Despite Gajanand Singh’s valiant century, the United States fell short in their chase against the West Indies. The West Indies set an imposing target of 298 runs, putting the USA under pressure right from the beginning. Jason Holder struck early to remove USA’s top-order batsmen, resulting in the loss of four wickets for just 20 runs. Despite a brief recovery, a run-out further dented the USA’s progress, leaving them with only half their side intact and the total still under 100. At this stage, the game seemed to be firmly in the West Indies’ control. However, Gajanand Singh joined forces with Shayan Jahangir, igniting a revival that gave the USA an outside chance.
After 40 overs, the USA had managed to score only 182 runs, having lost seven wickets. Gajanand, fighting against slim hopes, struggled to find boundaries in the final overs. While Nosthush Kenjige provided a brief cameo, Gajanand could only rotate the strike before finally finding the boundary in the penultimate over. Although the game was essentially decided by then, Gajanand ended on an unbeaten 101, providing some consolation for his team’s efforts. Earlier in the day, the West Indies endured a disastrous start, with Brandon King and Kyle Mayers combining for just two runs.
Johnson Charles and Shai Hope then stabilized the innings with a crucial partnership. At the 20-over mark, the West Indies had reached a modest 83 runs on the board before Hope and Charles accelerated the scoring. However, the departure of both set batsmen after reaching fifty forced another rebuilding phase. Nicholas Pooran’s quick cameo broke the shackles, but his dismissal, followed by Rovman Powell getting out on the first ball, put the West Indies under pressure once again. Jason Holder and Roston Chase joined forces at a crucial juncture when the West Indies were struggling at 192/6. Their partnership of 74 runs dashed the USA’s hopes of limiting their opponents to a below-par total. While Chase scored a run-a-ball 55, Holder’s aggressive innings of 56 off 40 balls, including three sixes, propelled the West Indies to a total close to 300, which ultimately proved to be enough.
Brief Scores:
West Indies: 297 in 49.3 overs (Johnson Charles 66, Jason Holder 56; Steven Taylor 3/53)
USA: 258/7 in 50 overs (Gajanand Singh 101*, Shayan Jahangir 39; Kyle Mayers 2/30)
Result: West Indies won by 39 runs.
