Hardik Pandya’s allround show and Rishabh Pant’s reassurance with the willow ensured a comfortable 60-run victory for India in their only warm-up game against Bangladesh in New York on Saturday. Opting to bat, India made 182/5 in their 20 overs. Wicket keeper-batter Rishabh Pant top scored for India as he got himself retired out after making 53 runs off 32 balls, while Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav scored 40 not out and 31 respectively. For Bangladesh, Mahedi Hasan, Shoriful Islam, Mahmudullah and Tanvir Islam got a wicket apiece. In reply, Bangladesh were never in the game, ending their innings at 122/8 in 20 overs.
South Africa beat Lanka
Anrich Nortje demolished Sri Lanka with career-best figures of 4-7 as South Africa exploited the bounce on offer to secure a six-wicket win in their T20 World Cup opener here on Monday. At a venue where India will play three of their four Group A league matches, Sri Lanka’s decision to bat first backfired. Nortje, Kagiso Rabada (2-21) and Keshav Maharaj (2-22) combined to take eight wickets in a dominant bowling performance as Sri Lanka folded for 77 in 19.1 overs, their lowest T20 total. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 77 all out in 19.1 overs lost to South Africa 80 for 4 in 16.2 overs.
Namibia pip Oman in Super Over
Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann became the first player to take wickets in the first two deliveries of a T20 international as his team beat Oman via the Super Over in a thrilling T20 World Cup match at Bridgetown, Barbados. David Wiese and skipper Gerhard Erasmus smashed 21 runs for Namibia in the one-over eliminator with Oman managing 10 from the allotted six deliveries bowled brilliantly by the seasoned Wiese. Asked to bat first, Oman were earlier bowled out for 109 in 19.4 overs. In reply, Namibia were also stopped at the same team score. Brief scores: Oman 109 in 19.4 overs lost to Namibia in super over.
US beat Canada by 7 wickets
Aaron Jones struck an explosive unbeaten 94 from 40 balls as the USA beat Canada by seven wickets in the opening game of the T20 World Cup on Saturday. Jones bludgeoned the Canadian attack, smashing ten sixes as he totally changed the momentum of the game in a superb 131-run third wicket partnership with Andries Gous. Former South Africa Under-19 batsman Gous made 65 off 46 balls before he holed out to deep midwicket off Nikhil Dutta, ending a partnership that had taken the Americans from struggling at 42-2 in the seventh over to close to their finish line at 173-3 in the 16th. It was the perfect start to the tournament for the co-hosts, with the crowd at the compact Grand Prairie Stadium roaring with delight as Jones smashed the Canadian attack around the ground. Brief scores: Canada 194-5 in 20 overs v United States 197-3 in 17.4 overs. Result: US won by seven wickets and 14 balls to spare.
Roston seals tense chase for WI
Georgetown : Two-time champions West Indies were put under extreme pressure by a plucky Papua New Guinea unit before scraping through with a five-wicket win in their T20 World Cup opener at Georgetown on Sunday. Left-hander Sese Bau (50 off 43) made a fine half-century to take PNG to 136 for eight after the associate nation lost their first four wickets for 50 runs. A power-packed West Indies should have chased down the below-par total comfortably but PNG made them work hard for the win despite their limitations. PNG’s spinners as well medium pacers did not allow the hard-hitting West Indies batters to cut loose on a slow surface. The tournament co-hosts eventually got home in 19 overs thanks to rearguard action from Roston Chase (42 not out off 27 balls) and Andre Russell (15 off 9). Brief Scores: Papua New Guinea: 136 for 8 in 20 overs lost to West Indies 137 for 5 in 19 overs.
