The USA defeated their archrival Canada in a stunning T20 World Cup match by 7 wickets. Batter Aaron Jones clinched the victory with 10 sixes.
USA hard-hitter Aaron Jones made an unbeaten 94 from 40 balls in an extraordinary display of power-hitting, leading the US team to a convincing seven-wicket win over historic rival Canada on Saturday in the opening match of the T20 World Cup.
Co-host the USA faced pressure after Canada posted a score of 194-5 and the USA lost a wicket on the second ball of its innings. The USA needed its highest-ever run chase in a T20 international, surpassing their previous best of 169.
Despite the tough start, the USA achieved the target with 14 balls to spare, thanks to Jones hitting his 10th six to secure the win. The team looked desperate at 66-2 in the 7th over, needing more than 12 runs per over at one point.
Jones, previously out of form, hit the fastest T20 half-century for the USA from 22 balls with a strike rate of 227, ending with a career-best strike rate of 235.
Jones and Andres Gous formed a match-winning partnership of 131 runs for the third wicket. Gous scored 65 from 46 balls. The crowd cheered “USA, USA” as Jones turned the match with his impressive performance. Jones, originally from Queens, New York, and raised in Barbados, previously had a T20 international best of 50.
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Canada’s captain, Saad Bin Zafar, initially thought their total of 194 was strong, with Navneet Dhaliwal scoring 61 and Nicholas Kirton adding 51. However, the Canadian bowlers couldn’t contain Jones and Gous.
The match at Grand Prairie Stadium, attended by 7,000 fans, marked a thrilling start to the tournament. Cricket has a historical presence in the USA, with the first international match played between the USA and Canada in 1844.
The T20 World Cup features 20 teams, including cricket giants like India, Australia, and England. The USA and Canada are in Group A with India, Ireland, and Pakistan. Co-host West Indies will start its campaign against Papua New Guinea, while Oman faces Namibia.