West Indies U19s face threat of elimination after Australia loss

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CMC):

West Indies Under-19s’ hopes of reaching the semi-final of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup suffered a major setback when they went down by 22 runs to defending champions Australia in their crucial Super Six, Group 1 encounter yesterday.

Needing a victory to boost their chances of reaching the final four, the regional team produced a below-par bowling effort after sending the Aussies in to bat at the Harare Sports Club, as captain Oliver Peake scored an impressive century to power his side to a formidable 314 for seven in their 50 overs.

Through the efforts of Zachary Carter and skipper Joshua Dorne, who scored contrasting half-centuries, West Indies put themselves in a strong position to pull off a memorable win, but faltered at the death to finish on 292 for nine.

With the result, the unbeaten Australians advanced to the semi-final stage of the tournament, leaving the Windies needing a miracle due to their poor net run rate.

They are currently tied on four points with Afghanistan, who are second on net run rate, ahead of Sri Lanka.

The Windies also need both Afghanistan, who are set to play Ireland in their final Super Six match on Friday, and Sri Lanka, who take on South Africa on Thursday, to suffer heavy defeats if they are to have any chance of progressing.

They will rue a missed opportunity against Australia, who, for the first time in the competition, looked headed for defeat.

Needing to score at more than six runs an over, Carter and Tanez Francis gave the Windies a whirlwind start in an opening partnership of 88 runs, while going at eight runs an over.

Carter was especially brutal on his way to registering the fourth-fastest half-century of the tournament, pulling Will Malajczuk to the midwicket boundary off the 29th ball he faced.

Australia needed some luck to make the breakthrough, when Francis missed a full toss from Charles Lachmund and was adjudged lbw, despite the ball seemingly headed past the leg stump.

Carter and Jewel Andrew then added 35 runs in just over three overs, before Carter unnecessarily tried to heave the first delivery from leg-spinner Naden Cooray over the legside and was bowled for 64 off 42 balls, inclusive of seven fours and four sixes.

His dismissal brought Dorne to the crease, and together with Andrew, they maintained the momentum to carry the score to 171 for two after 26 overs.

The reintroduction of pacer Hayden Schiller reaped immediate dividends for Australia, with his yorker piercing Andrew’s defence to bowl him for 44.

Dorne then found a useful partner in Kunal Tilokani, with the two adding 68 runs for the fourth wicket. During that partnership, Dorne reached his first half-century of the tournament off 80 balls.

But just as the two looked to accelerate, Tilokani edged Lachmund behind to be caught for 35 off 42 balls; and with just seven runs added, Schiller returned to bowl Dorne for 62 off 97 balls, to leave the Windies 246 for five in the 43rd over.

Jonathan van Lange and Shaquan Belle tried their best, but the required run rate, which crept up to over 12 runs, proved too much for the Windies to overcome and they lost their four wickets for seven runs in the last 14 balls.

Lachmund ended with 4-66, Aryan Sharma took 2-47, and Schiller 2-54.

Earlier, Peake’s effort, along with a half-century from Nitesh Samuel and important knocks by Will Malajczuk and Alex Lee Young, helped Australia post a mammoth total.

Malajczuk, who scored 48 off 30 balls and Samuel, who made 56 from 74 balls, shared an opening stand of 73 in nine overs that proved to be the foundation.

Fast-bowler R’Jai Gittens removed Malajczuk and Steven Hogan, who made four, in quick succession to leave Australia 84 for two after 11 overs.

But Peake, who scored 109 off 117 balls, first added 85 with Samuel and then 69 with Lee Young, who scored 45, to frustrate the Windies’ bowlers.

For the Windies, Jakeem Pollard took 2-37 and Gittens 2-45.