Baseball and Cricket Unite in T20 World Cup: USA and Canada Win Opening Match to Kick Off a Thrilling Tournament

The opening match of the T20 World Cup saw USA and Canada go head-to-head in a thrilling seven-wicket victory for the hosts. Aaron Jones led the way with half-centuries from Navneet Dhaliwal and Nicholas Kirton, setting a target of 195 for victory.

With their openers Steven Taylor and Monank Patel falling quickly, Jones partnered with Andries Gous to put on a power-hitting clinic. Jones hit 10 sixes en route to an unbeaten 94 from just 40 balls, while Gous added 65 to get the tournament off to a perfect start.

The ninth edition of the T20 World Cup opened with a match-up between two countries who in 1844 played the first international game. Cricket had been popular in both countries at the time, but was supplanted by baseball in America. Now with T20 cricket on the agenda for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the International Cricket Council hopes to attract a new audience by splitting the World Cup between Caribbean and United States.

Two-time champions West Indies open their campaign against Papua New Guinea in Georgetown on Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 3pm. England opens up against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday (3.30pm first ball) with Ireland playing India in New York on Wednesday (also 3.30pm). Upgrade your sports viewing experience by streaming Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW, providing instant access to live action from the Premier League and EFL, plus cricket, tennis, golf, and more.