It was a historic day on many levels for the USA U19 squad as they posted records galore in a 450-run win over Argentina. 

Photo credit: ICC/Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna in Toronto (Twitter @PeterDellaPenna)
 
USA U19 captain Rishi Ramesh and opening batter Bhavya Mehta catapulted their side to a string of historic landmarks on Monday afternoon at Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club as USA racked up an ICC Americas U19 World Cup Qualifier Tournament record total of 515 for 8 before similarly setting a record margin of victory by bowling Argentina U19 out for 65 in reply to clinch a 450-run win. Mehta was named Player of the Match for his 136 off 91 balls including 14 fours and three sixes, while Ramesh struck USA’s fastest century at U19 level off 58 balls to eclipse a landmark previously held by Steven Taylor off 70 balls against Namibia in 2011. The pair shared a 211-run partnership for the second wicket, the highest partnership in USA U19 history. 
 

Ramesh lost the toss as USA U19 was sent in to bat under sunny skies in Toronto as Mehta opened the batting on debut, coming into the USA lineup as one of three changes from the loss to Canada two days earlier along with Aryan Satheesh and Aaryan Batra. Arya Garg, Khush Bhalala and Siddarth Kappa were the three to miss out on the day for USA. 
 
Mehta and Prannav Chettipalayam got USA motoring along with a 115-run partnership in just 11.2 overs as USA maintained a double-digit run rate from start to finish. Chettipalayam brought up a 33-ball half-century and eventually made 10 fours in his 61 off 43 balls before he ran himself out, taking off on contact on a flick to straight to midwicket before Theo Vreugdenhil flipped gently to wicketkeeper Julian Alvarez to complete the dismissal with both batters at the same end. 
 
It would be one-way traffic for the next two hours as Ramesh joined Mehta and together the pair plundered the Argentina bowling attack. Mehta brought up his first 50 off 36 balls before arriving at three figures in 74 balls with a boundary pulled through midwicket. On the other side, Ramesh was rapidly playing catch up, getting to his half-century off 30 balls before needing just a further 28 balls to bring up his century with a two. The partnership finally ended when Ramesh tried to glide a single to third man and was bowled by Felipe Das Neves for an even 100, including 13 fours and two sixes. Mehta fell nine balls later, just after the second drinks break, when he set off from the non-striker’s end on contact on a ball hit straight to midwicket by Arjun Mahesh as Maximo Veliz flipped to Das Neves to complete Argentina’s second easy runout of the day to make it 329 for 3. 
 
But USA stayed on course for 500 thanks to Mahesh and Amogh Arepally’s 86-run fourth wicket stand. Arepally made 48 off 30, including five fours and a six, and tried to bring up a half-century with a late cut but was denied by a brilliant one-handed catch from Egon Ferioli going to his right at slip to make it 415 for 4 in the 42^nd. Mahesh powered on to a 35-ball half-century, using an array of sweeps and reverse sweeps to beautifully manipulate the crease and the field, before he fell for 67 off 44 balls driving left-arm spinner Felipe Pini to long-off to start the 46^th over, making it 458 for 5. 
 
Quick wickets fell in pursuit of even quicker runs over the last five overs for USA. Parth Patel pulled Ignacio Mosquera to deep midwicket for 4. Utkarsh Srivistava blazed his way to 45 off 22 balls and tried to bring up both his half-century and the USA 500 with a six but couldn’t clear Das Neves at deep midwicket as Mosquera claimed his second. A single taken off the last ball of the 49^th over took USA to the 500 mark for the first time in tournament history. Aarin Nadkarni fell for 9 in the final over slicing Pini to backward point, but Aaryan Batra and Aryan Sateesh still managed 15 runs off the final over to take USA to their final total of 515 for 8. 
 
Pini finished with Argentina’s best figures on the day, ending with 2 for 71 in six overs. Medium pacer Mosquera claimed 2 for 96 in nine. Das Neves ended with 1 for 83 in 10 while Argentina captain Lucas Rossi conceded 1 for 107 in 10 overs of legspin. 
 
Argentina’s chase only lasted 19.5 overs as USA put them under heavy pressure throughout 90 minutes in the field behind Aarin Nadkarni’s new-ball spell. The Texas quick claimed 6 for 21 in six overs, the second-best figures in USA U19 history. He began by bowling Pini for 4 in the second over before Batra responded in the next over, bowling Lucas Migliorelli for 1 without offering a shot. 
 
Nadkarni then ripped off the next five wickets for USA. Rossi was bowled by a full delivery for 1 before Ferioli chipped a soft catch to Mahesh at short extra cover three balls later for 2. After conceding two boundaries to Das Neves in the sixth, Nadkarni struck back with two more wickets in the eighth, getting Das Neves edging behind for 15 before Veliz was bowled by a full ball for a second-ball duck. Nadkarni completed his haul in the 10^th over, getting Tomas Torchiaro cutting to Mehta at backward point for 4 to make it 36 for 7. 
 
Spinners Patel and Aryan Satheesh then wiped out the tail for USA. Patel got Alvarez punching to Srivistava at extra cover for 1 in the 15^th before Satheesh dislodged Vreugdenhil for 18, driving to mid-on in the 18^th. Satheesh then wrapped up the game enticing Mosquera into a big heave on a fuller delivery to be bowled for 10. 
 
Batra ended with figures of 1 for 12 in four overs while Patel claimed 1 for 3 in three. Satheesh ended with 2 for 17 in 3.5 overs. 
 
In the day’s other match, Canada defeated Bermuda by five wickets, chasing a target of 203 with 13.4 overs to spare. Dilraj Deol top-scored for the second time in the tournament, ending 80 not out off 95 balls.
 
USA faces Bermuda on day four of the tournament on Wednesday at Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.