Smit Patel and Milind Kumar broke USA's fourth-wicket partnership record in ODIs, and ended one run shy of tying the USA ODI partnership record for any wicket, as both scored centuries in a dominant display in Florida. 

File photo credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
Smit Patel became just the second USA player in their limited overs history dating back to 1979 to bat all 50 overs of an innings, posting a career-best 152 not out off 137 balls, and in the process helped USA to a record-setting team total of 361 for 3 as the hosts bullied Canada’s bowling unit on the way to a 169-run win on Saturday at Broward County Stadium in Florida. Smit was dropped on 10 in the seventh over and went on to add another 142 runs across the final 43 overs as USA ended up with their highest ever ODI total, and fifth-highest total in their entire limited overs history before Canada gave a meek challenge in reply until they were eventually bowled out for 192 in the 47^th over. 
 
Smit joined Rohan Alexander – who made 110 not out off 167 balls at King City in USA’s 49-run win over Hong Kong during the 2001 ICC Trophy (now known as the ICC World Cup Qualifier) – as the only ones to have started the first innings for USA and stayed until the very end. Smit also teamed with Milind Kumar for a 208-run unbroken fourth-wicket partnership, the second-highest ODI stand in USA’s history as they ran out of time to wind up one short of equaling the mark set by Sushant Modani and Monank Patel for their 209-run stand against Oman at Pearland, Texas in 2022. 
 
On the way to his own 60-ball century, Milind also produced the second-biggest over in USA’s limited overs history after shredding medium pacer Dilon Heyliger for two fours and four sixes during a 32-run over in the 48^th. Only one six-ball sequence in USA Cricket history was more prolific: Jaskaran Malhotra’s famous 36-run over against Papua New Guinea in September 2021 at Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman when he sent Gaudi Toka over the rope on the last six balls of the innings in USA’s first ODI series following the Covid pandemic. 
 
USA won the toss and chose to bat first, playing their first ODIs at the Florida venue since their first ever home ODI series in September 2019 after gaining ODI status at WCL Division Two in Namibia earlier that same year. Remarkably, only three players played in USA’s XI on Saturday that appeared in that home series in 2019: Monank Patel, Jessy Singh and Saurabh Netravalkar. 
 
Smit survived a strong appeal for caught behind to end a maiden over bowled by left-arm pacer Kaleem Sana at the start of play. He wound up taking 10 balls to score his first run, which made his final tally all the more remarkable. After having his shout for caught behind turned down against Smit in the first over, Sana would not be denied in the third when he angled a length ball across Andries Gous to draw a thin edge that dismissed USA’s other opening batter for 4 to make it 12 for 1. Sana should have definitely had Smit in the seventh on 10 when a full delivery was whipped to Canadian ODI debutant Mansab Gill at head height while fielding at short midwicket, but the chance was juggled by Gill reaching up before landing on the infield grass. Smit wound up punishing Canada’s bowlers and fielders for the next three hours afterward. 
 
Shortly after Smit and Monank brought up a half-century stand, Monank was dropped on 35 in the 10^th over off debutant offspinner Shivam Sharma when a leading edge floated toward mid-off where Parveen Kumar put down a low sliding chance. Monank reached 47 by the drinks break only to fall three balls after play resumed in the 16^th over when left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar trapped the USA captain in front playing back to a fuller delivery that struck him in front of middle stump to make it 90 for 2. 
 
Sai Mukkamalla arrived at No. 4 and teamed with Smit for another half-century stand that was modeled more on efficiency than power. Mukkamalla and Smit each hit a solitary boundary during their 13-plus overs together, but still added 63 for the third wicket. Smit crossed 50 off 69 balls during the partnership by tapping a single into the off side against Harsh Thaker’s offspin in the 27^th over. The stand ended when Mukkamalla fell for 30 after flicking a leading edge off Saad that floated gently to Kumar at cover to make it 153 for 3 one ball into the 30^th over. 
 
Despite Smit being the only member of the top order to cross 50, the contributions by the rest served to lay an outstanding platform for a middle-order launch across the final 20 overs. Milind joined Smit and the pair scored at 10 per over the rest of the way. Smit raised his century off 110 balls with a very tight single scampered to mid-on in the 39^th over, beating a direct hit to the non-striker’s stumps. 
 
Milind was on a relatively modest 30 off 33 balls before he began to surge against Sharma, hitting him for two boundaries in a 12-run over in the 42^nd. It began a stretch in which USA scored double-digit runs in all but one over the rest of the way as they added 129 runs across the final 54 deliveries of the innings. Milind brought up his half-century off 44 balls when an overthrow from mid-off in the 45^th over produced a second run. 
 
At that stage, doubling his score across the final five overs seemed highly improbable. But Milind attacked Heyliger in brutal fashion in the 48^th over to move from 66 to 98 in the space of six deliveries. He began by walking across his stumps to scoop Heyliger’s pace over fine leg for four. Staying stationary for the next two balls, he launched consecutive sixes deep over the long-on rope. The fourth ball was pumped high over long-off before he went back over long-on for his fourth consecutive six. The final ball of the over was scorched just past Heyliger’s head through mid-off for four. 
 
A single by Smit to start the 49^th put Milind back on strike against Sana. After showing off his power in the previous over, Milind brought up his century with finesse by opening the face of the bat to guide a length delivery perfectly between backward point and short third man for another boundary off his 60^th delivery. It also meant he scored his second 50 runs off just 16 balls. 
 
Smit took center stage one more time in the final over. After Milind hit Heyliger out of the attack, Smit took on a half-tracker from offspinning allrounder Harsh Thaker and swatted him for six over midwicket to bring up 150 off 136 balls. A single on the next ball wound up being the final run of his innings before Milind hit the last two balls for a boundary and a gently tapped single to take USA to their ODI record-setting final total. 
 
Just like his maiden ODI century for USA, Milind ended not out once again with a final tally of 115 not out off 67 balls featuring 12 fours and five sixes. Smit’s innings featured 12 fours and four sixes with all of his maximums coming after he had reached triple-digits. Though their partnership fell one run short of the USA ODI record for any wicket, they broke USA’s fourth-wicket partnership ODI record which had been shared by Milind and Mukkamalla when they added 191 against UAE at Windhoek last September on the day that Milind made his career-best 155 not out. 
 
For Canada, Saad was the only bowler to concede at less than a run a ball, finishing with 2 for 57 off 10 overs. Sana took 1 for 76 off his 10 overs, though he also had Smit dropped off his bowling. Heyliger’s 32-run over to Milind ensured he ended as Canada’s most expensive bowler on the day, giving away 0 for 85 off nine overs. Sharma ended with 0 for 52 off eight overs on debut. Fellow offie Thaker returned 0 for 44 off seven. Kumar ended with 0 for 46 off his six overs of left-arm spin. 
 
Canada put up little fight in the chase, with everyone in their lineup scoring at under a run a ball. On a day when USA’s lineup mostly feasted on Canada’s spin options, USA’s spinners wound up taking nine of the 10 wickets in the chase. Captain Navneet Dhaliwal went first in the sixth over for 9 when he inside edged a length ball from left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige off his pads and onto the stumps to make it 23 for 1. 
 
Pargat Singh joined opener Yuvraj Samra and the pair added 57 for the second wicket. But it took better than 13 overs to do so when the required run rate was nearly double their pace. The stand ended thanks to a bit of magic from Mukkamalla at deep midwicket, who leaped up and reached high above his head to intercept a would-be six on a slog sweep by Samra against left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh in the 19^th. Mukkamalla stuck the landing inches inside the rope to end Samra’s innings for 41 making it 80 for 2. 
 
Mukkamalla’s catch wound up sparking a rapid middle-order slide for Canada as they lost 4 for 24 to fall to 104 for 5, removing any doubt as to who would finish on top on the day. Thaker defended down the wrong line to a length ball from Jessy Singh in the next over and was bowled for 1. Shreyas Movva fell for 7 in the 25^th after a false sweep against Harmeet resulted in a simple lbw decision. Pargat was then bowled by Kenjige for 38 to end the 28^th over after being cramped for room on an attempt at opening his face to glide a single to third man which resulted in a bottom edge onto his stumps. 
 
Parveen and Gill helped Canada save face with a 70-run stand across the next 12 overs. But Canada entered the final 10 overs at 174 for 5, needing another 188 runs to win. Sanjay Krishnamurthi was brought on to bowl his left-arm spin for the first time of the day in the 41^st over and struck on his very first ball to end the stand as he induced a lofted drive from Parveen that landed safely in the hands of Monank at long-on for 23. Saad went for 5 in Krishnamurthi’s next over, picking out Shayan Jahangir at long-off to make it 180 for 7. 
 
Milind then rounded off his sterling day with two tailend wickets. He bowled Sharma with a length delivery for 2 to end the 44^th over before getting Heyliger for 4 with a full and straight ball to end the 46^th at 191 for 9. Krishnamurthi ended the match two balls later, bowling Sana through the gate with a length delivery. Gill finished his debut ODI innings for Canada unbeaten on 54 off 69 balls after entering at No. 6. 
 
Krishnamurthi needed just 3.2 overs to claim USA’s best figures of the day as he ended with 3 for 10. The left-arm spin tandem of Harmeet and Kenjige returned 2 for 38 and 2 for 41 off their 10 overs respectively. Milind claimed 2 for 40 off nine. Jessy took 1 for 35 off seven overs. Netravalkar was the only USA bowler to go wicketless but was very economical nonetheless and finished with 0 for 25 off seven overs. 
 
The tri-series resumes on Monday when Canada play against Oman. USA has three days off before they return to action on Wednesday against Oman. The result moved USA to 24 points, just two points behind Netherlands on the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two table. However, USA has three matches in hand. Canada remain tied for third with Scotland on 20 points, two clear of Oman.