WINDHOEK, Namibia, CMC – Former Guyana and West Indies Under-19 star, Gajanand Singh, played a key role as United States continued their winning run with a 25-run victory over Jersey in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
The 35-year-old struck a run-a-ball 41, an innings that helped the US up to 231 all out off their 50 overs at United Cricket Club here yesterday.
Opener Steven Taylor also extended his purple patch with another fifty, top-scoring with 79 from 100 deliveries while Jessy Singh chipped in with 29 and Nisarg Patel, 23.
Benjamin Ward, a 24-year-old leg-spinner, claimed four for 39 to lead Jersey’s attack.
Fast bowler Ali Khan then ripped Jersey’s apart with a career-best seven for 32, as their innings folded for 206 in the 48th over.
Behind Khan’s devastating new ball spell, Jersey were in turmoil at 17 for five in the sixth over before they were bailed out by Asa Tribe’s 75, the 19-year-old striking seven fours and two sixes off 104 balls.
Ward hit 46 from 69 balls while Julius Sumerauer supported with an enterprising 35 from 25 balls at number nine.
Taylor had earlier put on 54 for the second wicket with Saiteja Mukkamalla (21) and 26 for the fourth with former Barbados first class player Aaron Jones (8). However, it was his stand with Gajanand which really galvanized the middle order, the pair posting 69 for the fifth wicket to pull the innings around from the instability of 99 for four in the 27th over.
Gajanand, a left-hander who played his last first class match for Guyana 12 years ago but has featured in recent years in the Caribbean Premier League, belted half-dozen fours and a six before perishing in the 41st over.
