DUBAI – An innings of 74 from 105 balls from captain and batting prodigy Kraigg Brathwaite failed to upstage a hundred from Cameron Bancroft, which set Australia’s Under-19s up for a 63-run victory in the first youth One-day International yesterday.
Brathwaite struck ten boundaries as his side, chasing 241 for victory from their allocation of 50 overs, was dismissed for 177 off 44.1 overs in the match contested at the Global Cricket Academy No. 2 Ground.
Justin Greaves made 25 and was the only other West Indies Under-19 batsman to pass 20, as the Caribbean side, hastily assembled for the series, crumbled under the steady, if not spectacular bowling of their opponents.
West Indies Under-19s now trail 0-1 in the three-match series, with the second youth ODI scheduled fortomorrow at the GCA No.1 Ground.
Greaves captured three wickets for 41 runs from ten overs, and John Campbell took three for 50 from eight overs to be the most successful West Indies bowlers, as Australia Under-19s, choosing to bat, reached 240 for nine from their 50 overs.
Greaves, Campbell and the rest of the West Indies Under-19s’ bowlers had no answer however, for Bancroft, whose 123 from 126 balls included 13 fours and two sixes.
West Indies Under-19s then lost Campbell cheaply in their chase, but Keiron Joseph joined Brathwaite and steadied the innings before he was run out for ten.
Runs then came at a trickle for the Caribbean side, and with the mounting pressure, wickets continued to tumble with Brathwaite falling late in the innings, when he was trapped lbw by right-arm medium-pacer Corey McMahon to genuinely end West Indies Under-19s’ chances.
Earlier, Jerome Jones made the early breakthrough for West Indies Under-19s when he held a return catch to dismiss opener James Peirson, the Aussie wicketkeeper/batsman, for eight.
But the West Indies Under-19s were put on their heels when Bancroft dominated a second-wicket stand of 91 with Nick Stevens, whose 25 occupied 69 balls.
When Greaves had Bancroft caught in the outfield, Australia were 195 for five, and Meyrick Buchanan hit 31 to boost the Aussies’ total. (CMC)
