The North American border rivalry dating back to 1844 produced another wild chapter on Wednesday in Antigua with an extraordinary last-ball finish that needed to be seen to be believed. 

Image credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna in Antigua (Twitter @PeterDellaPenna)
 
One of the most colorful chapters in the history of the USA vs. Canada rivalry dating back to 1844 was authored on Wednesday afternoon at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua as USA stole two byes off the final ball of regulation play to tie the scores at 142, forcing a Super Over in which they prevailed to pull off an epic and improbable victory over Canada on day three of the 2021 ICC Americas Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. 
 

The win moved USA to 4-0 at the tournament, putting them in the driver’s seat for the tournament title with their final two games coming against Argentina on Thursday and Bahamas on Saturday. Canada meanwhile faces a de facto elimination shootout on Thursday morning against Bermuda with the winner being the heavy favorite to sweep through the rest of pool play to take the second available berth on offer for the region to advance to the 2022 T20 World Cup Global Qualifier.  

USA entered the final over needing 14 to win, having clawed back from 44 for 5 and then 86 for 6 in the 16^thover, having needed 57 off the last 27 balls to win. But a 45-run partnership between Jaskaran Malhotra and Karima Gore took USA back into striking distance of the target. Consecutive wides began the final over bowled by medium pacer Jatinderpal Matharu, the second of which Malhotra tried to steal a bye to get back on strike but was denied by a direct hit from Canada wicketkeeper Hamza Tariq, sending Malhotra off for 35. 
 
Rusty Theron then entered at No. 9 for USA and after a dot ball, connected with a single to put Gore back on strike with 11 needed off four balls. After a two on the third ball, Gore drive a six over wide long-on to bring the equation down to three off two for USA to win. But Matharu struck back with a full and straight delivery that Gore played around to be given lbw for 31 off 16 balls, setting the stage for a bizarre and controversial final ball faced by the incoming No. 10, Ali Khan. 
 

Matharu bowled a slower ball outside off that Khan swung past as Theron charged from the non-striker’s end to complete a bye ahead of Tariq running forward to break the bails. Umpire Leslie Reifer Jr, standing at the striker’s end, declared Theron not out when Tariq broke the stumps before throwing the ball away and running off with his teammates to celebrate into the off side field. However, because of the not out decision and the fact that Theron continued to run for a second, the ball was still live. Khan, who had his back turned, initially stopped before being called for the second by Theron as Canada’s fielders were oblivious to the ball still being treated as live by the umpires while their bench and coaching staff also ran onto the field to celebrate. It was only after Khan came back for the second and Theron contemplated a third run for the win, that Tariq once again got hold of the ball at the non-striker’s end to keep Theron from going for a third. 
 
A furious Canada side protested with West Indies umpire Reifer Jr and Harry Grewal of Canada that the ball was dead and the match was over before the second run was attempted, but their appeals were denied in fading light. The floodlights were then switched on in order to stage a Super Over to come to a final result. 
 
Steven Taylor and Malhotra came back out to bat for USA to face Matharu once again. After a dot and wide, Taylor heaved two sixes over long-on. A second wide followed before he sliced a catch to Saad Bin Zafar at backward point. Xavier Marshall then arrived to face the final two balls of the Super Over, both of which were struck over wide long-off for boundaries, giving USA 22 runs to defend. 
 
Ali Khan took the ball in hand for USA and after conceding a two, a wide and a four to Navneet Dhaliwal to begin the Super Over, only allowed three singles off the next three deliveries to Dhaliwal and Dilon Heyliger. An inconsequential four was struck by Heyliger through point off the final ball as Canada ended with 14 runs. 
 
Canada had earlier looked like they were going to walk away with an easy victory after USA crumbled in the face of Canada’s right-left spin tandem of Harsh Thaker and Salman Nazar. Thaker struck twice in his first over of the chase, getting Monank Patel to drive against the spin to Ravinderpal Singh at long-off on the boundary in the Powerplay for a second-ball duck. Two balls later, Taylor also heaved against the spin to Ravinderpal at long-on to fall for 6, leaving the score at 7 for 2 in the second. 
 
Nazar struck twice in his first over upon arriving in the eighth. Aaron Jones drove loosely in the air to Dhaliwal at extra cover, who took a magnificent diving catch moving right for 6. Marshall played back to a good length ball and was given lbw for 28. Nazar took his third wicket in his next over, inducing a leading edge from Ian Holland back to Nazar, who took a sharp diving catch low to his left for 4 to make it 44 for 5 as USA needed 99 off the final 64 balls for victory. 
 
But Nisarg Patel teamed with Malhotra to stage the first part of the recovery mission, adding 42 for the sixth wicket. The pair focused mainly on chipping away with singles and twos to stretch the game out with Nisarg also adding a pair of boundaries courtesy of streaky edges past the keeper. The partnership ended when Nisarg slogged Matharu to Ravinderpal at deep midwicket for 25. 
 
It was then that Malhotra decided he could wait no longer to go big and with Gore fresh at the non-striker’s end, smashed a six and four to counterattack. Gore drove a six over long-on off his first ball faced in the following over against Zafar before another boundary in the 18^th and USA entered the final two overs needing 28 to win. Malhotra began the frame against Cecil Pervez pulling a boundary over square leg before a single mistimed to midwicket. But Gore rose to the occasion with a clever pair of paddle shots, one through third man and another delicate scoop over fine leg for two more boundaries. A leg bye finished the over bringing the equation down to 14, and 30 more minutes of unscripted drama followed across the final over of play and the Super Over afterward. 
 
Canada had gotten off to a smooth start in their first five overs of the match after batting first behind the opening combo of Rayyankhan Pathan and Hiral Patel to reach 33 for 0. But USA’s first momentum swing in the match unsurprisingly came from the entry into the attack of Holland, their bowling star through the first four matches, who struck in each of his first two overs. His first wicket came off his second ball, tempting Hiral into exposing his stumps backing away for a cover drive gone awry to be bowled for 11 in what became a wicket maiden after four dots to Dhaliwal to end the frame. Pathan fell in the next over, going for a leg side heave that also resulted in the stumps being rattled for 22. 
 
But Dhaliwal and Ravinderpal rebuilt the innings in assured fashion with a 90-run partnership into the 18^thover. However, just when both appeared ready to kick on past individual 50s and take Canada past 150, USA’s experienced death bowlers stepped up to the plate to restrict Canada over the final three overs, conceding just 22 runs off the final 18 balls and only two boundaries. Both set batters fell for 44, Dhaliwal first attempting to smash a six over midwicket where he was expertly caught by Gore on the edge of the boundary rope before Ravinderpal fell with three balls remaining in the innings to Khan, driving a catch to Marshall at long-on settling himself five yards inside the rope. Heyliger was runout off the final ball with a relay from Jones at deep square leg to Monank denying a second crucial run to leave Canada on 142 for 5. 
 
USA faces Argentina in their next match on November 11 at 1 pm local time in Antigua at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Canada’s must-win showdown against Bermuda takes place at Coolidge Cricket Ground at 9 am.