WORLD CUP: Young, Anderson give West Indies U-19 crushing win over England
SUMMARY: West Indies U-19s 267-7 (Anderson 86*, Young 66, Goldsworthy 2-28, Qadri 2-46) beat England U-19s 184-9 (Clark 38, Young 5-45, Nedd 2-35) by 71 runs (DLS method)
For the second game in a row, all-rounder Nyeem Young led the way as West Indies defeated a higher-seeded team at the Under-19 World Cup.
After his half-century against Australia downed the 2018 runners-up on Saturday, Young returned on Monday to smash a 41-ball 66 and then take five wickets to defeat England and virtually confirm his team’s spot in the quarter-final.
Young walked in at 138-5 after England had sent West Indies in, and joined No. 3 Kevlon Anderson in a 101-run partnership for the sixth wicket, off just 76 balls. Anderson remained not out on 86 off 105 balls as West Indies closed at 267-7.
Young smashed five fours and four sixes, including one that broke the glass window of the media centre, while Anderson hit three sixes and six fours. Before their partnership, off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri and leg-spinner Lewis Goldsworthy had kept West Indies’ run-rate in check with regular wickets.
England’s chase began positively, the openers putting on 53 before wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox succumbed to the temptation of playing the reverse sweep, gloving the shot to first slip in the 14th over. His partner Ben Charlesworth was dismissed soon after for 36.
A third-wicket stand of 51 between Tom Clark and Jack Haynes kept England in the chase, but they stumbled following Clark’s departure, as Young’s short-pitched deliveries sent back Dan Mousley and Haynes in the 33rd over.
A passing shower paused the game for around thirty minutes, with England 40 runs behind the DLS par, and when play resumed, Young struck again, dismissing Joey Evison and Goldsworthy for single-digit scores, and then having England captain George Balderson caught at long-on to complete his five-for.
At that stage, England needed 117 from 71 balls, with just two wickets in hand. With lightning in the background, the game was halted once more in the 44th over, by which time England had lost their ninth wicket, and were 71 runs behind the DLS par. Play never resumed, and West Indies wrapped up a comprehensive win.
Apart from Young’s five-for, the left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd picked up 2 for 35. Jayden Seales, who took a four-wicket haul against Australia, went wicketless but conceded just 21 runs in his ten overs.
England’s next game against Australia is now a virtual pre-quarterfinal, while West Indies are favourites to top Group B, left to play only Nigeria later this week.
In the other game of the group, Australia crushed Nigeria by 10 wickets. Australia Under-19 62-0 (Fanning 30*) beat Nigeria Under-19 61 (Olaleye 21*, Sangha 5-14, Simpson 3-11) by ten wickets. (ESPNCricinfo)
