The West Indies Under-19 Men’s Cricket Team got off to a winning start in group action at this year’s ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup on Thursday.
The boys from the Caribbean defeated Tanzania by five wickets at the High Performance Oval in Namibia. During the fixture, West Indies captain Joshua Dorne broke the record for the most Youth ODIs played for the Maroon with 23 matches under his belt, a record previously held by former West Indies Test captain Kraigg Braithwaite.
Beginning the game with the ball, the Windies made light work of Tanzania, bundling them out for just 122 runs in 34 overs. The chief destroyer with the ball was left-arm wrist spinner Vitel Orlando Lawes. The Jamaican picked up 3 wickets for 26 runs. He was ably supported by fellow leg spinner Micha Mckenzie (2/15), who represented the Saint Lucia Kings in last year’s Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, and eventual Player of the Match Shaquan Antone Belle, who bagged 2 wickets for 23 runs.
In reply, the West Indian innings was guided by an 80-run second-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper Jewel Andrew and Tanez Francis. Andrew was unlucky to miss his half-century, falling short on 44, while Francis went on to score 52. Although the West Indies lost a couple of wickets in search of quick runs to bolster their net run rate, the team finished off the total comfortably with 21 overs to spare, with Belle and Shamar Apple at the crease.
Sterner tests lie ahead for the Windies, who face Afghanistan Under-19 in their second fixture on Sunday, January 18, beginning at 3:30 a.m. AST.
