DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – West Indies Under-19s produced a strong all-rounder performance to beat Australia Under-19s by four wickets in the one-off three-day “Test” here yesterday.
Set 153 to win, captain Kraigg Braithwaite hit a responsible 46 and Akeem Saunders got 42, to see the Caribbean side to victory on the final day.
The triumph comes on the heels of the Young Windies’ 2-1 win in the preceding three-match one-day series.
West Indies’ success was set up by their bowlers as Australia, resuming the day at 54 without loss, crumbled to 228 all out. Left-arm medium pacer Derone Davis snared three for 44 while left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge (2-32), fast bowler Ronsford Beaton (2-44) and leg-spinner Amir Khan (2-63) finished with two wickets apiece.
Openers Meyrick Buchanan (40) and Sam Truloff (38) added 73 for the first wicket before Beaton claimed both, and Australia then endured a slide which saw them crash to 103 for four. Cameron Bancroft (56) and Nick Stevens (50) then hit half-centuries in an 84-run, fifth wicket stand as Australia seemed to be cruising at 187 for four.
Bancroft faced 79 balls and hit one four while Stevens batted 94 balls and counted two fours, before both were claimed by Davis in a telling spell as Australia lost their last six wickets for 41 runs.
In their run chase, West Indies lost John Campbell (16) with the score on 34 but Brathwaite and Saunders put on a match-winning partnership of 71 runs for the second wicket to put the Caribbean side in sight of victory.
When Brathwaite fell, however, it sparked a decline which saw four wickets tumble for eight runs, before Kyle Mayers stroked an unbeaten 24 from 27 balls with four fours and a six, to see West Indies home.
