USA League 2 statement with big win over UAE
Americans move to a six-point lead in Cricket World Cup League 2 with a record-breaking win over the UAE in Dubai.
By Daniel Beswick
The USA have made a statement on the road to Cricket World Cup 2027, moving three wins clear on the League 2 table with a thumping win over UAE in Dubai.
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A hot USA sizzled in UAE in a stunning victory over the Emiratis.
After posting 292/3, Monank Patel’s side were a force with the ball, bowling out the Emiratis for just 49, the 10th-lowest total in men’s ODI history.
The margin of victory is the Americans’ largest ODI win in terms of runs, only bettered in their history of 50-over matches without international status by a 305-run win over Suriname in 2008 in ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One.
The Americans took four wins from four matches on the UAE League 2 tour, and it took a record-breaking partnership from Milind Kumar and Sai Mukkamalla to set up the American victory, recovering from 2/3 with an unbeaten stand of 264 from 258 balls.
Mukkamalla (137 not out from 149 balls) and Milind Kumar (123 not out from 125 balls) now hold the record for the biggest stand by an Associate member in men’s ODIs, beating the effort of 232 by Asa Tribe and Josh Lawrenson of Jersey at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off.
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In the process, Kumar also became the fastest Associate player to reach1000 ODI runs (21 innings), beating the mark of Aqib Ilyas (22). Only India’s Shubman Gill as well as Pakistan pair Fakhar Zaman and Imam-Ul-Haq reached the milestone faster.
It means Kumar also for now boasts the highest batting average in men’s ODIs, edging Ryan ten Doeschate’s 67.00 with a current figure of 67.73.
The records didn’t stop there in the performance for the Americans, with the bowlers irrepressible in the Dubai heat.
Youngster Rushil Ugarkar (5/22 from 8.1 overs) and Saurabh Netravalkar (3/4 from 8 overs) tore through the Emirati batting order, with the hosts at one point reeling at 28/8.
Junaid Siddique (10) was the only batter to reach double figures, the last to fall to Ugarkar, who at 22 is the youngest American man to take an ODI five-wicket haul.
Photo credit: Emirates Cricket Board
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