PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, CMC – A batting collapse sent West Indies Under-19s to a heavy 115-run defeat to South Africa Under-19s in their third Youth One-Day International here yesterday.
Asked to chase a challenging 289 for victory at City Oval, the Young Windies were in the hunt at 120 for three in the 26th over before dramatically losing their last seven wickets for 53 runs to be all out 173 off 39 overs.
Opener Keagan Simmons struck 48 and the in-form Kirstan Kallicharan got 47 but they were just two of four batsmen in double figures as the middle and lower order slumped. Fast bowlers Gerald Coetzee (2-27) and Fraser Jones (2-42), along with off-spinner Kgaudisa Molefe (2-33) and leg-spinner Jade de Klerk (2-33) all picked up two wickets apiece.
Openers Jiveshan Pillay and Matthew Breetzke had earlier stroked hundreds as South Africa, sent in by the Windies, piled up 288 for six off their 50 overs.
The left-handed Pillay hit 110 off 123 deliveries with 16 fours and two sixes while Breetzke, a right-hander, gathered 106 off 108 balls with nine fours and two sixes.
Together, they put on 198 for the first wicket before Jesse Christensen arrived at number four to help push the innings along with 40 from 48 balls, including five fours.
Christensen and Breetzke put on 58 for the third wicket but West Indies applied the brakes towards the end as the hosts lost four wickets for 27 runs off 23 deliveries.
Seamer Te-Shawn Alleyne (2-28) and left-arm spinner Jeavor Royal (2-48) claimed two wickets apiece.
The Caribbean side equipped themselves early on in their turn at the crease, as Simmons and Bhaskar Yadram (18) put on 50 off 38 balls for the first wicket.
Simmons struck eight fours in his 64-ball knock while Yadram blasted two fours and a six in a small 17-ball cameo before going lbw to Jones in the seventh over.
Captain Emmanuel Stewart fell cheaply for nine in the 12th over and Simmons followed in the 19th over, leaving the Windies on 90 for three.
Kallicharan, however, who faced 52 balls and struck seven fours, put on 30 for the fourth wicket with Cephas Cooper (19) to revive the innings.
Once Cooper fell in the 26th over though, the innings tailed away badly, with Kallichara eighth out in the 38th over with wickets tumbling around him.
South Africa lead the five-match series 2-1 with the fourth contest set for tomorrow at the same venue.
