US claim 31-run win over Namibia at T20 World Cup to keep Super 8 hopes alive

USA's Sanjay Krishnamurthi celebrates after scoring a half-century
USA's Sanjay Krishnamurthi celebrates after scoring a half-centuryR. SATISH BABU / AFP

The United States kept their hopes of ⁠reaching the Twenty20 World Cup's Super 8 stage alive as they ended ‌their Group A campaign with two straight ‌wins, after beating Namibia by 31 ‌runs on Sunday.

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 US 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 US, 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.

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