Having to rely too heavily on too few, the West Indies lost a tense, low-scoring semi-final to Pakistan by four wickets with nine balls remaining in the Under-19 World Cup at the sunlit Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Christ Church yesterday.
In spite of run-machine opener Kraigg Brathwaite’s 85 off 116 balls (following scores of 92 not out, 7, 82 and 69 in four earlier matches), his second successive hundred partnership with captain Andre Creary (41) and spirited wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich’s closing 55 off 49 balls, the West Indies could only reach 212 for eight after they were sent in.
Pakistan faltered at 49 for four in the 20th over in reply, following another compelling opening spell of two for six from six overs by giant fast bowler Jason Holder, five for 19 hero of the quarter-final victory over England two days earlier.
Once Holder was rested for a later return, tall all-rounder Hammad Azam, one of the stars of the tournament, took control against the wayward quick bowler Nicolson Gordon and spinners John Campbell, Akeem Dewar and Yannick Cariah.
He swept consistently to profitable effect and played without blemish until he was badly missed on the midwicket boundary by Trevon Griffith off leg-spinner Dewar from his last shot.
By then, the result and his Man of the Match award were assured. He was unbeaten 92, from 93 balls with 10 fours, when left-hander Sarmad Bhatti drove Dewar to the cover boundary to seal the deal with one and a half overs remaining.
The win secured Pakistan’s place in Saturday’s final against the winner of today’s other semi-final between Australia and Sri Lanka. The West Indies will take on the losers in the third place play-off tomorrow (tonight east Caribbean time).
For the third successive match, the West Indies were immediately setback by the loss of early wickets. Left-handers Griffith and Campbell fell to loose strokes off Bhatti, forcing the classy Brathwaite and Creary to carefully rebuild with their stand of 101 from 25.5 overs, just as they had done adding 103 in the quarter-final victory over England.
When Creary and Cariah hoisted catches to long-off, Brathwaite and Dowrich added 49 from nine overs. But, with an elusive hundred in sight, Brathwaite was run out by Raza Hasan’s direct hit of the non-striker’s stumps in the 44th over, midway through the batting power play.
It was a telling blow for the West Indies.
Another direct hit took care of Jermaine Blackwood in the next over and, although Dowrich raised his 50 with the only six of the innings, over mid-wicket off left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, Pakistan’s target appeared comfortably reachable in good batting conditions.
Holder immediately changed that perception. He despatched openers Ahmad Shehzad, to Griffith’s sharp slip catch, and Babar Azam, century-maker in the previous group match between the teams, to a miscued hook.
Two for nine became 35 for three and 49 for four as Holder’s new ball partner Nelson Bolan claimed captain Azeem Ghumman to another Griffith slip catch and off-spinner Campbell’s first ball produced a return catch from Ahsan Ali.
The momentum was with the West Indies but Hammad gradually wrested it back with sensible, controlled batting.
He was not distracted as left-hander Rameez Aziz became becalmed for long periods. After Rameez’s laboured 39 off 81 balls was ended at the bowler’s end by a yes-no run out, wicket-keeper Mohammad Waqas arrived to follow Hammad’s positive example in a stand of 64 from 9.3 overs. Waqas lifted a catch to long-on off Cariah but, by then, Pakistan needed only 10 to advance to the final for the third time. They were twice champions, successively in 2004 and 2006.
SCOREBOARD
WEST INDIES U19 Innings
K Brathwaite run out (Raza Hasan) 85
T Griffith c wkp Mohammad Waqas b Sarmad Bhatti 0
J Campbell b Sarmad Bhatti 1
*A Creary c Raza Hasan b Usman Qadir 41
Y Cariah c Ahsan Ali b Babar Azam 9
+S Dowrich c Babar Azam b Raza Hasan 55
J Blackwood run out (Azeem Ghumman) 0
A Dewar not out 11
J Holder st wkp Mohammad Waqas b Raza Hasan 0
N Bolan not out 5
Extras (lb3, w2) 5
TOTAL (8 wickets – 50 overs) 212
To bat: N Gordon
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Griffith, 1.3 overs), 2-7 (Campbell, 3.5), 3-108 (Creary, 29.4), 4-124 (Cariah, 34.5), 5-173 (Brathwaite, 43.5), 6-175 (Blackwood, 44.4), 7-203 (Dowrich, 48.2), 8-204 (Holder, 48.4).
Bowling: Fayyaz Butt 5-0-32-0 (2w); Sarmad Bhatti 10-1-37-2; Hammad Azam 10-0-39-0; Usman Qadir 10-0-36-1; Raza Hasan 10-1-41-2; Babar Azam 3-0-15-1; Ahmed Shehzad 2-0-9-0
PAKISTAN U19 Innings
Ahmed Shehzad c Griffith b Holder 0
Babar Azam c Dewar b Holder 4
Ahsan Ali c&b Campbell 28
*Azeem Ghumman c Griffith b Bolan 9
Rameez Aziz run out (Gordon) 39
Hammad Azam not out 92
+Mohammad Waqas c Gordon b Cariah 29
Sarmad Bhatti not out 4
Extras (lb2, w6) 8
TOTAL (for 6 wickets – 48.3 overs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Ahmed Shehzad, 0.6 overs), 2-9 (Babar Azam, 4.6), 3-35 (Azeem Ghumman, 12.2), 4-49 (Ahsan Ali, 19.1), 5-139 (Rameez Aziz, 38.3), 6-203 (Mohammad Waqas, 47.2)
Bowling: Holder 10-2-28-2 (1w); Bolan 10-0-30-1 (3w); Gordon 9-1-50-0 (2w); Campbell 10-0-48-1; Dewar 5.3-0-30-0; Cariah 4-0-25-1.
Result: Pakistan U19s win by four wickets
Man of the match: Hammad Azam (Pakistan U19s)
Oxenford (Australia)
Matchreferee: Jeff Crowe
