The Canadian National Men’s Team’s Campaign to progress to the next stage of qualification for the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup got off to a most impressive start with an opening match 84 run victory over the Cayman Islands. Batting first in the August 18 encounter Canada posted 196/6 off its 20 overs then restricted the Cayman Islands to 112/7 off their 20 overs to clinch the 84 run victory.
Canada’s innings was piloted by an aggressive 48 ball 101 by Ravinderpal Singh which included 6 fours and 10 sixes and was compiled at an incredible strike rate of 201.41. Singh featured in a 75 run partnership with Nitish Kumar for the third wicket after Canada had suffered the early fifth over double losses of Rodrigo Thomas for 5 and Navneet Dhaliwal for 23, to be left tottering at 29-2. Kumar’s 41 was made off of just 30 balls. His innings also included 4 boundaries and 1 six.
Singh’s was eventually the sixth wicket to fall with Canada’s score then on 186 in the eighteenth over. Dillon Heyliger’s breezy 11 off just eight balls, including 1 six, then saw to Canadians to their eventual total of 196/6 at the end of the 20th over.
Bowling for the Cayman Islands, Manning captured 2 wickets for just 3 runs off one over. Wright finished with figures of 2-34 off 4.
Needing 197 for victory, the Cayman Islands got off to a disastrous start losing their first five wickets for only 13 runs. Canada’s Romesh Eranga captured the wickets of the opening batsmen Hauptfleisch for 1 and their number three Seneveratne for 6, from the second and fifth balls of his first over, to leave the Cayman Islands reeling at 5-2 after 2 overs. He then added a third scalp of Willis for 1 in his second over. The Cayman Islands then slipped further losing the wickets of Cato via the run out route and Manning lbw to Junaid Siddiqui without scoring to be reeling at 13-5.
A 31 run partnership between Strydom (49) and Iffill (9) restored some order to the Cayman Islands innings. Taylor (19) and Wright (16) then added 29 for the eight wicket as the Cayman Islands innings eventually closed in the 20th over with the score on 112/7. 84 runs short of the required victory target.
Bowling for Canada Eranga finished with figures of 3-19 off four while Siddiqui (1/10), Heyliger (1/18) and Dutta (1/30) were the other wicket takers.
The opening match victory took the Canadians to a maximum two points and a second place standing behind Bermuda.