CHENNAI, India, Feb 15 (Agencies): The United States kept their slim hopes of qualifying for the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup alive with a 31-run against Namibia in Group A.
Captain Monank Patel and Sanjay Krishnamurthi led with half-centuries as the Americans chose to bat and posted 199-4 in Chennai. Namibia fell well short as Shadley van Schalkwyk (2-27) and Saurabh Netravalkar (1-27) restricted their flow of runs.
Patel, who scored 52 off 30 balls, got the U.S. off to a fast start and combined with Krishnamurthi for an 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket to get his team to their highest total in the campaign.
Krishnamurthi hit six sixes and four boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 68 from 33 balls, his first half-century in T20 internationals.
Namibia started well with Louren Steenkamp (58) guiding them to 97-1 in 10 overs, but struggled after Steenkamp got caught at point in the 13th over, ending their innings at 168-6 to lose their third straight game. The USA, who lost their first two matches to India and Pakistan, finished with four points, and will hope that their positive net run rate earns them a top-two finish and a place in the next round.
It leaves the USA on four points after their four group A matches, level with India and Pakistan who clash later Sunday.
Now the USA must wait for the outcomes of the final group games and hope the result goes their way.
Pakistan play Namibia in Colombo and India play the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, with both matches on Wednesday.
Earlier, USA's captain is their all-time leading run-scorer in T20Is, and he became the first representing the country to pass 1000 runs in the format during this innings. He could - probably should - have been out on nought, though. Ruben Trumpelmann's second legitimate delivery kicked up and found the outside edge, the ball looping high towards point where it was intercepted by Dylan Leicher - only for the chance to burst through his hands. Monank settled with a flat six through midwicket off JJ Smit in the second over and then allowed Shayan Jahangir to make some of the early running in their partnership. He began the fifth over by striking Trumpelmann over cover for six more, then collared Smit's second over to the tune of 19 - lofted six over long-on, slash to deep third, cover-driven four - as USA racked up 65 without loss in the powerplay.
Having got off to a flyer, USA then only managed to score 51 from the next eight overs as the Namibia spinners dragged it back. Jahangir fell in Myburgh's first over, trying to drag a legbreak to the shorter boundary but top-edging to mid-on, and Monank had another slice of luck when looking to launch the same bowler in the ninth, with neither Frylinck nor Smit committing to going for the chance at wide long-on, as the ball bounced between them for four.
Monank went to a 27-ball fifty with a single off his next ball, but only added two to his score before falling to the Myburgh-Smit combination when trying to clear long-on. And although Erasmus made a loose start when belatedly introduced for the 12th, conceding a six and a four from his first three balls, when Saiteja Mukkamalla became the third batter to hole out, Loftie-Eaton juggling a relay catch at long-on, USA were 103 for 3 with two new batters at the crease. there was an indication of Krishnamurthi's power when he hauled his third ball, from Erasmus, over the leg side for six. After a couple of overs of reconnaissance against Myburgh and Loftie-Eaton's legspin, he and Milind went back on the offensive. Krishnamurthi twice smashed Bernard Scholtz's left-arm spin into the Chepauk stands before Milind went down the ground for his first boundary in an over than cost 20.
In the next, Milind went all the way across his stumps to fetch Smit over the short boundary at backward square leg, then Krishnamurthi hit the afterburners in an over from Trumpelmann that went for 26. Again, Namibia hurt their own chances, Erasmus taking an excellent running catch off Krishnamurthi but seeing the ball pop out of his hand as he rolled over. Instead of being dismissed for 32, Krishnamurthi went 4-6-6-6, with a high full toss no-ball thrown in, to bring up his maiden T20I fifty from 23 deliveries.
