Corey Anderson fifty helps USA rout Canada 4-0

PRAIRIE VIEW (Web Desk) – Corey Anderson starred with his maiden T20I half-century for USA as they beat Canada by four wickets at Prairie View to complete a 4-0 series win.

Anderson and opener Nitish Kumar combined for a 104-run partnership after USA were reduced to 9 for 3 in their chase of 169. Anderson was the anchor, with a 48-ball 55 in his second match for USA. He smacked two sixes and six fours. Nitish was the more aggressive of the two, scoring a 38-ball 64 comprising four sixes and as many fours.

Nitish carried on even after Anderson was dismissed by offspinning allrounder Harsh Thaker. Though Nitish and Shadley van Schalkwyk were dismissed in the space of four balls, Harmeet Singh and Nisarg Patel sealed the victory in the final over without much fuss.

For Canada, all their batters except opener Srimantha Wijeyeratne got starts, scoring 15 or more, but no one could carry on to make a big score. Three players reached the thirties, and Thaker, who also picked two wickets, finished as their top scorer with a 24-ball 38 that saw him hit three sixes.

Canada kept putting up nifty partnerships, not letting USA get wickets in clusters. An unbeaten 39-run stand for the sixth wicket saw Canada go into the innings break with momentum on their side.

And that momentum carried into USA’s innings, with Rishiv Joshi trapping Andries Gous lbw second ball. Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar had then sent his opposite number Aaron Jones – the highest run-scorer of the series – packing with the first ball of the second over and then had Gajanand Singh caught behind next ball to find himself on a hat-trick and Canada in a strong position.

But ultimately, as has been the case through the series, USA were once again too good for Canada.

Scores: USA 169 for 6 (Nitish 64, Anderson 55, Thaker 2-20) beat Canada 168 for 5 (Thaker 38, van Schalkwyk 2-42) by 4 wickets