The West Indies U19 cricket team returns to the scene of their first victory in the seven match One Day International series against the visiting Bangaldesh U19 cricketers knowing that only a win will keep the series alive and interesting.
After four of the seven Under-19 One Day Internationals have been completed the Young Windies trail their Bangladesh counterparts 1-3.
Game five set for today could ultimately decide the series.
Today’s encounter will see the two teams returning to the Guyana National Stadium at Providence in another day/night fixture.
After their first match thumping, the Bangladesh team bounced back by taking the next three games in comprehensive fashion and will be favoured to wrap up the series today.
A win today will give the Asian side a 4-1 lead in the series and a series win.
However if the West Indies manage to regroup after three horrible showings, they will give themselves some momentum ahead of the remaining games.
Bangladesh mauled their Caribbean counterparts in both departments in the three games which they won on the trot after losing the opening game.
Their batting, led by wicket-keeper and vice-captain Jashim Uddin, along with Mossadek Hossain Saikat, Sadman Islam Anik, Nazmul Hasan Shanto and skipper Mehedi Hasan Miraj, have played a major role in the victories.
All of the above batsmen have registered half-centuries or matching winning knocks so far.
Likewise the bowlers have been effective on the various surfaces which seem to be conducive to spin bowling and the tourists have been expertly utilizing the majority of their slow bowlers who in return have managed to bamboozle the West Indies batters.
Javed Ferdous Rahuttul and Miraj both have recorded five-wicket hauls, while spinners Zubair Likhon and Shanto have been effective. Their fast and medium bowlers have been lively while making early inroads into the opposition’s lineup.
The West Indies have not yet replicated a proper batting performance since the first ODI where their batters won the game for them. Son of West Indies star Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Tagenarine, has not yet lived up to his phenomenal batting chromosomes and is constantly in and out of the team, while players such as Leroy Lugg who scored the only half-century in the West Indies team, has failed in the other games.
Jeremy Solozano continues to hold up his end with bits and pieces scores and will need to hold his ground in the other games while the dangerous Shimron Hetemyer has not yet gotten off to the flier which he is capable of.
Even Trinidadian wicket-keeper Nicholas Pooran who had an incredible inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL), failed in his first game played on Monday.
The West Indies bowlers have so far shown the consistency to ruffle the feathers of the opposition while making breakthroughs.
Their slow bowling unit led by Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai continues to be economic and effective.
With two games left after today’s match, the outplayed Windies will desperately seek to place themselves back in the driver’s seat and square the series which has thus far eluded them.
Today’s game commences at 13:30hrs and admission is free.
