KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – Off-spinner Onaje Amory’s brilliant four-wicket haul proved futile as West Indies Under-19s slumped to a narrow one-wicket loss in a low-scoring affair here Thursday.
Defending an inadequate 107 in the third Youth One-Day International at Cumberland Playing Field, West Indies made a fist of it, largely courtesy of Amory’s four for eight off four overs, but came up short as South Africa Under-19s got home in the 19th over.
Opener Ethan Cunningham top-scored with a breezy 25 off 23 balls but it was number nine Liam Alder, who struck a 12-ball unbeaten 24, which made the difference in the run chase towards the end.
Earlier, the hosts were bundled out cheaply for 106 in the 39th over, opener Shaqkere Parris top-scoring with 27, Teddy Bishop getting 26 and Giovonte Depeiza chipping in with 24.
Leg-spinner Dewald Brevis (3-6) and fast bowler Hendrick Coetzer (3-25) both claimed three wickets apiece to hurt the innings while left-arm spinners Alder (2-23) and Asakhe Tshaka (2-25) supported with two wickets each.
Parris, who faced 47 balls and counted four fours, put on 37 for the first wicket with Matthew Nandu (10) but once they were separated, four wickets tumbled for 14 runs as Coetzer ripped through the top order to leave the innings tottering.
Bishop, who hit three fours off 52 balls, repaired the innings in a 46-run, fifth wicket stand with Depeiza, as West Indies Under-19s staged a recovery.
However, both perished in the space of four balls with the score on 97 as the last six wickets went down for nine runs.
In reply, fast bowler Johann Layne removed opener Jade Smith without scoring to the third ball of the run chase to rock the visitors before Cunningham, who struck three fours and a six, rallied the innings in a 38-run stand with Valentine Kitime (13).
Nandu broke the stand with his off-spin leading to a slide where eight wickets crashed for 63 runs but Alder smacked two sixes in his knock to break the hosts’ resistance at the death. South Africa lead the four-match series 2-1. (CMC)
SCOREBOARD:
WEST INDIES U19s
S Parris lbw b Coetzer 27
M Nandu c wkp Maree b Coetzer 10
T Bishop lbw b Tsaka 26
*A Auguste b Coetzer 0
J Johnson lbw b Tsaka 2
G Depeiza b Alder 22
+C Bowen-Tuckett not out 5
J Carmichael b Alder 0
J Layne c Copeland b Brevis 0
I Thorne c Smith b Brevis 1
O Amory lbw b Brevis 0
Extras (b4, w8, nb1) 13
TOTAL (all out, 38.3 overs) 106
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-48, 3-48, 4-51, 5-97, 6-97, 7-98, 8-99, 9-105, 10-106.
Bowling: Maphaka 6-0-23-0, Coetzer 9-1-25-3, Tsaka 10-0-25-2, Alder 10-3-23-2, Brevis 3.3-0-6-3
SOUTH AFRICA U19s
J Smith c Johnson b Layne 0
E Cunningham st Bowen-Tuckett b Nandu 25
V Kitime c Johnson b Nandu 13
D Brevis lbw b Carmichael 6
+G Maree b Amory 10
*G Van Heerden c Carmichael b Amory 9
M Copeland b Amory 0
H Coetzer b Amory 8
L Alder not out 24
A Tsaka c Carmichael b Layne 0
K Maphaka not out 0
Extras (b9, lb4, w3, nb2) 18
TOTAL (9 wkts, 18.3 overs) 113
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-38, 3-50, 4-54, 5-72, 6-72, 7-83, 8-90, 9-101.
Bowling: Layne 4-1-26-2, Thorne 2-0-10-0, Nandu 3-1-6-2, Carmichael 5-0-38-1, Amory 4-2-8-4, Depeiza 0.3-0-12-0.
Result: South Africa U19s won by one wicket.
Series: South Africa U19s lead four-match series 2-1.
Toss: West Indies U19s.
