USA's unbeaten streak against Canada in 2024 remains intact after rain washed out their T20I encounter in Utrecht before USA had an opportunity to tackle Canada's first innings total of 169 for 5.

Photo Credit: European Cricket Network YouTube Channel

By Peter Della Penna (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
USA’s quest to maintain their perfect record over Canada in the 2024 calendar year was interrupted by rain in the Netherlands as the first Netherlands tri-series T20I between the two sides ended as a no result at Kampong CC in Utrecht. Canada made 169 for 5 after choosing to bat first before rain came to wipe out play before USA had a chance to reply. 
 
The biggest news of the day for USA was the absence of Steven Taylor, who missed the match due to a knee injury sustained in the final ODI against Netherlands on Wednesday at VOC Rotterdam. Andries Gous and Nitish Kumar, who both arrived earlier in the week to join USA for the T20I leg of the Dutch tour, both came straight into the XI while Jessy Singh also returned from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the previous ODI. All three took the places of Taylor as well as Smit Patel and Milind Kumar who were not included as part of USA’s T20I squad. 
 
The Canada opening pair of Aaron Johnson and Rayyankhan Pathan produced a 52-run stand across the first five overs to get their innings going quickly. Johnson was the aggressor, featured by his 20-run fourth over against Jessy which included a no ball hit for four followed by a free hit powered for six. Pathan hit back-to-back boundaries off van Schalkwyk in the following over before the medium pacer struck back on the final ball of the fifth getting Pathan to pull to Yasir Mohammad at mid-on who took a sharp catch above his head to remove Pathan for 14. 
 
Johnson was one shot away from a half-century before Juanoy Drysdale bowled him with a fuller delivery that seamed back in for 45 to make it 93 for 2 in the 11^th. Nicholas Kirton teamed with Harsh Thaker to add a second consecutive 41-run stand as Canada continued to motor ahead reasonably unflustered. But Kirton fell off the first ball of the 17^th, bowled for 44 by Jessy after clearing his front leg aiming to heave to the leg side. 
 
Thaker was then runout for 15 three balls later when a flick to deep backward square leg by new batter Shreyas Movva resulted in confusion when Movva came back for a second run while Thaker stayed put. However, Thaker briefly strayed out of his crease as Drysdale’s relay went over wicketkeeper-captain Monank Patel’s head. But Nosthush Kenjige was in a backup position to collect the miss and then threw a simple relay to Jessy over the bowler’s stumps with both batters at the same end to complete the runout. 
 
Jessy then dismissed Ravinderpal Singh in his final over in the 19^th as a skied drive came down into the hands of Aaron Jones just beyond the ring at extra cover for 2 to make it 150 for 5. Movva and Dilon Heyliger took 16 runs off the final over bowled by van Schalkwyk to take Canada to their end total. 
 
Jessy bounced back from his 20-run opening over in the Powerplay to end with 2 for 31 in four overs. Drysdale was tidy finishing with 2 for 21 in four while van Schalkwyk ended with 1 for 44 in four. Harmeet was the only other bowler for USA to bowl a full quota and finished with 0 for 32 while Mohammad and Kenjige bowled two each to finish with 0 for 21 and 0 for 13 respectively. 
 
USA returns to action on Sunday in Utrecht to take on the Netherlands at Kampong CC. The match is scheduled for a 4 pm local start time.