Aaron Jones made an unbeaten 94 from 40 balls in an extraordinary display of power-hitting to lead Team USA to a seven wicket win over historic rival Canada on Saturday in the opening match of the T20 World Cup.
Co-host the United States seemed under pressure when Canada made 194-5 batting first and when it lost a wicket to the second ball of its innings. The total demanded the United States achieve its highest-ever run chase in a T20 international to win the match, eclipsing its previous best of 169.
In the end if reached its target with ease. There were 14 balls remaining when Jones clinched Team USA’s win with his 10th six.
Record | USA completes third highest successful chase in T20 WCs
Team USA looked in a desperate position when its captain Monank Patel was out at 66-2 in the 7th over. At one point in its innings, the United States needed more than 12 runs an over to surpass Canada’s total.
But Jones, who had been out of form in recent matches and came into the match with a strike rate of 100, hit the fastest T20 half-century for the USA from 22 balls with six sixes and at a strike rate of 227.
At least two of his blows carried more than 100 meters (328 feet) and would have been home runs at Grand Prarie Stadium in its previous incarnation as a baseball stadium.
Jones turned the match with a superb innings that pushed pressure firmly back on Canada. That pressure showed when Jeremy Gordon bowled the 14th over which stretched with wides and no balls to 11 balls and conceded 33 runs.
Jones put on 131 runs in a match-winning partnership for the third wicket with Andres Gous who made 65 from 46 balls with seven fours and three sixes. South Africa-born Gous was out just before the end, as chants of “USA, USA’” echoed around the stadium..
Tournament co-host West Indies begins its campaign Sunday with a match against Papua New Guinea in Guyana and Oman plays Namibia in Barbados.