Dallas (US), June 2: With the help of an explosive 94-run knock by Aaron Jones and his game-turning century stand with Andries Gous, the co-hosts USA kicked off their ICC T20 World Cup on a high with a seven-wicket win over Canada at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, Sunday.

Gous and Aaron added 131 quickfire runs while chasing 195 runs. In the run-chase of 195 runs, the USA had a tough start as their star batter Steven Taylor was trapped leg-before-wicket by Kaleem Sana on the second ball of the inning for a duck. USA was 0/1.

Monank Patel, the skipper, was joined by Andries Gous at the crease. The duo kept the run-rate solid with a decent inflow of boundaries. At the end of six overs after the powerplay, USA was 41/1, with Gous (21*) and Monank (16*) unbeaten.

This promising partnership was cut short at 42 runs, with Dillon Heyliger getting the wicket of Monank, who hit a run-a-ball 16 with two fours before a top-edge landed into the hands of wicketkeeper-batter Shreyas Movva. The USA was 42/2 in 6.3 overs.

USA touched the 50-run mark in 8.1 overs. The pair of Gous and Aaron Jones upped the attack with some fours and sixes, with Aaron taking a much more aggressive role.

At the end of 10 overs, USA was 81/2, with Aaron (21*) and Gous (33*) unbeaten. Jones and Gous reached their 50-run partnership in just 29 balls. The USA reached the 100-run mark in 11.3 overs. Aaron reached his half century in just 22 balls, after facing four dot balls to start off his innings. His knock had a four and six sixes. This is also the fastest fifty in T20Is for the USA.

In the next over, Gous continued with this hitting spree, hitting Jeremy Gordon for a four and six to reach his half century in 39 balls, with six fours and two sixes. The 14th over delivered by Gordon proved to be a nightmarish one as he delivered some extra runs and the pair of Gous and Jones hit him for two fours and three sixes. USA touched the 150-run mark in 13.5 overs.

The 131-run partnership was finally ended by Nikhil Dutta, who removed Gous for 65 in 46 balls, with seven fours and three sixes, with Dilpreet Bajwa getting the catch. USA was 173/3 in 15.4 overs.

Jones carried on with his aggressive hitting, ending the game with seven wickets in hand at 17.4 overs at a score of 197. He scored an explosive 94* in 40 balls, with four boundaries and 10 sixes while Corey Anderson was unbeaten at three in five balls. Sana, Dilon Heyliger and Nikhil got a wicket each.

Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton's half centuries helped Canada score 194/5 against the US in the inaugural match of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas Sunday.

The US decided to field first after winning the toss, however, their decision did not go in their favour. Aaron Johnson (23 runs from 16 balls, 5 fours) and Navneet Dhaliwal (61 runs from 44 balls, 6 fours, and 3 sixes) opened for the Canadian side and played a partnership of 43 runs.

Harmeet Singh made the first breakthrough of the match in the 6th over after the American bowler removed Johnson from the crease. Pargat Singh (5 runs from 7 balls), who replaced Johnson, could not make a mark in the game and was run out by Jessy Singh and Monank Patel in the 8th over.

However, Nicholas Kirton's (51 runs from 31 balls, 3 fours, and 2 sixes) knock was very crucial for Canada in the middle overs. He played at a strike rate of 164.52. Dhaliwal's staggering knock had to come to an end after Corey Anderson removed him in the 15th over, The Canadian batter played at a strike rate of 138.64.

Kirton tried to take control of the match, however, after the dismissal of Dhaliwal, the middle-order lost his wicket to Ali Khan in the 18th over. In the end, Shreyas Movva's (32 runs from 16 balls, 2 fours, and 2 sixes) and Dilpreet Singh's (11 runs from 5 balls, 1 six, and 1 four) blitz knock in the death overs powered Canada to a total of 194/5 against the US.

In the 19th over, Dilpreet Singh was removed by a runout from Steven Taylor and Monank Patel. Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, and Ali Khan picked one wicket each in their respective overs. The US bowling attack displayed a sloppy performance as they failed to keep a check on Canada's run rate by taking early wickets.

Brief score: Canada 194/5 (Navneet Dhaliwal 61, Nicholas Kirton 51, Shreyas Movva 32*; Harmeet Singh 1/27) lost to USA 197/3 (Aaron Jones 94*, Andries Gous 65) by 7 wickets.

(ANI)

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