LINCOLN, New Zealand, CMC – Alick Athanaze lashed an unbeaten hundred and off-spinner Bhaskar Yadram claimed a five-wicket haul, as West Indies Under-19s overcame a slight hiccup to easily dispose of Kenya Under-19s by 222 runs and notch their first win of the ICC Youth World Cup here yesterday.
Wobbling at 155 for five in the 29th over after opting to bat first in their final Group A match at Lincoln No. 3 ground, West Indies were revived by a sparkling 116 from Athanaze to reach 318 for seven off their 50 overs.
Opener Kimani Melius stroked 60, Nyeem Young carved out 57 while Kirstan Kallicharan chipped in with 36.
In reply, Kenya wasted a 51-run opening stand between Aman Gandhi (37) and Dennis Kavinya (18) to be bowled out for 96 in the 25th over.
Yadram wrecked the innings with a haul of five for 18 while left-arm spinner Jeavor Royal was equally effective with four for 25.
The victory was the first in three outings for the deposed champions, who went down by eight wickets to New Zealand Under-19s in their opener and South Africa Under-19s by 76 runs in their second outing.
Once again, West Indies were propelled early on by the exciting Melius who was the impetus behind a 78-run opening stand with Keagan Simmons (17).
The right-handed Melius led a blistering assault on the Kenyan bowlers, facing 45 balls overall and plundering 11 fours and a six, as he raised his second half-century of the tournament. Simmons perished via the run out route and his dismissal was one of three in the space of nine deliveries with four runs added, leaving the Windies on 82 for three at the end of the 16th over.
Athanaze, batting at number four, then took charge of the innings in a knock that comprised 15 fours and a six and required 93 deliveries.
He put on 68 for the fourth wicket with Kallicharan who struck three fours and a couple of sixes in a 39-ball knock. When Kallicharan and captain Emmanuel Stewart (1) perished in the space of eight balls with five runs added, Athanaze added a further 43 with Royal for the sixth wicket before anchoring an excellent seventh wicket stand with Young worth 119 runs.
The left-handed Athanaze raced to his first fifty off 44 deliveries and required only another 42 balls to reach three figures.
Young, meanwhile, belted three fours and sixes off 45 balls, combining with Athanaze to gather 86 runs from the last 10 overs.
Unfazed, Kenya hit back through their openers, with Gandhi hitting seven fours in a breezy 40-ball innings. However, he was one of just three players in double figures and the only one to pass 20, as the innings collapsed following his dismissal. After pacer Jarion Hoyte removed Gandhi to a catch at the wicket in the 10th over, 10 wickets tumbled for 45 runs as Yadram and Royal combined to shred the innings.
