By
Ronaldo Mc Garrell
The American Cricket Society (ACS) bounced back in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, overcoming Canal No. 2 Sports Club by three wickets in a keenly contested Goodwill Tour clash at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara.
Chasing 175 for victory, ACS reached 178-7 in 24.2 overs, thanks largely to a well-composed and authoritative innings from Kwame Patton Jr, whose 83 anchored the run chase and ultimately broke the back of the contest.
Earlier, Canal No. 2, after opting to bat, never truly found their footing despite flashes of promise. They were bundled out for 174 in 24.4 overs, an innings that was defined by their inability to build solid partnerships and a worrying trend of losing wickets at crucial stages.
The home side’s innings briefly came alive through Quentin Sampson, who blasted 27 from just 13 balls in a counter-attacking display. However, his dismissal at 50-3 proved to be a massive moment in the game and arguably the turning point. From that point onward, Canal No. 2 struggled to regain momentum, slipping into a pattern that would haunt them for the remainder of the innings.
Rickey Sargeant attempted to steady the innings with a top score of 51, while contributions from Yogendra Singh (23) and Andy Lall (19) offered brief resistance. Still, the lack of sustained partnerships ensured that Canal No. 2 were always playing catch-up, as wickets continued to fall at inopportune times.
Left-arm spinner, Ryan Francis led the charge with the ball for ACS, snaring 4-31, while off-spinner Karan Ganesh provided valuable support with two wickets.
In reply, ACS had a shaky start, losing early wickets to slip to 62-3. However, Patton Jr steadied the innings with maturity and calculated aggression, striking six fours and six sixes in his 57-ball knock. The Barbadian found support from Bhaskar Yadram (22) and later Chatram Balgobin, whose quick-fire 22 kept the chase on track under lights.
Canal No. 2 were also left to rue several dropped chances in the field, with missed opportunities allowing ACS batters—particularly Patton Jr—to capitalize and push the game further out of reach.
Patton Jr’s eventual dismissal at 168-6 gave Canal No. 2 a glimmer of hope, but it proved too little, too late as ACS calmly knocked off the remaining runs to seal victory.
The win marks a crucial turnaround for ACS, who had entered the contest on the back of two consecutive losses. With this result, their record on the Goodwill Tour of Guyana now stands at three wins and two defeats, keeping them firmly in contention as the series progresses.
Match Summary:
Canal No. 2 Sports Club 174 all out (24.4 overs) – Rickey Sargeant 51, Quentin Sampson 27; Ryan Francis 4-31, Karan Ganesh 2-17.
American Cricket Society 178-7 (24.2 overs) – Kwame Patton Jr 83, Bhaskar Yadram 22, Chatram Balgobin 22; Shazam Ramjohn 1-9.
ACS won by 3 wickets



