WI U-19 collapse to defeat

Electing to bat, the Australians scored 251 all out off 47.5 overs and West Indies replied with 238 all out in 48 overs, after being well placed at 192 for three in the 35th over.

"We batted ourselves into a very good position and then batted ourselves into a very bad position," West Indies manager Jimmy Adams told reporters after the game. "It’s a learning curve for all these young men. One has to hope that they learn quickly," Adams added.

The West Indies batsmen had appeared set to repair the earlier damage of their bowlers giving up a whopping 25 wides, but lost their last six wickets for a mere 25 runs in 58 balls as Australia strode to victory and guaranteed themselves a spot in the Super League quarter-final stage.

After choosing to bat, Australia lost Tom Cooper — who struck an excellent hundred against South on Sunday — for a duck, without a run on the board, giving the West Indies a fabulous start.

But Man-of-the-Match Usman Khawaja (77) and Tom Stray (36) rallied the innings with a 79-run second wicket stand.

Although five of their top six batsmen reached double figures, only their opener Khawaja passed 50, stroking eight boundaries in his half-century knock. Aaron Finch (39) and captain Moises Henriques (26) also made useful contributions.

Pacer Kemar Roach was the most successful bowler for the West Indies with three for 30 off 7.5 overs, but they let themselves down in conceding a plethora of wides in 30 priceless extras.

The Aussies also suffered a late order slump in their innings.

They had reached 194 for three in the 40th over but a series of poor shots, coupled with some good bowling by the West Indies, saw them crash just over the 250-mark in the 48th over.

Pacers Javon Searles (2-45) and Kieron Pollard (2-49) and spinner Sunil Narine (2-50) shared six wickets to support Roach.

West Indies made a confident start in chase of 252 runs to win, gathering runs at a hectic pace.

Openers Shamarh Brooks (44) and Williams Perkins (25) posted an opening stand of 49 and after captain Leon Johnson (six) fell cheaply, Jason Mohammed bolstered the middle-order with an attacking top score of 57 off 68 balls with nine fours. But when the momentum appeared to swing their way, Gajanand Singh, on 33, chipped the ball to third man where Ben Cutting made a good catch diving forward, triggering the collapse.

Four wickets fell in four overs and soon West Indies were 200 for eight.

Searles battled for 18 not out, but Narine’s run-out for ten ended the match when the batsmen tried to steal an impossible second run and the innings folded at the end of the 48th over. Henriques (3-32) and Simon Keen (3-46) led the Australia bowling.

Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the Super League and West Indies must beat South Africa in their last group game tomorrow to advance to the championship round quarter-finals.

"We put ourselves in a position where we have a crunch game."