Jones, born in New York and raised in Barbados, hit ten sixes against Canada, transforming the game with a superb 131-run third-wicket partnership with Andries Gous.
Former South Africa Under-19 batsman Gous scored 65 off 46 balls before being caught at deep midwicket off Nikhil Dutta. Their partnership lifted the Americans from 42-2 in the seventh over to 173-3 in the 16th.
Corey Anderson, the former New Zealand all-rounder, joined Jones, who ended the game with his 10th six.
The co-hosts started the tournament perfectly, with fans at Grand Prairie Stadium cheering as Jones dominated the Canadian bowlers.
“I can’t put it into words,” said Jones, whose 10 sixes are second only to Chris Gayle’s 11 in a T20 World Cup innings. “With our batting line-up, we knew anything under 200 was chaseable. I focus on my process and power hitting. If I get it in the middle, it’s going out. I like to come in under pressure; it brings out the best in me.”
Canada, also debuting in the T20 World Cup, set a challenging target with Navneet Dhaliwal scoring 61 off 44 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Opener Aaron Johnson added an aggressive 23 off 16 balls, Nicholas Kirton maintained momentum with 51 off 31 balls, and Shreyas Movva’s 32 off 16 balls helped Canada reach a strong total.
The USA is co-hosting the tournament with the West Indies, with 16 group stage games held in South Florida, New York, and Dallas. India, Pakistan, and Ireland are also competing in Group A, with two nations advancing to the Super Eight stage.
