Young WI bring hope
Colombo - The youth team brought a welcome shaft of light into the general gloom presently enveloping West Indies cricket with an emphatic victory in their opening match of the third Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka yesterday
13-Jan-2000
Colombo - The youth team brought a welcome shaft of light into the
general gloom presently enveloping West Indies cricket with an
emphatic victory in their opening match of the third Under-19 World
Cup in Sri Lanka yesterday.
While the senior team were ending their New Zealand tour with their
seventh successive defeat, the teenagers were defeating Zimbabwe by 57
runs in a rain-shortened match at the Nondescripts Cricket Club in
Colombo, climaxing their triumph with a hat-trick by the Jamaican fast
bowler Jermaine Lawson.
The West Indies compiled 234 for six from their 50 overs after winning
the toss, then restricted Zimbabwe to 92 for nine from the 31 overs
available after a rain-break. Their target had been adjusted to 149
under the Duckworth-Lewis system.
The West Indies based their challenging total on a fifth-wicket
partnership of 125 from 19 overs between captain Ryan Hinds and Marlon
Samuels that started in the 30th over with the innings at the
crossroads at 102 for four.
Hinds, the Barbadian left-hander, made 58 from 86 balls and played the
supporting role to the rampant Samuels who hit three sixes and six
fours in 83 off 61 balls that seized the initiative for the West
Indies.
Swing bowler Carlitos Lopez put the skids under Zimbabwe with the
first three wickets in his first three overs with the new ball, all
caught by wicket-keeper Gregory Francois. Lawson removed captain
Mlukeki Nkala through Francois? fourth catch in the 11th over as
Zimbabwe slumped to 24 for four.
They were not allowed to recover as the West Indies used six bowlers.
Lawson returned to finish off the innings with Zimbabwe already
beaten, bowling wicket-keeper Travis Friend for the topscore of 39,
Hilton Mazakadza and Mike Sherren with the last three balls.
The West Indies started slowly, scoring only 12 from their first 12
overs. Opener Brian Parchment made 26 and Kirk Wilkinson 31 off 58
balls before Samuels joined Hinds at the fall off Narsingh Deonarine
for 2.
Samuels immediately took the bowling apart, scoring his 83 out of a
stand of 125 with his captain.