That’s all for tonight. We have Andy Bull’s report for you now and more coverage to come over the next few days. Goodnight!

Before today, Jones’ scores in T20 internationals this year were 3, 34*, 15, 2, 4, 35 and 2. Who needs form?

Aaron Jones played the innings of his life, hitting 10 sixes in a monumental unbeaten 94 from only 40 balls. And he didn’t get off the mark until his fifth delivery. The USA won at a canter but when Jones came in they were in serious trouble after a slow start to the innings. Nikhil Dutta’s angst-ridden first over changed everything.

17th over: USA 181-3 (Jones 78, Anderson 3) Dhaliwal’s throw misses the stumps with Anderson scrambling to make his ground. I think he would have been home.

A wide from Kaleem Sana slithers through the keeper for two byes. His brilliant first over seems a long time ago. USA need 14 runs from 18 balls.

16th over: USA 174-3 (Jones 76, Anderson 1)

15th over; USA 167-2 (Gous 65, Jones 71) Poor Canada have gone to pieces. Jones is dropped by Dutta, a relatively straightforward chance after he top-edged the ball over the keeper’s head. I suppose he has made his own luck by putting Canada under such brain-melting pressure with a remarkable onslaught. He has maded 71 from 31 balls and 70 from the last 26.

13th over: USA 126-2 (Gous 43, Jones 56) Jones works a single to reach a pulsating half-century from only 22 balls, a new USA record. And he shows no sign of slowing down: another mighty slog-sweep makes it three sixes in the over and seven in his innings.

He has picked a helluva day to play the innings of his life. USA need 69 from 42 balls and are favourites.

12.2 overs: USA 118-2 (Gous 42, Jones 49) Jones is winning this game off his own bat. He smashes Zafar’s first two deliveries for six, the second a 99-metre slog sweep out of the ground. That means a short break in play while they pick a replacement ball.

Jones has walloped 48 off his last 16 balls.

12th over: USA 106-2 (Gous 42, Jones 37) Aaron Jones is batting magnificently. He rocks back to pull Pargat Singh’s first ball for six, prompting chants of “USA! USA! USA!”.

It’s another big over for the US, helped by Gous blasting four down the ground. A needless overthrow shows that the pressure is now getting to Canada. They really need a wicket.

11th over: USA 91-2 (Gous 35, Jones 29) Gous is stranded mid-pitch after a mix-up with Jones, but a misfield allows him to get back.

My days, Jones has just picked Heyliger up over midwicket for a monstrous six. That went out of the ground. USA have scored 43 from the last three overs, mainly off the bat of Jones.

10th over: USA 81-2 (Gous 33, Jones 21) Jones reverse sweeps Zafar over shorrt third man for four, a risky but ultimately well-played shot, and then dances down the track to drive a majestic six over wide long-on. He started really slowly, scoring one from his first five balls; he’s hit 20 from the last seven.

The USA are back in this. They need 114 from 60 balls.

9th over: USA 67-2 (Gous 33, Jones 8) The offspinner Nikhil Dutta makes a horribly nervous start, conceding 19 from this first over. He starts with a high full toss, which means a no-ball and a free hit. A wide means another free hit, which Gous pumps down the ground for six.

Dutta is having trouble gripping the ball, presumably because of the dew, and the USA show no mercy. Jones slog-sweeps another six to turn a big over into a huge one. Maybe that will change the mood of this run-chase.

8th over: USA 48-2 (Gous 24, Jones 1) If Monank had his time again he would surely bat first after winning the toss. The pressure of chasing a record target is clearly affecting the USA, and their task is even stiffer after a tight over from Saad Bin Zafar. The required rate is now above 12. Canada are strong favourites.

7th over: USA 45-2 (Gous 23, Jones 0) Aaron Jones is beaten by a very good first delivery from Heyliger. The keeper Movva went up for caught behind but noboduy else was interested.

Heyliger has a strangled LBW shout when a full inswinger hits Jones on the pad; it would have missed leg stump.

6th over: USA 41-1 (Monank 16, Gous 21) Saad Bin Zafar, the Canada captain, comes on to bowl his left-arm spin. I say ‘spin’ but he’s mainly darting it in from round the wicket. After a couple of sighters, Gous slaps a cut stroke for four.

That’s the end of the Powerplay. Canada were 50-1 at the same stage.

5th over: USA 34-1 (Monank 15, Gous 15) A good first over from Dilon Heyliger keeps the pressure on USA. He started with a wide but conceded only four runs off the bat.

USA need 161 from 90 balls. They’ve won all four completed T20 internationals against Canada this year; right now they look like they can’t help but think the unthinkable.

4th over: USA 29-1 (Monank 12, Gous 14) Monank is turned round and beaten by a jaffa from Gordon that straightens off middle stump. Gous aborts his planned attacking shot to an equally good ball, but then Gordon errs onto leg stump and is put away for four. Finally a very full outswinger is chipped fractionally short of mid-on by Gous.

Gordon looks a really awkward customer to face, especially when the ball is moving sidewards. The USA are in a bit of bother here.

3rd over: USA 24-1 (Monank 11, Gous 10) A very wide delivery from Kaleem Sana is thrashed over backward point for four by Monank. He gets a more fortunate boundary later in the over, inside-edging past off stump, and blasts the last delivery just short of mid-off. It was hit ferociously and would have taken some catching even if it had carried.

2nd over: USA 10-1 (Monank 1, Gous 9) The tall fast bowler Jeremy Gordon shares the new ball. He beats both batters inside the first three deliveries, Gous cuts for four with economy and authority – and then Gordon drops Monank off his own bowling!

Monank got a leading edge back towards the bowler, who couldn’t take a tough low chance in his follow through. At least I think it carried to Gordon. His body language suggested as much, though maybe it bounced just short. We haven’t seen a replay yet.

1st over: USA 4-1 (Monank 0, Gous 4) The new batter Andries Gous is beaten by successive deliveries from Kaleem. The umpire Richard Illingworth has a word with the Canada captain and keeper, presumably about something that was said to Gous.

Gous pulls the final ball to the midwicket boundary to get USA up and running. They are already serious pressure, with the required run rate above ten an over.

The players are back on the field. The left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana will open the bowling to Steven Taylor and Monank Patel…

20th over: Canada 194-5 (Movva 32, Heyliger 1) Shreyas Movva ends the innings in style, pillaging 21 from Ali Khan’s final over! He drove six over long off, forced four through mid-off and lashed an even better six over extra cover.

That’s a precious cameo from Movva, 32 from only 16 balls.

19th over: Canada 173-5 (Movva 13, Heyliger 0) That was the last ball of the over. Canada have six balls remaining.

18th over: Canada 159-4 (Movva 10, Bajwa 0) That’s a superb over from Ali Khan at this stage of the innings – four runs and a vital wicket.

17th over: Canada 155-3 (Kirton 50, Movva 9) Kirton is deceived by an Anderson slower ball and drags it just short of Jasdeep, running in from long on.

It’s a superb over from Anderson, but Kirton steals a second run off the last ball to bring up a stylish fifty, his first in T20 internationals, from only 28 balls.

16th over: Canada 149-3 (Kirton 45, Movva 8) This looks a really good pitch so the USA won’t be worried yet, but they won’t want Canada to get too close to 200.

The key man is Kirton, who makes enough room to slash Jasdeep past backward point for four more. He has played beautifully and has 45 from 24 balls. Movva completes a terrific over for Canada by ramping his first boundary.

15th over: Canada 137-3 (Kirton 39, Movva 2) Kirton gloves a pull down the leg side for four and then Anderson almost pulls out a sensational run-out off his own bowling. Kirton forced the ball into the gap at midwicket and came back for two. There were no fielders nearby so Anderson retrieved the ball on the slide, turned and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end. It looked out in real time but replays confirmed that Movva was safely home.

14th over: Canada 128-2 (Dhaliwal 61, Kirton 32) A low full toss from Van Schalkwyk is lifted handsomely over extra cover for six by Kirton, who drives the next ball gunbarrel straight for four. That was possibly an even better shot, with a classically high front elbow, and Kirton held the pose afterwards.

13th over: Canada 112-2 (Dhaliwal 60, Kirton 17) Dhaliwal survives a stumping referral after missing a slog-sweep off the impressive Harmeet. Monank had the bails off in a flash but Dhaliwal just managed to wedge his back foot behind the line.

Dhaliwal smashes the last two balls of Harmeet’s spell for four, the first down the ground and the second over extra cover. Harmeet finishes with figures of 4-0-27-1.

12th over: Canada 102-2 (Dhaliwal 51, Kirton 16) Dhaliwal pumps Van Schalkwyk back over his head for six, flat and hard. A single off the next ball takes him to an eyecatching fifty from 36 balls, with three sixes and four fours. He looks a good player.

11th over: Canada 90-2 (Dhaliwal 43, Kirton 12) Netravalkar returns after the drinks break. Dhaliwal plays a stylish stroke inside-out over extra cover, but he only gets two for it and there are five from the over in total.

10th over: Canada 85-2 (Dhaliwal 40, Kirton 10) The occasional offspinner Steven Taylor comes on, possibly with the left-hander Kirton in mind. But I don’t think he’ll be getting a second over.

His first ball is a high full-toss that Kirton belts over extra cover for six. His third is slightly too full and scorched over long on for six more by Dhaliwal. Three singles make it a superb over for Canada, the best of the innings.

Time for the drinks break. Who’s winning? Don’t ask silly questions, this is cricket.

9th over: Canada 70-2 (Dhaliwal 33, Kirton 2) The US are starting to turn the screw. Harmeet Singh changes ends and hurries through an excellent over, just four singles from it.

8th over: Canada 66-2 (Dhaliwal 31, Kirton 0) That was the last ball of the over.

7th over: Canada 60-1 (Dhaliwal 29, Pargat 1) Dhaliwal slashes Jasdeep behind square on the off side for four, then blasts him wide of mid-off for another. He’s gone up a gear since the dismissal of Johnson. When that happened Dhaliwal had 14 from 16 balls; since then he’s hit 15 from 7.

Pargat is not out! Yep, far too high and the USA lose a review.

USA review for LBW against Pargat! It looks high to me but the bowler Jasdeep persuaded his captain to go upstairs.

6th over: Canada 50-1 (Dhaliwal 20, Pargat 1) The new batter Pargat Singh almost falls second ball, chipping Harmeet just short of Nitish running round from long off. Nitish did superbly to grab the ball on the half-volley and fling it into the keeper, almost forcing a run-out as a result. Dhaliwal was just about home.

Dhaliwal shows Johnson and Pargat how to play the stroke, launching Harmeet inside out over mid-off for the first six of the World Cup. That’s a glorious shot.

5th over: Canada 43-0 (Johnson 23, Dhaliwal 14) Jasdeep Singh, a confident right-arm seamer, replaces Ali Khan and restores some order with an excellent first over. Only three runs from it, and he could have taken a wicket when Dhaliwal inside-edged past leg stump.

Johnson has 23 from 14 balls, Dhaliwal 14 from 16.

4th over: Canada 40-0 (Johnson 22, Dhaliwal 12) The left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh comes into the attack early on. Dhaliwal gets his second boundary with a beautiful back-foot drive and is denied a third by a superb stop at backward point from Steven Taylor.

3rd over: Canada 34-0 (Johnson 21, Dhaliwal 7) Ali Khan’s second over disappears for 17! Four consecutive deliveries went to the boundary – three off the bat of Johnson, the other via his helmet when an affronted Ali Khan sent down a sharp bouncer.

The best shot was a wristy drive over cover, the ball after Ali Khan had clonked him on the helmet. Johnson has 21 from only 10 balls.

2nd over: Canada 17-0 (Johnson 9, Dhaliwal 7) The tall left-arm quick Saurabh Netravalkar shares the new ball. His second ball is too wide and pinged emphatically to the backward point boundary by Dhaliwal.

The early signs are that this is a very good batting pitch. Dhaliwal switches around the wicket and finds a bit of movement to Johnson, who edges past short third man for four.

1st over: Canada 6-0 (Johnson 4, Dhaliwal 1) Ali Khan bowls the first ball of the competition to Aaron Johnson, who hammers it impatiently through extra cover for four. That’s a cracking statement of intent.

Khan is a good bowler, slingy and sharp, and he beats Navnett Dhaliwal later in the over. Dhaliwal muscles a single to mid-on to get off the mark.

That’s a very good first over from Ali Khan. There wasn’t much wrong with the delivery that Johnson belted for four and everything else was on the money.

It’s almost time for the first ball of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Keep an eye out for Aaron Johnson, the Canada opener who can hit the ball miles.

The players line up for the anthems, which are sung lustily by some and a little shyly by others. A few of the players on both sides look really nervous. And so they should: most of them are about to play the biggest game of their careers to date.

“Evening from a sultry Toronto, Rob,” writes Guy Hornsby. “Seems strange to think the T20 World Cup is kicking off not far from my time zone. Here’s to a good one, and a decent opener, too. It’s finally at least enough teams to see the best of the associates too, which pleases me greatly. Though I’ve not seen a single reference to the game while up here.

“Anyway, after Yuvi’s distinctly bland Good Morning America slot, this is quite well done, so come on America, you need cricket in your life!”

Hang on, have you moved to Toronto?

The opening ceremony is fairly low-key, with no sign yet of Diana Ross breaking the stumps or anything like that. It’s hard to get a sense of the crowd on the TV coverage, though I’m sure that will become clearer once the game starts.

A beginner’s guide to this cricket thing

The question of whether cricket can crack America, as per the cliche, feels unlikely to be answered (not least on a subscription channel, Willow TV), although this T20 World Cup is not a one-off moonshot, rather one shoulder to the wheel of a broader push.

“The match referee Richie Richardson is older than me,” writes Gary Naylor. “How can he look that good?”

Kombucha and 500 squat thrusts a day apparently.

Valley Ranch is just as much America as any other corner of the country, and the young Americans here love it just as much as the kids in other neighbourhoods do basketball, baseball, or any of the other games everyone else will be watching this weekend.

So, about that game in 1844

They all have their own stories about how they ended up here, playing for the USA. Some came because their parents wanted a better life, others to study, some for the money. Ali Khan is sending some of his earnings back to his old village of Jafar, in Pakistan, where he dreams of one day building a new cricket ground

What comes next on this list: Johannesburg, Lord’s, Guyana, Hambantota, Dhaka, Nagpur, Abu Dhabi, Sydney. The answer, of course, is Dallas, those being the venues for the opening game of the eight T20 World Cups to date.

Until recently, the idea of a cricket World Cup starting in America would have had them rolling in the aisles, but then the same was true of football/soccer before 1994.

Tonight’s opening game between USA and Canada is a step into the future and the past. USA v Canada is the oldest cricket fixture of all, dating back to 1844, a fact we know because it has been cited to within an inch of its life in the build-up to this game. And while the future’s not ours to see, there has never been a greater push to make cricket a small but stable part of American life.

Major League Cricket is growing apace, the US are co-hosting a World Cup – and they have a team that may well surprise plenty of people in the next couple of weeks. They beat Bangladesh 2-1 in a warm-up series, and their team is a handy mix of naturalised players like Corey Anderson and homegrown talents like Steven Taylor.

They also have Nitish Kumar, who played 18 T20 internationals for Canada between 2012 and 2019 before moving to the USA and eventually qualifying to play for them. That adds a bit of pepper to an already spicy rivalry, as does the fact the brilliant Sri Lankan Pubudu Dassanayake, once the USA coach, is now doing the same job for Canada.

Tonight’s winner sill have an outside chance of qualifying from a group that also includes India, Pakistan and Ireland. But a match like this exists in and of itself: as a contest and an event.

Rob will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Andy Bull on cricket’s status in the US:

Manhattan’s skyscrapers are built on cricket fields. There was one under Pier 17 at the Seaport on the East River, another beneath the North Meadow of Central Park, and a third right on 1st Avenue and East 32nd St, below the car park of NYU’s Langone Medical Center.

In 1844, a crowd of about 5,000 New Yorkers watched the first international match there, between the USA and Canada. “Cricket was the first modern team sport in America,” says Chuck Ramkissoon, in Joseph O’Neill’s great New York novel Netherland, “a bona fide American pastime”. He’s right. It was, once.

There were dozens, even hundreds, of clubs in the US in the middle of the 19th century. Historians have never settled on a single reason why cricket died there. The civil war was one factor. “We had a large number of good young men playing the game up to that time, and then the war fever took over them,” one player wrote in the American Cricketer at the beginning of the 20th century.

Baseball was an easier game for the soldiers to pick up and play because it didn’t need a rolled wicket, specialist coaching or equipment. When they made it professional in 1869, it was packaged and sold as the indigenous American sport. The patriots’ game.

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