at the same level. Cayman Islands - 25, Argentina - 26, Italy - 27, Tanzania - 28, Nepal - 29, USA - 30. Nothing could be further from the truth. How else can you explain that USA, ranked 10th in 2007, is now ranked a lowly 30th?

They are ranked similarly because they are currently in the same Division, their fortunes fluctuating with the vagaries of the WCL system. Their ranks do not reflect their performances outside of WCL. And some of them have never even played each other in the WCL.

Pic (Right): Lennox Cush in a WCL Division 5 match in Nepal.

It will be some more years before the World Cricket League stabilizes and all the countries find their rightful place in the pecking order. Meanwhile, here's an attempt by DreamCricket.com to seed the teams taking part in Pepsi ICC WCL Division 4 in Italy based on a review of their performances in the regional championships and the WCL.

1. NEPAL: Nepal and USA have been unlikely companions in the World Cricket League. Having started out in the same group as USA in Jersey in 2008 ICC WCL Division 5, Nepal did well to win all their matches in the Group Stage (just like USA). While USA was thrashed by the lowly Jersey in its semis in wholly avoidable circumstances, Nepal was thrashed by the mighty Afghans. Having failed to climb out of Division 5, Nepal (just like USA) was forced to wait until 2010 for another chance. In the Division 5 tournament in 2010, both countries led the pack this time and finished first and second overall earning a promotion to Division 4.

Nepal's superior ranking in DreamCricket.com's estimate is based on results in the two Division 5 tournaments. In 2008, in the third place playoff match in Jersey, Nepal gave USA a massive drubbing bowling USA out for 93. USA returned the favor on February 26, 2010 in a match that was cut short owing to crowd trouble - but not before USA reached the revised target of 157 with 12 overs to spare.

However, in the final the very next day, Nepal, perhaps not inclined to give the crowd another opportunity to express their discontent with stones and assorted missiles, dismissed USA for 172 and went on to reach that target with 5 wickets still in hand. Based on this 2-1 record against USA, Nepal are the top seeds in this tournament. Nepal is also planning a tour of Sri Lanka ahead of the tournament in Italy, a positive step that can only help them with their preparation.

2. USA: USA was shortchanged by its administrators' inability to clean house between 2005 and 2008. After being placed in Division 3 when the WCL system was conceived, thanks to its 10th place finish at the 2005 ICC Trophy, USA was suspended for non-cricketing reasons involving the said administrative machinery.

Upon readmission in 2008, USA was invited to join the league at the bottom of the totempole - Division 5. Once there, USA found it difficult to get out, finishing fourth in the 2008 ICC WCL Division 5 tournament in Jersey owing mainly to an uninspired performance against the hosts in a crucial semi-final match.

Afghanistan, which was in a far worse position, managed to shake off its past and proceeded to take the fast lane to ODI status. USA resumed its upward journey in 2010 with a much improved performance in Nepal finishing second - losing only to the hosts.

Ironically, when USA was suspended in 2005, Cayman Islands took USA's spot in the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2005 and Argentina replaced USA in the ICC WCL Division 3, joining Cayman Islands in that group. USA has not lost a single match to Cayman Islands or Argentina in 5 editions of the ICC Americas Championships beginning 2000, and yet finds itself playing these two countries to regain its place in Division 3.

In Division 4, Nepal will be a hard nut to crack for USA - the Nepalese are no pushovers against USA. The one thing going for USA is that Nepalese cricketers are unaccustomed to the astro-turf wickets in Italy. Natural turf is Nepal's preferred surface but USA has no such luxury and regularly plays on astro-turf and assorted other surfaces!

3. CAYMAN ISLANDS: When WCL was first conceived, the twelve participants of the 2005 ICC Trophy were to be bucketed in Divisions 1 thru 3 according to their ranking in that tournament. In addition, Division 3 had room for a leader from each ICC development region. Since USA, Canada and Bermuda had already booked their berths via the ICC Trophy route, Cayman Islands which was ranked behind these countries in the Americas region was the automatic next choice for Division 3.

To its credit, Cayman Islands retained its Division 3 spot at the end of the 2007 ICC WCL Division 3 tournament in Darwin (Australia) after inflicting defeats on lower ranked Tanzania and Hong Kong. But Caymans could not deliver a repeat performance in the 2009 ICC WCL Division 3 tournament held in Buenos Aries, scoring just one win (against the winless Argentina) and finished among the bottom two, which sent it down one notch to Division 4. Although Cayman Islands lost to Argentina in Bermuda last month, its overall record against Argentina affords Cayman Islands a seeding ahead of Argentina.

4. ITALY: Italy, like Cayman Islands, earned a spot in ICC WCL Division 3 in 2007 because it was the leader among the ICC's European associates - Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Scotland having already qualified via the ICC Trophy route.

However, its only wins in the 2007 tournament were against Argentina (in a last-ball run out) and Fiji, and it was relegated to Division 4. In ICC WCL Division 4 tournament in 2008 held in Tanzania, it won three matches finishing ahead of Tanzania, Jersey and Fiji, thus retaining its Division 4 position. Italy defeated Argentina in 2007 and Tanzania twice in 2008. This should put them ahead of these two countries in DreamCricket.com's rankings.

5. ARGENTINA: Argentina earned an improbable wildcard entry in Division 3 after USA was suspended in 2007 for non-cricketing reasons. This was possible because they were next in line in Americas as winners of ICC Americas Division 2 championship.

To everybody's surprise, the Argenentians grabbed that opportunity by the horns finishing second in Darwin in 2007. Argentina then moved to ICC WCL Division 2 but then lost the plot completely as evidenced by its downward slide post-Darwin. Argentina finished winless in 2007 ICC WCL Division Two tournament in Namibia and was relegated back to Division 3.

In the Division 3 tournament at home in 2009, Argentina once again finished without a single victory - sending it further down to ICC WCL Division 4. A 13-run victory over Caymans and an improbable tie against the Bahamas in Bermuda will hopefully instill confidence in Argentina. Argentina is proof that to truly defy gravity, you have to both improve and win consistently once you get into the higher divisions like the Afghans have done.

6. TANZANIA: Tanzania, as the leader among the remaining African associates, was placed in Division 3 in 2007. Having lost to all teams except Hong Kong in Division 3, it was relegated to Division 4.

In the Division 4 tournament in 2008, Tanzania was soundly beaten by all teams with the exception of Jersey, which somehow managed to lose to Tanzania after having won against better teams in Division 5 previously. In a three way tie for relegation from Division 4, Tanzania was saved by superior NRR and thus remained in Division 4. Tanzania recently toured Kenya, and although they were beaten in nearly all their matches, the experience should serve them well.

ICC Americas Cricket: USA finishes 2nd in 50-over event after 10-wicket romp over Cayman Islands

openingbat — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:08:00 GMT

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By Peter Della Penna

Another solid bowling performance paved the way for USA to wrap up a quick victory over Cayman Islands on Thursday, chasing down a target of 130 for the loss of no wickets in only 13.5 overs at Rangers CC in Southampton, Bermuda on the final day of the 50-over competition at the ICC Americas Division One Tournament. Sushil Nadkarni was named Man of the Match for a rampaging century, smashing 12 fours and 6 sixes to finish 101 not out in only 54 balls.

Pic (Right): Sushil Nadkarni finished 101 not out - 84 of those runs came from boundaries [File photo from WCL Div 5 - Courtesy Daniela Zaharia/USACA]

USA finished second at 4-1 in the 50-over portion of the event behind Canada, who beat Bermuda by four wickets on Thursday to go undefeated. Bermuda placed third at 3-2 followed by Argentina at 1-3-1 after they tied Bahamas on Thursday.

Cayman Islands finished fifth at 1-4 while Bahamas wound up last with four losses and a tie as they could not get over the line against Argentina, finishing their chase level at 333 when they lost their last wicket in 33.3 overs with one run needed to win. If Bahamas had scored a single to win instead of losing their final wicket on the same delivery, Cayman Islands would have finished fourth, Bahamas fifth and Argentina last based on net run rate.

Cayman Islands won the toss and elected to bat first as USA brought in Bilal Khan and Moazzam Imtiaz for Adrian Gordon and Orlando Baker. Khan struck first for USA, having Sacha De Alwis caught by captain Steve Massiah for a second-ball duck with the score on 8 in the second over.

Ramon Sealy was then joined at the crease by Ricardo Roach, but Timroy Allen bowled Sealy for 17 to make it 32 for 2 in the fifth. Allen took his second wicket two overs later, having Omar Willis caught behind by Ashhar Mehdi for 5 to make it 48 for 3. Khan set Cayman Islands back even further when Roach was caught behind as well for 12 with the score still on 48.

A brief recovery by Cayman Islands came with a 34-run partnership between Saheed Mohammed and Ryan Bovell. It ended when 20-year-old off-spinner Muhammad Ghous, who has had impressive figures throughout the tournament, bowled Bovell for 16 to make it 82 for 5 in the 18th over. Two overs later, Ghous claimed Ronald Ebanks for 5 to make it 96 for 6. In the next over, medium-pacer Imtiaz took his first wicket in his first match of the tournament when Carl Wright caught Mohammed for 18 with the score unchanged. Wright took another catch for Imtiaz four overs later as Kevin Bazil fell for 5 to make it 104 for 8 in the 25th.

Ghous made it 109 for 9 in the 26th when he bowled Conroy Wright for 4 to claim his third wicket. He finished with 3 for 21 in 10 overs including three maidens. A 20-run partnership pushed Cayman Islands to 129 before Massiah had Alessandro Morris caught by Khan for 16 to wrap up the innings in 32.1 overs as Kervin Ebanks finished not out on 3. Extras were the high score in the innings as USA conceded 28 of them, including 18 wides.

Nadkarni put his foot on the throat of the Cayman Islands bowling unit and never let up as he teamed with Wright to open and close USA’s chase of 130 in quick time. Kervin Ebanks and Bazil received the harshest treatment as Ebanks went for 40 in four overs while Bazil was clubbed for 24 in his two overs. Wright walked off 24 not out in 29 balls with four boundaries as Nadkarni ended the match and raised his century on the same delivery, hitting a four off the fifth ball of the 14th over bowled by Willis.

Nadkarni finishes as USA’s second leading run-scorer with 243 runs in five innings, including a century and two fifties. Only Aditya Thyagarajan was better for USA as he chalked up 250 runs in four times at the crease, with his 159 against Argentina the highest total of the event to go along with one half-century.

Ghous, Gordon and Lennox Cush all claimed six wickets for USA to have a share of the team lead. However, Ghous’ average of 12.83 was the best of any bowler who bowled a minimum of one over per match. He also possesses the best economy rate at 2.57, well ahead of USA’s next best bowler in the category, Khan at 3.46.

The Twenty20 portion of the tournament begins on Friday as USA takes on Argentina in Group A while Cayman Islands and Bahamas face off in Group B in the only matches of the day.

Tour Diary: How USA won the Pepsi ICC Americas Championship

openingbat — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:03:00 GMT

Tour Diary - Imran Khan, Team Manager of USA

The Florida town of Lauderhill hosted the Pepsi ICC Americas Division 1 Championship that included six sides. Defending champions and ODI rated side Bermuda were hoping to make it a second straight victory, whilst Canada another ODI side were favorites to take the title.

The Cayman Islands a regular in the Stanford 20/20 were supposed to be the dark horses of the tournament and Argentina ranked higher than the US could not be taken lightly. Only Suriname who made their debut in ICC Americas were ranked lower than the US in the global ICC rankings.

USA Squad: Back Row -left to right: Clayton Lambert (Coach) Akeem Dodson (W/K) Orlando Baker, Rashard Marshall, Timroy Allen, Robert Cresser,
Aditya Thyagarajan, Shaid Munir, Sudesh Dhaniram, Masood Chick (Physio)
Front Row- left to right: Carl Wright (W/K), Nasir Javed, Sushil Nadkarni (V. Capt), Imran Khan (Manager), Steve Massiah (Capt), Imran Awan, Lennox Cush

Thus, it was on the 25th of November 2008 on the artificial pitch situated outside the Lauderhill stadium that the two lowest ranked sides of the tournament battled head to head in the opening match.

Match 1: USA vs Suriname - The Butcher and the Pfeiffer

USA: S. Massiah, S. Nadkarni, C. Wright, R. Marshall, S. Dhaniram, A. Thyagarajan, O. Baker, T. Allen, I. Awan, N. Javed, S. Munir

It was a mismatch of the greatest proportion as the merciless US batsmen hammered the contemptible Suriname bowling attack into complete annihilation. The batting was dominated by possibly one of the most talented batsmen never to play senior international cricket.

Sushil Nadkarni butchered
the hapless Surinamese for 197.
The first of his back to back
centuries.

Sushil Nadkarni epitomizes the archetypical butcher. He will pounce on anything short, drive anything full and wait patiently for his moment like a predator. He has the full repertoire of shots and the temperament to match his skills. His overall total of 197 in only 132 balls although a phenomenal feat proved conversely to be a heartbreaking score, as he would have become the first man to score 200 in a one day match and thus the 3 runs he failed to make was the only real disappointment of the day.

The innings had begun in earnest but Carl 'Kung Kong' Wright got out for 34 by slamming a long hop straight to cover. Rashard Marshall was the next man in but only managed a solitary single before edging Oemraw to the keeper Mohabir. This brought in the captain Steve Massiah who was looking to open his and the team's account with a resounding victory and put the disaster of Jersey behind them.

His stand of 159 with Sushil all but destroyed any hopes that the detractors may have had at the fall of the second wicket and took the score to 270 before getting out to a swinging Yorker from Goekal for a stroke filled 62. Nadkarni continued to plunder the Surinam attack and was supported by the graceful Dhaniram who made a run a ball 20. Nadkarni eventually fell three runs short of a double century when he went hunting for a boundary and only managed to pull a short of a length ball high to Dohkhie at square leg. His innings contained 9 sixes and 22 fours. The final score for the USA was an outstanding 365, the tournaments highest team total. In reply the Surinam batting order offered little, if any, resistance to the raw US pace attack lead by Timroy Allen who took outstanding figures of 5/7.

Timroy Allen returned
excellent figures of
Five for 7

The Suriname grand total was 60 of which 23 were extras! Thus of the bat they scored only 37. It was a clinical performance from a side placed in the 5rh division of the ICC league tables. Sushil Nadkarni was deemed Man of the Match for his 197.

After the conclusion of the match, comments made by observers and officials suggested that the US side may have more to offer than was accredited to them before the onset of the tournament. USA had proven itself to be a ruthless side that took no prisoners and offered no hope to any opponent once they were in a position to dictate the match.

Match 2: USA vs Argentina - Nadkarni does it again

USA: S. Massiah, S. Nadkarni, C. Wright, R. Marshall, S. Dhaniram, A. Thyagarajan, L. Cush, T. Allen, I. Awan, N. Javed, A. Dodson

The second day match against the Argentineans was supposed to be a tricky affair as Argentina was ranked above the US and play in a higher division of the World Cricket League.

The US decided to include Lennox Cush and Akeem Dodson the reserve keeper for this match-up and gave rest to Munir and Baker.

The match was played at the Brian Piccolo Park on a turf wicket. Argentina won the toss and elected to bat first. A decision they soon came to rue as Imran Awan accounted for Ferguson early and wickets fell at regular intervals as all the bowlers cashed in on a feeble Argentinean batting line up. Only the kiwi player coach Hamish Barton stood strong to score an excellent 74. Awan and Javed took 2 wickets apiece and all the bowlers chipped in with wickets as Argentina finished on 200/8 of their 50 Overs.

In reply it was if Nadkarni had scripted the whole play himself. He came out and blasted 109 from only 106 balls with 12 fours and 3 sixes to win the match in only 37 Overs by 7 wickets. He was well supported by his opening partner Wright who scored 24, but for the second successive match lost his concentration and gave his wicket away when he had just got going.

Rashard Marshall again failed to go past the lonely single and was slightly unlucky in being adjudged LBW. Thus the old timers Massiah and Nadkarni joined together to cement a 95 run partnership that effectively all but ended the contest. Massiah needlessly got out towards the end but the writing was on the wall and Dhaniram and Nadkarni ensured a second successive victory for a US side that was increasingly getting sharper and more potent as the tournament progressed.

Nadkarni was named man of the match for his wonderful undefeated hundred.

Match 3: USA vs Bermuda - The Thanksgiving Massacre

USA: S. Massiah, S. Nadkarni, C. Wright, R. Marshall, S. Dhaniram, A. Thyagarajan, O. Baker, L. Cush, I. Awan, N. Javed, S. Munir

This was the first big match of the tournament and according to many experts the US was going to be taught a real lesson and any ideas of grandeur would be extinguished by the ODI rated side and world cup campaigners Bermuda.

The match was once again played at the Brian Piccolo Park and Bermuda won the toss but surprisingly elected to field. An indication that no matter what the pundits felt the Bermudan dressing room was rather apprehensive about this US side and thus took to defensive maneuverings straight from the offset.

The US had brought back Baker and Dodson made way for the swing bowler Munir. The US started well and the first wicket partnership of 44 between Wright and Nadkarni set the stage for a battle. However, Nadkarni departed earlier than anticipated for 16 as he chased a wide half volley and nicked it behind. Lennox Cush who had come in for Baker joined Wright for a partnership of 40 that was slow in its momentum but prevented any more losses up front.

However, within the space of 40 runs Cush (31), Wright (33) and Massiah (17) all got out by trying to up the ante. The scorecard began to reflect a rather meager effort thus far, 116 for 5 from 30 overs bowled. The Bermudans were now on top and their vocal supporters made no effort to hide their glee.

However, what the US team banks on is the depth of their squad and in particular their batting order. For the sixth wicket partnership brought together a contrasting pairing in the rather subdued but methodological Aditya Thyagarajan and the destructive yet explosive Rashard Marshall. However, the formbook was against Marshall as he had only scored 2 runs in two games and Aditya had spent less than an over at the crease. Therefore, the US batting line would now be tested to its fullest extent and the US motto of 'cometh of the hour; cometh of the men' would finally come into fruition.

Aditya Thyagarajan after
completing an amazing
innings turnaround.

Initially Marshall and Thyagarajan played cautiously to rebuild and when the time came to party, boy! did they they let lose. Marshall in particular was severe as he thrashed the Bermudan attack to all parts of the park. He smashed an incredible 6 sixes and 3 fours in his whirlwind knock of 71 from only 59 balls. Thyagarajan who was cool, calculated and calm to the finish dropped anchor and supported Marshall for a fine 42 that was worth double its value. Both batsmen lost their wickets towards the end but the damage had been done and the US had recovered and revived their hopes of victory by posting an unbelievable final total of 260/7 of their allocated 50 overs.

Rashard Marshall's 59
ball 71 changed the
whole tempo of
the match

The shell shocked Bermudans had watched the match slip away in the field and when they came out to bat their fate was instantly made apparent as they were reduced to 26/2. The US utilizing a strategic attack more akin to their military, shocked and awed the Bermudans as Awan was let loose on the top order. He bowled with pace, accuracy and consistency to subdue the batters into avoiding his end and scraping for non-existent singles. Eventually though Cann and Outridge survived the initial burst and put on an 80 run partnership that seemed to offer some form of resistance. However, the most impressive facet of this US side as hammered into their psyche by coach Clayton Lambert is the virtue of patience. Wait, be patient, anticipate the moment and then pounce to finish of your opponents like a hunter.

The score was on a dangerous 109/2 from 30 overs when Cann pulled a short of length ball to the square leg boundary and called Outridge through for what seemed an easy single at the very least.

In a single moment Rashard Marshall summed up what this US team was and is all about! Marshall sprinting to the ball picked up the ball in a solitary motion and threw the ball a good 70 yards flat as a whistle to knock down the single stump that would have been visible in his line of sight! Sheer class, brilliance and the result of a drilled set of skills as drummed into these men by Mr. Lambert.

The Bermudans were stunned and went from 109/2 to 129/5 before being blown away by Awan (3/16) for a paltry 168. The US had secured its third victory on the bounce and the holders had been thrashed beyond doubt. â€¨

It proved to be an ironic encounter as it was held on Thanksgiving Day and thus some of the players dubbed the match 'The Thanksgiving Massacre'.

The tables had turned and the ranking system became a mockery, as reputations were buried in Florida by this rampant US side.

Match 4: USA vs Canada - Oldest Rivalry

USA: S. Massiah, S. Nadkarni, C. Wright, R. Marshall, S. Dhaniram, A. Thyagarajan, O. Baker, L. Cush, I. Awan, N. Javed, S. Munir

On Saturday 29th November the Lauderhill Stadium built for the 2007 world cup played host to the oldest international rivalry in international cricket. The US was finally allocated a match at the stadium against the ODI outfit Canada. Both teams had recently toured Guyana to take part in the WICB Presidents Cup and thus were familiar with each other's form and style.

Both teams were coming into the match on a perfect winning streak but the US held a slight psychological advantage as they had just beaten Bermuda and thus a victory over the Canadians would almost guarantee the championship.

It was a tense affair on a wonderful day for cricket. The better team would no doubt decide the ultimate conclusion of the match on the day but the playing conditions would be a factor. The outfield seemed lush but slightly heavy and the wicket was clearly prepared to deceive more by chance than design.

Steve Massiah won the toss for the US and elected to have a bat first up. Umar Bhatti the Canadian skipper did not seem disappointed as he was the opening bowler for his side and probably fancied the stadium surface early in the morning.

The US innings began with some caution but disaster struck in the third over of the day as the left arm Bhatti bowling at a brisk pace nipped one delivery back into the left handed Nadkarni who had decided to leave the ball and was bowled shouldering arms, 3/1 from three Overs. The worst possible start for the US as the prolific Nadkarni was back in the dresser before any significant play had commenced. One down for the US was the Stanford 20/20 star Lennox Cush. On arriving to the wicket he was greeted by the on-field umpires who wanted to query the legitimacy of his bat.

As deliberation ensued and the matter seemed to have been resolved and Cush geared up to face his first delivery and was instantly rapped on the pads by Bhatti and the Canadian contingents from fine leg, to square cover all went up in unison to ask the question, beg for the decision and demand a result. As Cush stared in disbelief, the umpire's finger rose high and handsome to send him back as quickly as he had come. US were staring down a long barrel, 3/2 from only three overs bowled.

A point was made to myself that a few of the officials from various bodies that represent global cricket and the Americas region were seen to be cheering and sniggering at the possibility of a US defeat. The word used was possible and the opposite of that is impossible.

The US camp felt it impossible to lose no matter what the circumstance as the squad was brimming with outstanding talent right the way through. Clayton Lambert reminded his men that the wicket was a slow low wicket that would not be conducive to large totals and anything in excess of 150 would stand the US in good stead. How sound this advice and analysis was would be proven true as the day unfolded its drama and pursed the lips of those who laughed first.

Carl Wright having only faced a handful of deliveries was joined by his captain and together they attempted a fight back by utilizing the only form of defense they knew, attack. Massiah cut, drove and looked to be edging towards an innings of some substance when a low skidder from Osinde failed to gain any sort of height and hit Massiah low on his pads and the umpire hesitated not to confirm Osinde's appeal and leave the US at a precarious 38/3 from 10 overs. Massiah had looked fairly set and had struck 4 boundaries in his 22 on a difficult track, so his loss was crucial. However, the US batting keeps going and going and Wright was now joined by Dhaniram who stood for 10 overs and prevented the loss any further wickets.

With the score at a paltry 59, Dhaniram was the next victim for 5 and the US looked in dire straits. The Canadians were now ecstatic as they cheered on every ball and looked the ODI team that they were supposed to be. However, the US team is built like a tactical military unit that carries specialists, experts, men for all occasions and situations. Aditya Thyagarajan the hero against Bermuda typifies the US approach and was the ideal candidate to be tasked with the proposition to see out the innings and shut out one end. He strode out to join the lonesome Carl Wright and put on a 27 run partnership.

With the score on 86/5 Wright who had battled for his 40 runs, almost half the team total attempted a flat bat pull only for the ball to keep low and succeeded in dragging the ball onto his stumps. Rashard Marshall was the next man in and lasted only 3 balls when he was adjudged LBW. Marshall's luck had again failed him for the ball seemed to clearly be missing a second set of stumps.

The score was 88/6 and the Canadians had the match in the bag. The strange thing is that for all the noise and smirking remarks by various aficionados the US camp was quietly confident as they knew that walking in at number 8 was Orlando Baker, the regular US opener who had some issues with his form and thus was placed lower down the order. This day would be an ideal time for him to regain his form. The man is a fighter and someone I would select before anyone on any day. He has all the qualities that you require in a complete cricketer.

He possesses an excellent technique, has the experience and the ability to excel in any facet of the game. His 105 run partnership in 19 overs with Aditya Thyagarajan was possibly the best comeback innings played by any pairing this year. Aditya played every ball on merit, kept the scoreboard ticking over with smart singles, hard running and effortless stroke play when required.

As his innings progressed he began to dominate the Canadian attack and finished on a scintillating 84 not out from 99 deliveries faced. While Orlando Baker complimented his partner with a rearguard innings whereby he dropped anchor and rotated the strike to further frustrate the Canadians into opening up spaces all over the field and presenting more opportunities for quick runs. Eventually Baker was out for an excellent 38 in the 49th over and the damage had been complete. Aditya saw the innings out for a final score of 201 that would present a momentous challenge for the Canadians. The wicket was getting slower and lower and cracks had begun to appear.

The opening stand for Canada between Sandeep Jyoti and Asif Mullah was a solid affair as they put on 44 run stand and edged Canada towards the final total. The partnership was just getting troublesome for Americans when Imran Awan who had bowled so magnificently both in Guyana and the Americas championship managed to trap Mullah in front for 18 and the US had the breakthrough that they so badly needed. The US knew that they had the runs on the board and the Canadians would be under pressure if wickets fell regularly. Enter then into the fray Orlando Baker.

Bowling at a slippery pace that batsmen can never get completely comfortable against he began to swing and seam the ball to magnificent effect. The seriousness of this match was reflected in the measures that the Canadians took to prepare for this encounter. They flew in their key player Ashish Bagai who was in London just for this clash but that may have placed added and unnecessary pressure on him as Baker uprooted his stumps and sent him back for a solitary single and the score read 56/2 from 17 overs bowled.

As Baker found his rhythm he was ably assisted by the spinners Cush (0/24), Dhaniram (1/10 from 10 overs) and Javed (1/14) who tied up one end and let Baker blow steam at the other.

Orlando Baker man
of the match for a vital 39
and incredible bowling
spell of 5/31.

Baker ripped through the Canadian top order and accounted for Sandeep, Ali, Dhaniram (Sudesh Dhaniram's brother) and Chonanan in his 10 over stint that effectively blew away any Canadian hope of recovery or serious assault on the target. Baker finished with man of the match figures of 5/31 and proved why he was probably the best all rounder in the world at this level of cricket. With the score at 108/8 the game was effectively over and it was left to Imran Awan to cement victory by tearing apart the tail and claiming fantastic figures of 3/14. The Canadians were 120 all out and the US had won its second successive game against an ODI side by 81 runs.

The US team had it seemed achieved the impossible and won 4 out of 4 to all but claim the Americas for the second time in their history. However, the manner in which they achieved their feat is unprecedented as they smashed all opposition they encountered and proved that this US team was probably the best to ever play in the competition period.

Match 5: USA vs Caymans - Playing for a sweep

With the championship secured the US was playing for a perfect record and a point to prove when they took on the Caymans at Brian Piccolo Park. The other match that was being held at the stadium between Bermuda and Canada was for all intents and purposes was supposed to be the final but that projection had been written well out of the script by Lamberts boys.

The Caymans play in the Stanford 20/20 cup and are thus seasoned campaigners. However, they were up against a runaway train in the US and the inevitable was only delayed due to the prolongations of time and physics.

If anyone felt that this US team may ease off the gas and wallow in their glorious achievements from the night before than they were in for a grand surprise. This team has been built to win and focus on each match as a battle for pride, reputation, glory and the ultimate prize of becoming champions. The eye of the team has been channeled to see only the prize and each run, ball and moment of the match is a step closer to that goal.

Thus, on a blustery rain soaked morning the Caymans won the toss and elected to field. The thinking one can only assume is that they fancied bowling out the US on a damp wet wicket. Sushil Nadkarni and Carl Wright obviously were not privy to the Cayman strategy because they put on a record first wicket partnership of 194. The Caymans attack was simply swept away like a Floridian hurricane. Nadkarni and Wright bludgeoned the Cayman attack into the ground as the beleaguered islanders mopped about in the field one could not help sense that the tour was probably one match too many for them and the sun and comforts of home were taking precedence over any cricket match at this point.

From the US perspective Nadkarni fell 16 short of his third century in 5 matches for 84 but had done enough to secure the tournament, his accolade as the best bat and the MVP award for his consistency and brutality on the hapless attacks that were presented before him.

Carl 'Kung Kong' Wright

Carl 'Kung Kong' Wright more than any other player deserved a century and the final day's play finally rewarded him with the three figures that all the team prayed so hard for him to achieve. Carl is an effervescent character, a one in a million find that one's imagination could not even conjure. He is 100 percent a team man and a soldier for the cause. However, what stands him apart from anyone else in the side is his heart! He is brave, solid and stout. His courage and attitude is one the major factors behind why this team has gelled and performed the way it has.

Carl is more akin to a warrior on the front line who charges into battle on his own initiative and spirit. His mere presence is an inspiration and at time one cannot be faulted for accusing him of getting bored when the challenge is not up to his extremely high standard and danger. His hundred was a fine knock that produced every stroke in the book and the poor Cayman bowling fell victim to a man on a mission. Carl eventually got out for 112 but could have a had a few more tons if he had been challenged mentally.

At the fall of his wicket Massiah, Dhaniram and Marshall ensured that the US posted a reasonably large total of 297 in only 49 overs due to the rain.

The Caymans were always up against it from the start and detailing the innings would be a futile exercise that may bore more than excite. Due to rain, wind and the US bowling attack the Caymans had limped to a meager 65/5 from 25 overs when the match was called off. Everyone thanked the Lord (including the Caymans I think!) for not subjecting us to any more of this tedium in such harsh conditions.

The US had won all 5 matches and were now quite rightly crowned the kings of the Americas!

Capt. Massiah lifts the cup