Sports
Roneil Walcott
Wrist-spinners Micah McKenzie and Vitel Lawes combined for six wickets as West Indies’ Under-19 men’s team got a hard-fought 25-run victory over Ireland via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method (DLS) in their International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Under-19 World Cup Super Six clash on January 25.
Playing at the High Performance Oval, Windhoek, Namibia, the West Indies were bowled out for a modest 226 in 46.5 overs, with stylish wicket-keeper/batsman Jewel Andrew top-scoring with 66 off 82 balls. In reply, the Irish started steadily enough and were even coasting at 82 for one at one stage. However, the leg-spinner McKenzie (four for 36) and the left-arm unorthodox spinner Lawes (two for 41) turned the game on its head as they formed a beautiful bowling partnership.
From a relative position of comfort at 82 for one in the 18th over, Ireland slipped to 98 for four by the 23rd over as Lawes and McKenzie combined to get rid of James West (45 off 55), Adam Leckey (18) and Sebastian Dijkstra (seven). Ireland then progressed to 118 for four as the players made their way off the field because of a rain stoppage.
After the interval, the boundaries dried up and Ireland caved in under the pressure as Marko Bates (22 off 28) and Robert O’Brien (26 off 50) were caught by Jonathan Van Lange as they tried to hit flighted deliveries by McKenzie down the ground. Bates and O’Brien put together 38 for the fifth wicket as they tried to correct the slide. The pair was quickly joined in the dugout by captain Olly Riley (seven), who was caught at slip by opposing captain Joshua Dorne after edging a Lawes delivery.
With Riley’s dismissal, Ireland were on 161 for seven, and they progressed to 164 for seven by the end of the 40th over as the rain forced another stoppage. The Irish still needed 63 off the last 60 balls to get the victory. But with no further play possible, they found themselves behind the DLS par score of 190 at the time of the stoppage as the Windies got a key Super Six win.
Earlier in the proceedings, several West Indies batsmen got starts, but none were able to provide sufficient support for Andrew, who struck four fours and four sixes in his innings before being caught on the mid-wicket boundary off medium-pacer Luke Murray (two for 37). Andrew shared in a 67-run stand for the fourth wicket with Van Lange (28 off 35). TT’s Aadian Racha made a timely 28 at the back end as he had respective partnserhips of 25 and 20, with McKenzie (four) and an expressive Lawes (18 not out off ten).
The result took the Windies up to four points in their Super Six group, as the regional team started this phase of the competition with two points thanks to their convincing 55-run victory over South Africa in Group D play on January 22. The Windies are third in their Super Six group at present, with Australia and Afghanistan currently leading the way on six and four points, respectively.
Only the top two teams in the two Super Six groups will advance to the semis. And with West Indies’ net run rate currently in the minus, they will need a big win against the holders Australia in their final Super Six match in Harare, Zimbabwe, on January 28, to have a chance of making the final four.
Summarised scores:
WEST INDIES U-19S – 226 from 46.5 overs (Jewel Andrew 66, Jonathan Van Lange 28, Aadian Racha 28; Reuben Wilson 3/50, James West 2/24) vs IRELAND U-19S – 164/7 from 40 overs (J West 45, Robert O’Brien 26, Marko Bates 22; Micah McKenzie 4/36, Vitel Lawes 2/41). West Indies won by 25 runs on DLS Method.
