USA beat Netherlands for first-ever T20I win in World Cup
USA registered their first-ever T20I win over the Netherlands in Chennai, riding on Saiteja Mukkamalla’s 79 and Harmeet Singh’s 4/21. Shubham Ranjane added a quickfire 48 not out as USA posted 196/6 before bowling out Netherlands for 103
Chennai: Saiteja Mukkamalla’s attractive 79 and a four-wicket haul by former India U-19 star Harmeet Singh powered the United States to a comfortable 93-run victory over the Netherlands in a group league fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Friday.
This was USA’s first-ever T20I victory over the Netherlands. Mukkamalla’s 51-ball knock formed the cornerstone of USA’s competitive total of 196 for 6, while all-rounder Shubham Ranjane once again proved his prowess with an invaluable 24-ball 48 not out.
Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh (4/21) did not bowl too many wicket-taking deliveries, yet Netherlands batters were left in a tangle as they were bowled out for 103 in 15.5 overs. Harmeet’s figures were the best by a USA bowler in a T20 World Cup match.
Two of his wickets — opener Max O’Dowd (13) and all-rounder Bas de Leede (23) — came off half-trackers, while the other two were well-directed deliveries that dismissed Scott Edwards and Roelof van der Merwe.
Another left-arm spinner, Nosthush Kenjige, got one that kept low, forcing opener Michael Levitt to play all over it. The Netherlands were never really in the chase on a track that slowed down with time.
Earlier, Mukkamalla provided the impetus with a 51-ball 79 before Ranjane’s late surge ensured a competitive 196 for 6. Mukkamalla added 55 for the second wicket with skipper Monank Patel (36) and another 54 for the fourth wicket with Ranjane.
Mukkamalla, a former student of the cricket academy run by VVS Laxman in Hyderabad, hit five fours and four sixes, with his off-side hitting standing out. Ranjane punished the short-ball tactic of the Netherlands bowlers, scoring freely.
De Leede was the pick of the Netherlands attack with figures of 3 for 37.
