7 December, 2022
Canada continued its winning ways in its quest for championship title honours at the Malaysia-hosted 2022 ICC Challenge League A Tournament easily defeating its main rivals Singapore by 187 runs in the December 5 encounter between the two teams. Batting first Canada posted a formidable 294/9 off its 50 overs. In reply Singapore were dismissed for 107/10 in 28.2 overs to lose by the sizeable margin of 187 runs.
The Canadians’ posted first strike total was constructed o the foundation of a near-century opening pair partnership of 92 between Aaron Johnson 60 and the innings’ eventual top-scorer Pargat Singh 83. Johnson’s 42ball half-century included three sixes and seven fours. Singh’s marginally less than a run-a-ball effort of 86 deliveries faced was graced with one six and ten fours.
Harsh Thaker also contributed a useful 41 in adding 63 for the fourth wicket in partnership with Singh. Nikhil Dutta then chipped in with an explosive 42ball 53 that included two sixes and three fours. Dutta’s whirlwind knock provided some much-needed later overs momentum in propelling the Canadian total to 294 at the conclusion of its fifty overs.
For Singapore, Akshay Puri proved to be almost unplayable with figures of 5/32-10 overs. Once he was removed from the attack, however, the remainder of Singapore’s bowlers proved to be toothless in restricting the Canadians scoring.
Having contributed only 10 to his team’s posted first-strike total, Canadian captain Saad Bin Zafar returned with the ball to decimate Singapore’s response. Zafar took 5/18-6.2 to scythe through Singapore’s middle and lower order. His efforts were very well supported by those of Kaleem Sana Ur-Rehman 2/15-5, and Nikhil Dutta 2/17-7. Only three of Singapore’s batsmen reached double figures in the face of the Zafar-led Canadians’ irresistible bowling.
The win over main-rivals Singapore took the Canadians one step closer to securing both the championship title honours as well as progression to the next qualification stage for the ICC’s India-hosted 2023 50Overs World Cup!
Summarized Scores:
Canada 294/9-50. Pargat Singh 83, Aaron Johnson 60, Nikhil Dutta 53, Harsh Thaker 41. Akshay Patel 5/32-10.
Singapore 107/10-28.2 overs. Aritra Dutta 22, Manpreet Singh 21. Saad Bin Zafar 5/18-6.2, Kaleem Sana Ur-Rehman 2/15-5, Nikhil Dutta 2/17-7.
Canada won by 187 runs.
