TOWNSVILLE, Australia, CMC – Opener Sunil Ambris smashed a stunning half-century as West Indies Under-19s crushed Papua New Guinea Under-19s by nine wickets here yesterday to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the ICC Youth World Cup.
The right-hander hit a boundary-studded 91, a knock which propelled the Young Windies to their paltry target of 117 off a mere 11.4 overs at Endeavour Park.
Papua New Guinea had earlier being bundled out for a disappointing 116 off 41 overs, after winning the toss and opting to bat.
Captain Chris Kent top-scored with 39 but Chad Soper (23) and Nigel Boge (21) were the only other batsmen to make it past 20.
Medium pacer Kyle Mayers (3-12) and left-arm seamer Jerome Jones (3-15) wrecked the innings with three wickets apiece while leg-spinner Akeal Hosein supported with two for 23.
The victory was the second for the Windies Under-19s after defeating India by four wickets in their opening game on Saturday.
They head Group C with four points form two matches, with only Zimbabwe left to play on Thursday.
Chasing a small target, Ambris staged a remarkable display of big-hitting as he dominated an opening stand of 111 with captain Kraigg Brathwaite who finished on 17 not out.
The 19-year-old Vincentian blasted nine fours and seven sixes in an innings that consumed just 43 balls, raising his half-century from just 28 balls.
He signalled his intentions by smashing two fours and a six off the second over the innings bowled by fast bowler Chad Soper and took a further 18 runs from the right-armer’s third over to banish him from the attack.
In one over, the tenth of the innings, Ambris clobbered four sixes and a four off Charles Amini as the leg-spinner’s second over went for 28 runs.
He moved into the 90s in the next over but subsequently perished, leaving left-hander John Campbell (six not out) to emphatically end the contest with a six.
Earlier, Jones plucked out both openers Lega Siaka (2) and Vagi Oala (2) cheaply to reduce PNG to 17 for two in sixth over.
Kent tried to mount a recovery effort in an innings that required five fours and a six and lasted 62 balls, but was sixth out as the first of Hosein’s two wickets.
Soper and Boge then combined in a face-saving seventh wicket stand of 38, the best of the innings, to push PNG past the 100-run mark.
