Victory delights Guyanese-born U.S. skipper Massiah

Guyanese-born U. S. skipper Steve Massiah said he was delighted with his team’s performance in beating old rivals Nepal by 94 runs in a high-scoring match on the opening day of the six-nation 50-overs ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 tournament on Sunday.
U.S. piled up a massive 366-6, highlighted by a blistering 102-ball 162 from teenager Steven Taylor, and then dismissed Nepal for 272 with one ball remaining at Somerset Cricket Club, the smallest of three grounds being used.
Taylor, who struck 12 sixes and 12 fours, and Jamaican-born Orlando Baker (37) got the U. S. off to a flying start with an opening stand of 125.

Another Jamaican, Timroy Allen, later weighed in with 67 not out, as the runs kept flowing.
“We are very pleased with the performance. I thought that it was important that, playing against Nepal who we’ve had many close encounters with over the years and we’ve shared matches with – it’s good to come away with a win. Moving forward, it’s important that we continue the momentum,” said Massiah.
“Initially, we didn’t plan to make 366, but we’ll take it! I thought it was an incredible performance by young Steven Taylor to score 162. That was amazing batting, and it’s not batting that you see every day, so with that and some other brilliant performances, everyone chipping in, it just goes to show the depth of our team,” he added.
Man of the match Taylor, a 19-year-old lefthander and wicket-keeper who was born in Florida to Jamaican parents, was leading scorer at the five-nation ICC Americas Division 1 Twenty20 Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in March, with his 413 runs including two centuries. U.S. won the tournament without dropping a point, twice beating Bermuda.
Taylor said he was pleased his performance on Sunday could help his side to victory over a team that defeated it in Division 4.
Nepal captain Paras Khadka was disappointed with the result, despite his side scoring a very respectable 272.
“As a team, maybe we gave 40 runs more to USA. If it had been 300 or 330, maybe it would have been at par. But when a guy gets 162, it’s just one of those days when you cannot do anything.
“We were disappointed. Maybe a bigger ground would have made a difference, but Taylor batted extremely well, and I think that is one of the best innings we’ve encountered as a team.”
Bermuda skipper Stephen Outerbridge blamed his side’s poor batting as Uganda continued their winning streak against the hosts at the National Sports Centre in Hamilton with a 114-run victory. When the teams last met in a WCL event, Uganda beat Bermuda in both encounters of Division 2 in April 2011.
Uganda skipper Davis Arinaitwe said: “We got off the right way for a big tournament like this. That type of win against the home team puts out a strong statement that we are here for business, not just to enjoy the beach and make friends.”