GEORGETOWN – West Indies Under-19s squandered an advantage created from a destructive bowling spell by Jerome Jones and tumbled to a disappointing 67-run loss to Bangladesh Under-19s who clinched the series at Everest ground yesterday.
Jones destroyed the Bangladesh innings with a scintillating five-wicket haul highlighted by a hat-trick that dislodged the last three batsmen, but a miserable run chase from the home side fell woefully short of the target.
The visitors, who won the toss and decided to bat, were bowled out for 168, powered mainly by the top order batsmen, and then ran through the West Indies batting line-up for a paltry 101 runs to secure the seven-match series four games to three.
A 33-run partnership in the middle of the innings between Jeremy Solozano and captain Ramaal Lewis attempted to salvage some pride but hardly represented a fight as the Caribbean side crumbled under the attack of the rampaging Bangladesh cricketers.
Lewis scored a fighting knock of 19 while Solozano stuck it out to be unbeaten on 33, but Nehad Zaman and captain Mehedi Hasan Miraj led the way as West Indies were overwhelmed and outplayed.
Jones’ five-wicket haul went in vain as single digit figures littered the scoreboard and most batsmen scored less than 10 runs including three ducks – Taryck Gabriel lbw while Jones and Alzarri Joseph both lost their off stumps.
Nehad finished with leading figures of five for 12 while Miraj grabbed four for 25.
Earlier, the Bangladesh Under-19s enjoyed a reasonably good start from an opening partnership of 48 between Emon Ahmed and vice captain Jasim Uddin.
And when Emon, who struck four fours, was caught at the wicket by Nicholas Pooran off Joseph for 26, the innings received a further boost from a half-century stand between Jasim and Sadman Anik.
Anik hit a top score of 48 while Jasim scored 33 but the end of the partnership signalled the start of a batting collapse in the face of a bowling assault led by Jones, Joseph and Fabian Allen.
Allen was on the verge of a hat-trick while Jones completed a hat-trick as two wickets fell with the score on 100 while the last three batsmen were removed with the total remaining on 168.
Jones’s hat-trick was part of an outstanding five-wicket haul which cost him 23 runs, while Allen’s two wickets in consecutive balls were at the expense of 27 runs. (CMC)
