ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Nyeem Young struck a half-century in a strong all-round performance while Matthew Patrick chipped in with another fifty as West Indies Under-19s halted their worrying slide with a seven-run win over Sri Lanka Under-19s in their final outing in the Tri-Nations Series.
Playing at Coolidge on Tuesday, the hosts gathered 207 for nine off their 50 overs with Patrick hitting 57 off 102 balls and Young stroking 55 off 76 deliveries.
Unfortunately, no other batsman passed 20 as new-ball seamer Amshi de Silva (5-44) snatched a five-wicket haul and leg-spinner Kavindu Nadeeshan supported with two for 40.
In reply, Sri Lanka looked to be in control at 107 for three in the 33rd over but declined at the back end to finish on 200 for eight off their allotted 50 overs.
Captain Nipun Dhananjaya top-scored with 74 off 129 deliveries while wicketkeeper and opener Kamil Mishara hit exactly 50 and Sonal Dinusha, a breezy 40-ball 45 batting at number seven.
Young made his presence felt with the ball, claiming three for 48 with his pace while new-ball seamer Matthew Forde ended with three for 29.
The victory was only the Windies Under-19s’ second in the competition and ended a wretched run of four defeats, ahead of next month’s campaign in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.
Sent in, West Indies lost both openers Kimani Melius (11) and Mbeki Joseph (5) to de Silva as they slid to 47 for four in the eighth over.
However, Patrick then anchored two key partnerships, putting on 37 for the fifth wicket with Kevlon Anderson (17) and a further 85 for the sixth with Young, to rescue the innings.
Patrick struck four fours while Young counter-attacked with a brace of fours and sixes before falling in the 47th over.
In reply, Sri Lanka were slumping at eight for three in the fifth over after Forde struck twice but two partnerships then dug the visitors out of their hole.
Dhananjaya, who counted two fours, first put on 99 for the fourth wicket with Mishara before anchoring a 63-run sixth wicket partnership with Dinusha.
But left-hander Dhanajaya perished in the penultimate over, caught at wide long on off Forde, and the 15 runs required from the final over proved out of Sri Lanka’s reach.
