Monank Patel lauded the United States' "complete performance" after holding on for a dramatic all-time upset against Pakistan in Dallas on Thursday.
In their T20 World Cup debut, the US have two wins from two and top Group A after beating Canada in their opener before following it up with another statement victory.
The US opted to let Pakistan bat first, limiting them to 159-7, and chased down the target exceptionally well, with Nitish Kumar hitting a four on the final ball to force a super over.
Pakistan still had no answers, falling to a five-run defeat in their opening game at the tournament.
Patel did not play in their opening game against Canada but came in to get 50 off 38 balls, including two fours and two boundaries, but quickly shifted the focus to the whole team.
"Playing in the World Cup, you don't get a chance to do it every year," he said. "We knew we had to be fully committed [to] every single ball against Pakistan. It was a complete effort from the team.
"It's a big achievement - beating Pakistan while playing for the first time. Complete performance. We used the conditions well. Kept them to 160, which was chaseable. Happy with my contribution, happier to have won.
"Plan was to have a big partnership among top three and then to take it deep. [Andries] Gous played cricketing shots and took pressure away. As a player and captain, you want to show off your talent on the big occasion. Wanted to score in a winning cause."
Pakistan struggled to get going, with captain Babar Azam finishing on 44 after a slow start to the game saw them struggle to build any momentum.
Despite eventually finishing the first innings strongly, Pakistan struggled to limit the US' chase, with errors creeping into their game to keep the tournament co-hosts in with a chance.
Azam highlighted their slow starts to both innings as their shortcomings in the loss.
"First six overs while batting, we couldn't capitalise. We took momentum but back-to-back wickets hurt us," he said.
"We were not up to the mark in the first six [while bowling]. Didn't take wickets, spinners didn't either. We came back in the end but couldn't finish well. Hope to do well in the future.
"[Result makes it] very hard. All credit to USA who did well in all three departments. That's why they won. There was moisture in the pitch. It was two-paced. As professionals, we had to assess conditions better."
Gudakesh Motie joins Guyana Amazon Warriors for inaugural Global Super League
Guyanese spinner Gudakesh Motie has been named as part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), scheduled to run from November 26 to December 7, 2024. Motie, a consistent performer for the Warriors since his debut in 2021, will bring his experience and skill to a formidable squad as they compete for a US$1 million prize fund.
Motie’s contributions have been integral to the Amazon Warriors’ success over the years. In the recently concluded 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he emerged as the team’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 17 wickets at an impressive average of 18.64. His consistency helped propel the Warriors to the CPL final, continuing his strong form from the previous year when they clinched the championship in 2023.
The 29-year-old spinner joins a talented roster of Guyanese players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, and Keemo Paul, as the Amazon Warriors prepare to face off against international teams Hampshire Hawks, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders, and Victoria.
The Global Super League marks a significant development in international T20 cricket, with the tournament drawing teams from around the world to Guyana’s National Stadium at Providence. Over 11 matches, the participating teams will battle for the title and a share of the lucrative prize pool.
As a local star with international pedigree, Motie’s inclusion strengthens the Amazon Warriors’ chances in this inaugural competition. The spinner is known for his ability to control the game in the middle overs, a skill that will be crucial against top-tier opposition in the GSL.
Motie, along with the rest of the Amazon Warriors squad, will aim to leverage home advantage as they seek to make history in this first-of-its-kind tournament. The Global Super League promises to showcase the best of T20 cricket while providing a platform for local talent to shine on the international stage.
Fans of the Amazon Warriors and cricket enthusiasts across Guyana are eagerly awaiting the action-packed tournament, which is expected to further elevate the region’s reputation as a hub for world-class cricket.
Powell salutes West Indies' commitment after ending England's winning streak
Rovman Powell hailed West Indies' commitment after claiming the first win of their T20 series against England on Saturday.
The hosts successfully chased their target of 219 in St Lucia to stop the rot in the five-match series, reducing the deficit to 3-1.
West Indies won the toss and elected to field, though England did their best to make the most of the flat pitch.
Phil Salt's contribution of 55 set the tourists on their way, while captain Jos Buttler chipped in with 38, and Jacob Bethell hit an unbeaten 62 - reaching his latest half-century off just 22 balls.
England finished at 218-5, but West Indies hit the ground running in their chase as Evin Lewis (68) and Shai Hope (54) notched up 136 from the first nine overs.
However, the hosts' momentum stalled when Rehan Ahmed caught Lewis, Hope was run out and Nicholas Pooran bowled for a duck in as many balls.
Nevertheless, skipper Powell got them back on track with 38 from 23 deliveries and, though he was dismissed in the 17th over, back-to-back sixes from Sherfane Rutherford in the penultimate over sealed a five-wicket victory.
"The guys were a little bit more committed today, and the toss fell in our hands," Powell said. "It's been a series where, once you win the toss, you seem to win the game. But, the guys played well."
"It was an excellent wicket, and we got off to a great start with our openers putting them under plenty of pressure," Buttler added. "We thought we needed at least 220, and then their openers played exceptionally well, too."
Hope, Lewis shine in Windies record chase to defeat England by five wickets
Half-centuries from openers Shai Hope and Evin Lewis propelled West Indies to a stunning five-wicket victory over England as they chased down a mammoth 219-run target in the penultimate contest of their five-match T20I series at the Darren Sammy Stadium on Saturday.
Hope (54) and Lewis (68) set the tone with a record-breaking 136-run stand off a mere 55 balls that paved the way for a famous win and, by extension, etched the chase into the history books as the highest ever at the venue and the second-highest in West Indies T20I history.
Lewis had four boundaries and seven maximums in his 30-ball knock, while Hope’s 24-ball innings had seven fours and three sixes. Captain Rovman Powell (38) and Sherfane Rutherford, with an unbeaten 29, were the only other scores in double figures.
The win saw the Caribbean team salvaging some pride as England still hold an unassailable 3-1 lead heading into Sunday’s final encounter.
Scores: West Indies 221-5 (19 overs); England 218-5 (20overs)
West Indies’ response to England's formidable 218 for 5 was nothing short of spectacular. Despite a slow start, with just five runs off the opening over, Hope and Lewis exploded into action in the third over bowled by debutant John Turner.
Lewis launched the assault with a towering six, followed by a flurry of boundaries from Hope that turned the tide firmly in the hosts' favour.
Hope reached his half-century off just 23 balls, as he combined sublime timing with power, while Lewis joined the party with a blistering 26-ball fifty of his own. The pair dismantled England's bowling attack, racking up 10 sixes and 11 fours in the opening stand.
Lewis’s standout moment came in the eighth over when he smashed a 105-meter six off Liam Livingstone, followed by another in a 30-run over that left England reeling.
Though Lewis departed when he holed out to Dan Mousley off Rehan Ahmed, the damage was done, despite the drama that followed his dismissal.
Hope was then run out in a chaotic sequence that saw West Indies lose two wickets in as many balls, as Nicholas Pooran (zero) was bowled off a googly from Ahmed immediately after.
Shimron Hetmyer’s brief cameo ended with a sharp catch by Livingstone, who later left the field with an apparent knee injury.
However, Powell steadied the innings with a quick-fire 38 off 23 balls, including three sixes and two fours, before falling to John Turner. His contribution, however, ensured that the West Indies remained in control, requiring only 23 runs off the final 21 deliveries.
Rutherford, who lofted a six down the ground off Mousley, brought the equation within striking distance and then unleashed a powerful slog over deep midwicket to clinch victory in dramatic style. Roston Chase was also unbeaten on nine.
Ahmed ended with 3-43 from his four overs.
Earlier, England's innings, led by Phil Salt’s 55 off 35 balls and Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 62 off 32, appeared daunting.
Salt, who had five fours and four sixes in his 35-ball knock, and Will Jacks (25) added 53 in just 4.2 overs, while Bethell’s late blitz, including three consecutive sixes off Chase, propelled England to a venue-record-equalling 218-5.
Bethell had five maximums and four boundaries in his unbeaten 32-ball knock. Captain Jos Buttler (32) and Sam Curran (24) also got in on the act.
However, West Indies bowlers, despite early punishment, found key breakthroughs. Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie struck at crucial junctures, while Chase and Motie held their nerve in the middle overs to prevent England from running away with the game.
Motie was the pick of the pack with 2-40 from his four.
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