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USA, Oman, Denmark stay perfect at Division Four
- Updated: October 31, 2016
USA preserved their perfect start to WCL Division Four with a tense one-wicket win over Italy at Wong Cricket Field. Timroy Allen was named Man of the Match for rescuing USA with 53 off 27 balls coming in at No. 7 with the score 107 for 5 chasing Italy’s first innings total of 185 for 5 in a match reduced to 41 overs.
Allen struck four fours and two sixes in a vital knock to propel USA towards the target. He teamed with Elmore Hutchinson to add 46 for the eighth wicket, USA’s best partnership of the match, before falling with nine still needed to win to left-arm seamer Luis di Giglio. Hutchinson was also caught behind off di Giglion two overs later in the 37th to force last man Danial Ahmed into the fray with two runs still required.
Two dots followed to end the over and No. 10 Jessy Singh took a single to third man off the first ball of the 38th from Gian Meade to level the scores. Ahmed then guided the next ball to short third man as Jessy called him through for a frantic single to clinch victory for the hosts. It was a moment of sweet redemption for Ahmed after he gave up 19 runs in his only over of the day.
Italy elected to bat first on an overcast morning and rain fell shortly before play was due to start, causing a 30-minute delay and a reduction to 46 overs. Allen took the new ball and sent down one delivery before the rain returned and play was delayed a further 45 minutes, causing the overs to be reduced again down to 41.
USA’s pace bowlers struggled to grip the wet ball but what chances that were created could not be held onto as missed six chances in all in the field, the first two coming when openers Manpreet Singh and Supun Tharanga were on 5 and 1 respectively. Tharanga’s was the easier of the two, spilled at second slip by Amsterdam off Hutchinson in the sixth over. Both batsmen went on to make half-centuries as part of a 118-run opening stand.
The partnership showed no signs of slowing down but …
