ARNOS VALE, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES; TUESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2021 – A sumptious cover drive for four by skipper Ackeem Auguste off the Simelane, sealed the game for the Windies Youth as they squared the 2021 – 22 Youth One-Day Internationals 1-all against South Africa Under-19s, in the second game of the four-match Series at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground on Tuesday afternoon December 28, 2021.
Coming in with the hosts well placed at 62 for 2 with the fall of Teddy Bishop who was trapped lbw by Tsaka for 25, Auguste began quietly as he and Nandu ensured that there were no futher alarms.
Chasing 103 for victory, Windies Youth lost Parris bowled by Mnyanda without scoring; 1 for 04. Parris misjudged the bounce as he left one alone, the ball clipping the top of the bail on its way to the wicketkeeper.
Nandu and Bishop took the score to 62 before Bishop fell. Then came the Nandu and Auguste 42-run partnership which saw the Windies Youth home with 26.4 overs to spare. Nandu remained 42 not out at the end with 4 fours, and Auguste 28 not out also with 4 fours.
Tsaka finished with 1 for 11 from 3 overs, and Mnyanda 1 for 24 from 6 overs; the wicket takers. Extras contributed 9 made of 7 wides, 1 no-ball, and 1 wide.
Earlier, still smarting from the dramatic collapse which saw them handing South Africa Under-19s an 18-run victory last Sunday at Cumberland, the Windies Youth wasted no time in letting their opponents know the time of day.
South Africa Under-19s were unable to build any meaningful partnership, as they lost wickets regularly. Wickets fell at 1 for 02, 2 for 09, 3 for 12, 4 for 34, 5 for 55, 6 for 67, 7 for 73, 8 for 79, 9 for 101, all out for 103.
Bowling for Windies Under-19s, Carmichael took 3 for 25 from 8.3 overs, and was greatly assisted by Clarke with 2 for 12, Layne 2 for 14, and Mahase 2 for 34. Extras totalled 11 made of 7 wides and 4 byes.
However it was the triple pace threat of Layne, Thorn, and Clarke which did the initial damage, the three pacers bowling with pace, mixed with hostility and accuracy. Copeland top-scored with 24, Simelane and Tsaka made 14 each, as no other South African batter reached double figures.
Attention now turns to the third Youth ODI scheduled to be played at the Cumberland Playing Field on Thursday December 30, 2021, and the fourth and final match to be played at the Arnos Vale Cricket Grounds on January 03, 2022.
Robertson S. Henry is a multi-time award winning sports journalist from Saint Lucia, currently residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. His coverage of sporting events both locally and regionally, not just landed him the Sports Journalist of the Year Award on numerous occasions, but recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2005.
Henry began his fulltime career in journalism with the now defunct Crusader Newspaper in 1994, and worked with the Voice Newspaper until 2007. He established the sports website sportcaraibe, and believes “sports is the fourth pillar in the socio-economic development of the Caribbean.”
Henry has also produced work for a number of regional newspapers including the Trinidad Guardian, Stabroek Newspaper of Guyana, and in 2010 did a photo-shoot of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke for the Australian Herald.
