Leading the team in the absence of captain Andre Creary, Cariah conceded only 34 runs from nine overs of leg-spin as the other bowlers struggled to contain the rampant Sri Lankan batting that rattled up a daunting 291 for six from their 50 overs in ideal, if chilly, batting conditions.
The 17-year-old Trinidadian left-hander then disregarded the first ball dismissal of Kraigg Brathwaite, the tournament’s leading scorer, and the loss of the other opener, Trevon Griffith, that brought him to the wicket in the third over, to compile a flawless unbeaten 110 from 127 balls that carried the West Indies home with nine balls and four wickets to spare.
Batting throughout in flashy designer sunglasses, Cariah’s most productive of his wide array of shots were three sixes and six fours.
He received critical assistance in partnerships of 120 in 18.3 overs with fellow leftie John Campbell (77 off 70 balls, four sixes, six fours), 49 off 7.3 overs with wicket-keeper Shane Dowrich (33 off 28 balls, one six, three fours) and 92 off 14.3 overs with Jermaine Blackwood (41 off 45 balls, two sixes, two fours).
Sixes proved the decisive factor in the result. The West Indies hit 10 against two by Sri Lanka.
As Cariah and his partners kept up with the required rate of almost six runs an over, Sri Lanka’s captain Chatura Peiris used eight bowlers in a failed attempt to protect his team’s total.
His left-arm swing accounted for Brathwaite, lbw, and Griffith, bowled, in his first two overs but Cariah’s calculated approach and Campbell’s clinical hitting set the West Indies back on track.
Peiris and leg-spinner Nadeera Rajaguru were the steadiest of the Sri Lankan bowlers but it took one over of wayward leg-spin by Udara Jayasundera to swing the balance towards the West Indies.
It cost 19 runs and, while Peiris returned for a final burst to remove Blackwood, only 14 more were needed from three overs and Cariah and Jason Holder took care of business.
Things didn’t go to plan when the West Indies chose to bowl first. They had to wait until the first ball of the 36th over before Brathwaite’s direct hit ran out Jayasundera for 77 (106 balls, five fours) and ended his opening partnership of 174 with wicket-keeper Denuwan Rajakaruna.
Rajakaruna fell six short of a hundred, stroking 10 fours off his 118 balls, before he was bowled by the expensive quickie Nelson Bolan in the 41st over. The loss didn’t stall Sri Lanka who moved from 200 to 291 off 53 balls.
It left the West Indies to score more than they had done in any previous match in the tournament. Cariah and partners ensured that they did it with plenty to spare.
It was the West Indies highest position in the tournament since they reached the final in Banglaesh in 2004, losing to Pakistan.
Pakistan repeated the dose in the semi-final this time and were scheduled to play Australia in the final last night (east Caribbean time).
SCOREBOARD
SRI LANKA U19s Innings
+D Rajakaruna† b Bolan 94
U Jayasundera run out (Brathwaite) 77
D Gunathilleke c & b Cariah 6
B Rajapaksa not out 43
R Buddika c Blackwood b Bolan 34
C Jayampathi st wkp Dowrich b Campbell 1
A Fernando b Holder 10
*C Peiris not out 12
Extras (b1, lb2, w11) 14
TOTAL (6 wickets – 50 overs) 291
To bat: K Vithanage, R Jaleel, N Rajaguru
Fall of wickets: 1-174 (Jayasundera, 35.1 overs), 2-184 (Gunathilleke, 37.6), 3-195 (Rajakaruna, 40.4), 4-242 (Buddika, 44.5), 5-247 (Jayampathi, 45.4), 6-272 (Fernando, 48.5)
Bowling: Holder 10-1-48-1 (1w); Bolan 10-0-74-2 (6w); Joseph 4-0-22-0 (3w); Warrican 6-0-36-0;
Campbell 7-0-51-1 (1w); Cariah 9-0-34-1; Ottley 4-0-23-0
WEST INDIES U19s Innings
K Brathwaite lbw b Peiris 0
T Griffith b Peiris 1
J Campbell c wkp Rajakaruna b Gunathilleke 77
Y Cariah not out 110
+S Dowrich† c Gunathilleke b Rajaguru 33
*Y Ottley lbw b Rajaguru 6
J Blackwood c Jaleel b Peiris 41
J Holder not out 7
Extras (lb5, w10, nb4) 19
TOTAL (6 wickets – 48.3 overs) 294
Did not bat: J Warrican, N Bolan, K Joseph
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Brathwaite, 0.1 overs), 2-6 (Griffith, 2.2), 3-126 (Campbell, 20.5), 4-175 (Dowrich, 28.2), 5-187 (Ottley, 32.3), 6-279 (Blackwood, 46.6)
Bowling: Peiris 9.3-2-38-3 (1w); Jayampathi 8-0-55-0 (3nb, 4w); Rajapaksa 3-0-23-0 (1w); Jaleel 6-0-45-0 (1nb, 1w); Buddika 7-0-34-0 (1w); Gunathilleke 4-0-34-1 (1w); Rajaguru 10-0-41-2; Jayasundera 1-0-19-0 (1w).
Result: West Indies U19s win by four wickets
Series: Windies U19s place 3rd in the tournament
Man of the match: Yannic Cariah (Windies U19s)
Toss: West Indies Under-19s
Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (Australia), Shavir Tarapore (India)
Matchreferee: Jeff Crowe
