This live page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as co-hosts USA opened the T20 World Cup with a stunning win over rivals Canada on Saturday, June 1:
- USA beat Canada by seven wickets in the Group A opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
- Aaron Jones led USA’s chase with a 40-ball-94, which included 10 sixes.
- Andries Gous also scored 65 runs and shared a 121-run partnership with Jones.
- Earlier, Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirtan scores half-centuries for Canada.
- Co-hosts USA made their debut at an ICC World Cup.
- Canada also made their T20 World Cup debut, but have previously participated in ICC’s 50-over Cricket World Cups.
- The tournament is being co-hosted by the US and West Indies from June 1 to 29.
Goodbye for now
If this T20 World Cup 2024 needed a lift-off, then Jones has provided it with an innings that will live long in the memory of those who were lucky enough to witness it.
The USA get their campaign off on a winning note, while Canada will look back and wonder where it all went wrong.
Al Jazeera will provide live coverage for all the biggest fixtures from the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka vs South Africa in New York is up next, on Monday, June 3 at 14:30 GMT.
We’ll also bring you all the main talking points from the tournament with our features and analyses. You can find all our T20 World Cup coverage on our tournament page.
We hope you enjoyed today’s tournament opener, and until the next time, this is Rohan Sharma signing off.
You don’t see this kind of innings every day’
Winning USA captain Patel had this to say at the presentation: “The way we have been playing against Canada [in the past], and today, was a complete effort.
“We talk about playing fearless cricket. The way Gous and Jones played, they took the game completely out of Canada’s hands.
“We bowled well in patches, but we gave up 15-20 runs extra.
“It was tough to bat in the first six overs, but the way these guys batted was just brilliant.
“We always knew he [Jones] had the game.
“He was playing fearless cricket. You don’t see this kind of innings every day.”
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Our bowlers had no answers for them’
Canada skipper Saad Bin Zafar thought his team put on a “great total”.
“I thought Dhaliwal and Kirton played well. We started well in the power-play and took early wickets but the way Jones and Gous batted, our bowlers had no answers for them,” he said at the post-match presentation.
“The wicket had good bounce. The ball was coming on nicely onto the bat.
“It came on a little better in the second innings due to the dew.
“We missed a bit of [our] line and length, especially the spinners.
“We bowled four no-balls which is a big no-no. We need to work on that. We shouldn’t have given up so many extras.
“I am still happy with the efforts the boys put in. It is just the first game and we have to put this behind us.”
Canada’s Shreyas Movva, right, runs with teammate Dilon Heyliger during the men’s T20 World Cup cricket match between the United States and Canada [Julio Cortez/AP] ‘Pressure brings the best out of me’
Could it really be anyone else? Jones had this to say after being adjudged the player of the match: “I don’t think it is easy to put it into the words [how I feel].
“Canada always comes at us hard. Just happy to get our team over the line tonight.
“I thought anything over 200 was chaseable. The wicket is a good one and the outfield is fast.
“We backed ourselves and played aggressive cricket.
“I go through my processes during practice. I back myself to hit it.
“I like to come in when my team is under pressure. It brings the best out of me.
Aaron Jones celebrates [Julio Cortez/AP] USA win by seven wickets
Led by Jones’s incredible 94 off just 40 balls, the USA start off their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a barnstorming victory over traditional rivals, Canada.
Jones, who clattered four fours and 10 sixes in his innings, was well supported by Gous’s 65 off 46 balls.
Canada, who began brightly by getting some early wickets, started to lose their way when Dutta came on to bowl during the ninth over.
From there, the USA were simply on a roll, propelled by the aerial fireworks of Jones.
Jones secures seven-wicket victory for USA!
After a cheeky reverse-swept four through third man, Jones decides to go over square leg.
There is a fielder at the boundary, but he ends up parrying the chance over the rope.
Jones finishes it off in style with a massive six over deep midwicket to deliver the USA a crushing seven-wicket victory.
United States’ Aaron Jones celebrates after hitting the winning runs [Julio Cortez/AP] 17 overs. USA 181-3
Seven come off Sana’s final over.
USA now need 14 off 18 to win.
Aaron Jones [Julio Cortez/AP] -
12h ago
WICKET! Gous caught. USA 173-3
The 131-run partnership off 58 balls between Gous and Jones finally comes to a close.
Gous was looking to smack Dutta over long on but instead, finds the boundary rider. He departs for a well-played 65 off 46 and Anderson makes his way out to the middle.
Andries Gous gestures to the crowd as he walks off the field [Julio Cortez/AP] Dutta greeted with boundary
Dutta is back into the attack and it’s like he never left.
He gets creamed through the covers by Jones, who is looking to finish this off in a hurry.
15 overs. USA 168-2
Sana’s over goes for a rather respectful nine runs given the carnage that has been dished out before.
USA need just 27 off 30 now to get their campaign off on a winning note.
Jones dropped
After mishitting one high over third man, the fielder circles under it, but drops it.
It has largely been the story of this Canadian team in the last seven to eight overs, hasn’t it?
Pargat Singh drops Aaron Jones’s catch [Julio Cortez/AP] Advertient14 overs. USA 159-2
An astonishing 33 runs come off the over as it would take something momentous for the USA to lose this match now.
The run equation is 36 off 36.
Sana back into the attack now.
Gordon falling apart
After two no-balls and three wides, Gordon’s only legitimate deliveries so far have been nailed for six, four and six.
The fourth ball is also down the leg side, adding to his and Canada’s misery at the moment.
USA have slammed more than 80 runs in just more than five overs.
Gous catch overturned
Against the run of play, Canada strike once more. Gordon gets Gous to hole out to the man at deep midwicket.
Before the Canadian team can get into their celebrations though, the umpire rules that Gordon had bowled a no-ball.
Huge let-off as this was the window for Canada to try and creep back into this match.
USA’s Andries Gous and Aaron Jones [Julio Cortez/AP] Gous into the act
Gordon is drafted by Zafar to try and restore some order for his side.
But the USA are on another trajectory at the moment, with Gous slamming a big six over cover. He follows it up with a four down the leg side to bring up his 50 in 39 balls.
13 overs. USA 126-2
Jones brings up his 50 off just 22 balls with a steer to the leg side. He finishes the over with another huge six over cow corner.
Exceptional innings from the batter, who has single-handedly wrested USA back into this match.
Canada need to break this partnership quickly or this game could be over sooner than later.
USA need just 69 off 42 now.
Back-to-back sixes for Jones
Zafar, into his final over, is under pressure straight away as Jones deposits him right back over his head for six more.
He follows up with yet another mighty six, this time high over cow corner.
Jones is really turning it on in Texas.
12 overs. USA 106-2
Gous, who has been quiet, is allowed to free his arms by battering Pargat back over his head for a one-bounce four.
The Canadian team are looking a little rattled out there now as the partnership between Gous and Jones flourishes.
USA require 89 off 48 now.
Jones greets Pargat with six
Pargat is drafted in by Bin Zafar.
Jones says hello by smashing him high over the square leg boundary for six.
11 overs. USA 91-2
Jones is seeing the ball like a beachball at the moment.
He rocks back to deposit Heyliger high over deep midwicket for a massive six.
USA need 104 off 54 balls to win.
Heyliger back into the attack
He and Gordon have been the standout bowlers for Canada so far.
He begins promisingly with two runs allowed in his first three balls.
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10 overs. USA 81-2
Jones plays a reverse sweep on the second ball to find the boundary at third man. He then dances down the track to send Bin Zafar into the deep midwicket stands.
With half the innings behind us, it is time for drinks.
Nine overs. USA 67-2
Jones gets one in his arc and sends the ball high over deep midwicket for a six.
The over ends with Dutta giving away 19 runs, which could put the USA back on track for this run chase.
Dutta begins inauspiciously
Dutta into the attack now.
He begins with an above-waist full toss which is called a no ball and, subsequently, a free hit. He tries to go away from the batter to avoid being launched out of the ground, but instead bowls it too wide. Free hit attempt number two is then duly dispatched down the ground for six.
USA couldn’t have asked for a better break.
Aaron Jones hits the ball for six runs [Julio Cortez/AP] Eight overs. USA 48-2
Just three allowed from the Canadian captain as boundaries continue to dry up.
Seven overs. USA 45-2
Canada will be content with the proceedings.
USA need someone to step up and take this chase by the scruff of the neck before it is too late.
WICKET! Patel caught behind. USA 42-2
The cat-and-mouse game between Patel and Heyliger draws to a close after the latter entices a knick from the batsman.
You could see it coming with the number of times Patel tried to get him away through the leg side.
If Canada can pick up another here, it will really put some pressure on the USA, who are struggling with the required rate.
Jones is the new batter.
Six overs. USA 41-1
Gous times it just right to find the gap at backward point to pick up four more.
With that, the power-play comes to a close.
Five overs. USA 34-1
Patel was looking visibly displeased after failing to get away from Heyliger a few times that over.
We now have the first introduction of spin in Bin Zafar.
Heyliger into the attack
Despite the opening-ball wide, he allows just four off his first three balls.
Four overs. USA 29-1
Gous is able to flick away a leg-side slanting delivery away to the fine leg boundary but Gordon gives just five from the over.
