A round-up of the third day’s games at the Under-19 World Cup
Cricinfo staff17-Jan-2010In Palmerston North, West Indies won a thriller by a single run over Bangladesh. Chasing 250 to win, Bangladesh needed two runs from three balls with one wicket in hand, but Shaker Ahmed’s run-out sparked wild celebrations in the West Indian camp. Their chase had been one of fits and starts – four batsmen fell between individual scores of 13 and 15 – until Shabbir Rahman and Tasamul Haque forged a 73-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Rahman’s dismissal for a 52-ball 53, to the legspin of Yannic Cariah at 187 for 6 broke the momentum, which was followed by Cariah sending back Nurul Hasan seven runs later. West Indies took the eighth wicket at 225, but Haque and the No. 10 Abul Hasan appeared to have Bangladesh on track for a tense win in the final over.But West Indies were still to play their best card. Haque was bowled by the medium-pacer Jason Holder for 54 with the third ball, and on the fourth Shaker was run out. Bangladesh had lost a thriller, running out of steam on the home-stretch, but despite the loss they stayed top of Group D having won their opening match.Cariah was adjudged Man of the Match for his two wickets and 44 earlier in the day, when he had helped West Indies’ middle order recover after a shaky start induced by seamer Shaker Ahmed. His two wickets in an economical new-ball display had left West Indies at 20 for 3 inside six overs, but Cariah, the captain Andre Creary (53), and the lower middle order weighed in. Shane Dowrich and Akeen Dewar, who took three wickets in Bangladesh’s chase, further boosted West Indies down the order before Jermaine Blackwood thumped 48 from 28 balls. How crucial those runs proved.”It was a bit nervous, but we held our nerve and it was very good to come away with the victory today,” Cariah said after the win. “It was a team effort and we still have room for improvement but we’re excited to get a win in the World Cup.”A crushing win gave Australia their second success in two days and kept them at the top of the Group B points table. Having racked up 274 for 5, they steamrolled Ireland for a paltry 65 in 24.2 overs to give themselves some time off on an easy Sunday in Queenstown.Ireland began well after putting Australia in, reducing them to 114 for 4, but the innings was helped by the opener Tom Beaton’s second successive half-century and two sizeable hands from Alex Keath and Tim Armstrong. Beaton’s 45-ball 53 powered the innings with a 52-run start and after a brief wobble Keath (88) and Armstrong put on 115 for the fifth wicket. Keath, who was one of several changes in the line-up, made the most of his opportunity picking up the Man-of-the-Match award. Armstrong, who finished on 73 from 77 balls, added 45 in the last four overs with Kane Richardson, who breezed to 23 from 14 balls.Richardson was soon pounding away at Ireland with the ball, nipping out three wickets with the new ball. Richardson was drafted in for Alister McDermott, who wrecked USA on Saturday, had the ball swinging early on. Those strikes left the opposition completely floundering. It only got worse as Nick Buchanan, son of former Australia coach John, used his opportunity superbly. Buchanan, a right-arm fast bowler, rocked the middle order with figures of 4 for 16 in six overs. Armstrong completed the rout with a couple wickets. The highest score of Ireland’s sorry innings was 19 from the opener Stuart Thompson. Only one more batsman made it to double digits.”I think we really improved on yesterday and being able to finish off what we started, not only for the bowlers but for the fielders as well,” said the Australian captain Mitch Marsh. “I thought we fielded and bowled a lot better today and the result came our way. We’ll have a rest day tomorrow and training on Tuesday and we’ll be ripe and ready for Wednesday. It should be a good game and we’re looking forward to it.”Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers set up an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Christchurch. Play was delayed by nearly three hours due to rain, meaning the match was reduced to 34 overs. Sri Lanka opted to field, and Chathura Peiris made immediate inroads with the new ball. In the first over he sent back Peter Moor, setting in motion a procession of wickets against the moving ball under overcast skies. Kasun Madushanka bowled a very economical spell as well, and Zimbabwe were then put under severe stress by the left-arm pacer Charith Jayampathi, who ran down the middle order with three wickets.It was all over for Zimbabwe at 20 for 6. Tinotenda Mutombodzi gave a sheen of respectability to the total with an unbeaten 42, losing Nathan Waller for 10 to a poor call from the umpire Sarika Prasad when replays showed no deviation. That wicket gave Jayampathi his fourth. Chasing 122, Sri Lanka were eased home by Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s unbeaten 49.India continued to brush aside all before them, beating Hong Kong to stay top of their pool with a second nine-wicket win in three days in Christchurch. Once again this was a win set up by the bowlers and finished by a dominant top order. Sandeep Sharma turned in another excellent new-ball display in which he picked three wickets, conceding next to nothing in seven overs. Hong Kong, from 3 for 7, struggled to build stands and their best scorer was the captain Jamie Atkinson with 39. He was bowled by the slow left-arm spinner Gaurav Jathar, who netted 3 for 27 to keep Hong Kong on a leash. They were bowled out for 143 in 33.5 overs. The openers Rahul Kannaur and Mayank Agarwal then knocked off 119 from the target in 18.4 overs, with Kannaur finishing on 62 from 73 deliveries.