DUBAI – Kyle Mayers of Barbados stroked 98 from 100 balls to set West Indies Under-19s up for a series-clinching, 18-run victory over Australia in the final match of the Dubai Youth Series yesterday.
Mayers struck nine fours and two sixes to guide Windies Under-19s to 229 for eight from their allocation of 20 overs, after they chose to bat in the third and final Youth One-day International at the Global Cricket Academy.
Four Windies Under-19 bowlers then collected two wickets apiece to dismiss the Aussies Under-19s for 211 in 48.3 overs.
The result meant that the Windies Under-19s won the three-match series 2-1, after losing the first youth ODI by 63 runs, and winning the second match by 102 runs.
Windies Under-19s were rocking early on 19 for three, but the innings appeared at the crossroads when Kavem Hodge was caught and bowled by Meyrick Buchanan for 36.
But Mayers came to the crease and took charge, adding 52 for the seventh wicket with Derone Davis, and a valuable 44 for the eighth wicket with Stephen Katwaroo to beef-up the Windies Under-19s’ innings.
“When I went in we were in some trouble, so I knew I had to bat for the team, and get a good total on the board,” said Mayers, later named Man of the Match.
“I was not really looking at the score too much. I was looking to bat time, and I knew once I batted to the end of the innings the team would get the score for which we were looking.”
He added: “Missing out on a hundred was not a big thing to me. I was just happy to do my job and help the side build a winning total. Everybody in the squad is very happy with the victory.
“It is a great feeling to perform this way and win for the people back home in the West Indies. A win like this in the match and in the series puts us all in a good frame of mind for the upcoming three-day match.”
Windies Under-19s were under early pressure, when Australia launched their chase with a 64-run stand between openers Cameron Bancroft, the Man of the Series, and Kurtis Patterson.
Davis trapped Bancroft lbw for 26, and also removed Patterson for 33 to trigger a slide that left Australia wobbling on 93 for four.
Windies Under-19s then saw Sebastian Gotch, the Aussies captain, hit the top score of 49 from 64 balls, and revive his side’s innings, dominating a stand of 54 for the fifth wicket with James Peirson, whose dismissal, stumped off John Campbell for nine, then prompted a terminal decline.
The two sides start a three-day Youth Test on Sunday at the same venue. (CMC)
