Windies rebounded from their opening game loss to Australia with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Scotland in their second ICC Under-19 World Cup match at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis on Monday.
Shiva Sankar’s new-ball burst rattled Scotland Under-19s and laid the foundation for Windies Under-19s’ crucial result.
Desperately needing points after Friday’s defeat in Guyana, the hosts hit back strongly at Warner Park, bundling out the Scots for a paltry 95 in the 36th over with Man-of-the-Match Sankar claiming three for 17 from his seven overs of pace.
He accounted for the first three wickets to fall, and Scotland Under-19s never recovered despite opener Oliver Davidson’s top score of 43 off 93 deliveries.
In reply, opener Shaqkere Parris produced a busy 26 from 29 balls, but Teddy Bishop saw his side home in the 20th overs with an unbeaten 23 from 27 balls.
In their final Group D game on Friday, the home side will now face Sri Lanka Under-19s, with the top two teams progressing to the next round.
Scotland, who lost their opening match to Sri Lanka, were set back early, collapsing to 29 for three at the end of the ninth behind Sankar’s incisive opening spell.
He claimed Charlie Tear (2) in the third over to a low catch at mid-off by stand-in captain Giovante Depeiza before producing a tremendous double strike in the ninth over.
First, he hit Samuel Elstone (7) in front with a full-length delivery to gain an lbw decision and then removed Tomas Mackintosh’s first ball, caught at slip driving.
Left-arm spinner Anderson Mahase (2-16) made further inroads when he got Jack Jarvis to hole out to deep square for six in the 16th over and then also accounted for Muhaymen Majeed (11) stumped in the 20th.
Amid the carnage, Davidson remained solid, holding the innings together while striking four fours to be only one of two batsmen to reach double figures.
He was the last man out, run out at the non-striker’s end after being sent back in his quest for a second run.
In reply, Parris gave the hosts a strong start, hammering three fours and a six, to dominate a 37-run opening stand with Matthew Nandu (8).
However, when Nandu perished in the eighth over to a catch at fine leg off seamer Jarvis, Windies Rising Stars stumbled, losing three wickets for 29 runs to be 66 for three in the 16th over.
Parris missed one, which came in with the angle from left-arm spinner Charlie Peat and bowled in the 11th over while Rivaldo Clarke (13) edged a cut behind Davidson’s left-arm spin.
However, Bishop settled his side’s nerves, punching two fours and a six in a 30-run, unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Jordan Johnson (14 not out) to overhaul the modest target quickly.
/CMC
