Jones blasts USA to debut T20 World Cup win over Canada

English Woman's Journal - Jones blasts USA to debut T20 World Cup win over Canada

SPORTS 02.06.2024

Jones blasts USA to debut T20 World Cup win over Canada / Photo: ROBERT CIANFLONE - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Aaron Jones struck an explosive unbeaten 94 from 40 balls as the USA beat Canada by seven wickets in the opening game of the T20 World Cup on Saturday.

Change text size:

Jones, born in New York but raised in Barbados, bludgeoned the Canadian attack, smashing ten sixes as he totally changed the momentum of the game in a superb 131-run third wicket partnership with Andries Gous.

Former South Africa Under-19 batsman Gous made 65 off 46 balls before he holed out to deep midwicket off Nikhil Dutta, ending a partnership that had taken the Americans from struggling at 42-2 in the seventh over to close to their finish line at 173-3 in the 16th.

Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand all-rounder, came in to accompany Jones who fittingly ended the contest with his 10th sixth of the night.

It was the perfect start to the tournament for the co-hosts, with the crowd at the compact Grand Prairie Stadium roaring with delight as Jones smashed the Canadian attack around the ground.

"I don't think it is easy to put it into words," said Jones, whose 10 sixes are the second most in a T20 World Cup innings behind West Indian Chris Gayle's 11 against England in 2016.

"With our batting line-up, we knew anything under 200 is chaseable. I go through my processes and I like my power hitting. I know if I get it in the middle, it will go for sure. I like to come in when the team is under pressure, it brings out the best in me," he said.

Canada, also making their T20 World Cup debut, had set what appeared a challenging target with Navneet Dhaliwal making a well-paced 61 off 44 balls, including six four and three sixes after opener Aaron Johnson had set the early pace with an aggressive 23 off 16 balls.

Nicholas Kirton maintained the momentum in the back half of the innings with 51 off 31 balls and Shreyas Movva's 32 off 16 was crucial in getting Canada to what looks to be a strong total in the Group A match with a strong finish.

The USA is co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies with 16 of the group stage games being held in three American venues -- South Florida and New York along with Dallas.

India, Pakistan and Ireland are also competing in Group A with two nations qualifying for the Super Eight stage.

Ch.Reilly--EWJ

Paul George Scores 36 as Celtics Defeat Sixers 123-101 to Take East Lead

The Boston Celtics claimed first place in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Paul George led all scorers with 36 points in his return to Philadelphia, while a decisive third-quarter run extended Boston's lead and dropped the Sixers to second place.

Mets President David Stearns Expresses Confidence in Marcus Semien's Motivation

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has identified Marcus Semien’s self-motivation as the primary factor in his potential recovery from an underwhelming debut season. Speaking at the general managers meetings in Las Vegas, Stearns affirmed that the team remains confident in Semien’s ability to improve, even as they evaluate other infield options for next year.

FA Cup Second-Round Draw Confirmed for Non-League and Midlands Clubs

The FA Cup second-round draw has been finalized, setting up crucial ties for non-league teams aiming to reach the third round proper. Several clubs from the Midlands, including Burton Albion and Kidderminster Harriers, have secured their next opponents following recent victories over lower-league opposition.

Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium

The new Penrith Stadium is expected to be ready in time for the opening round of the 2027 NRL season, but it’s still likely the Panthers is expected to be on the road for their early matches. There is no delay to the build of the new $309 million venue but there’s a lack of appetite for risk around weather delays through the summer.