GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The United States destroyed Canada’s bowling after a slow start to overpower their neighbours by seven wickets in the opening match of cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup in Dallas on June 1.

Aaron Jones muscled 10 sixes in an unbeaten 94 from 40 balls to propel his team to 197 for three from 17.4 overs in reply to Canada’s 194 for five in Group A.

Opener Navneet Dhaliwal top-scored with 61 for the Canadians before he was caught off former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson bowling his first delivery for his new team. 

The ninth edition of the sport’s shortest format opened with a match-up between two countries who in 1844 played the first international in the summer game of the British Empire. Canada won a low-scoring three-day game in New York that year by 23 runs.

Cricket had been a popular sport in the US, particularly in Philadelphia, but was supplanted by baseball in the latter stages of the 19th century.

Now with T20 cricket, a format of similar length to baseball games, on the agenda for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the International Cricket Council hopes to attract a new and potentially lucrative audience by splitting the World Cup between the Caribbean and America. 

Twice champions West Indies open their Group C campaign against Papua New Guinea in Georgetown on June 2 and defending champions England play Scotland in Barbados on June 4 in Group B.

Australia, the world Test and one-day international champions, will be in action for the first time when they meet Oman in Barbados on June 6 also in Group B. The biggest clash of the first round will come two days later when Australia go up against England. REUTERS