The GT20, Canada, lived up to its reputation as North America’s premier cricket league on Sunday with two electrifying matches. The Montreal Tigers, led by Canadian star Kaleem Sana, edged past the Vancouver Knights by 10 runs, while Marcus Stoinis’ all-round brilliance, combined with Sunil Narine’s magic, propelled the Surrey Jaguars to a massive 80-run win over the Toronto Nationals.
Jaguars Secure Dominant Win
Popularly known as The Hulk, Marcus Stoinis made an immediate impact for the Surrey Jaguars after joining the team on Saturday. He spearheaded the batting with an aggressive 37-ball 57, featuring three fours and four giant sixes, helping the Jaguars post a healthy 161 for 6 after being asked to bat.
During the chase, the premier Australian all-rounder led his team from the front with three wickets. West Indian import Sunil Narine showcased his bowling prowess, claiming 3/5 to secure the Jaguars’ first win of the tournament.
After a flying start by Kyle Mayers (27 off 23 balls), the Nationals managed to claw back with a flurry of wickets, reducing the opposition to 75 for 4. Stoinis then anchored the innings with a crucial 57-run fifth-wicket partnership with Malaysian Virandeep Singh (23 not out off 20), pushing the total past the 150-run mark.
In response, the Nationals were forced to bring in a new opening combo after their skipper Colin Munro got hit during the first innings. Unmukt Chand began in his trademark style, scoring a 17-ball 21 and adding 30 runs for the opening wicket with Canadian national team skipper Nicholas Kirton (11). However, Narine’s introduction triggered a collapse, squeezing the run rate and leaving the Nationals restricted to 81.
The victory helped the Jaguars bag two points, moving them to the third spot on the leaderboard. The Nationals, with four points from three outings, dropped to the second spot.
Tigers Edge Out Knights in Thriller
Earlier in the day, the Montreal Tigers secured a thrilling 10-run victory over the Vancouver Knights. Opting to bowl first, the Knights restricted the Tigers to 144/7 in their 20 overs. Montreal suffered a top-order collapse, finding themselves at 29/5 by the sixth over. Canadian international Dillpreet Bajwa (33 off 22 balls) and Afghanistan star Azmatullah Omerzai (27 off 30) fought back with a 58-run partnership, with Corbin Bosch’s unbeaten 35 off 25 balls helping the Tigers reach a respectable total.
In their reply, the Knights faced early trouble, with skipper Usman Khawaja falling leg before to Omerzai in the first over. Montreal’s bowlers dominated, reducing Vancouver to 73/5 in the 15th over. A spirited lower-order fightback from Dwaine Pretorius (31 off 20) and Dipendra Singh Airee (30 not out off 15) brought the Knights close, but Kaleem Sana’s crucial wicket of Pretorius with two balls to go sealed the win for the Tigers.
With this win, Montreal rose to the top of the standings with four points, having won both their matches. Vancouver, on the other hand, remained at the penultimate (fifth) spot after losing all three of their matches so far.
Looking Ahead
As the GT20, Canada, continues to deliver high-octane cricket, fans can expect more thrilling encounters and standout performances. The Surrey Jaguars and Montreal Tigers have set the stage with their impressive victories, and the competition is only heating up.
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