Warrican bowls U-19s to dramatic win
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (CMC) — Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican produced a spectacular three-wicket burst and lifted West Indies Under-19s to a four-run victory over Ireland Under-19s in their ICC Under-19 World Cup warm-up match yesterday.
Electing to bat in a match reduced to 42 overs per side at Hagley Oval, West Indies U19s posted 187-9 off their quota and Ireland U19s suffered a dramatic late collapse to be bowled out for 183 in 41.3 overs.
Perfectly poised for victory at 179-5 in the 39th over, the young Irish side incredibly lost their last five wickets for the addition of just four runs, tormented by two run-outs and Warrican’s decisive three-wicket blitz.
Ireland’s U19s had recovered from an unsteady start when pacers Nicholson Gordon and Keon Joseph removed their two openers within the first two overs.
James Shannon (83) and Ben Ackland (32) rallied Ireland with an 87-run fourth-wicket stand and they were cruising — with a mere nine runs to win from 19 balls — when the resilient young Caribbean side pulled off the astonishing result in their
last warm-up match before Friday’s start of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Ireland’s plunge to defeat started when Stuart Poynter (17) was run-out by Evin Lewis off the last ball of the 39th over at 179 for six. The 17-year-old Warrican then struck two vital blows in the next over.
He removed Shane Getkate and George Dockrell — both leg before wicket — without scoring and in his next over celebrated the pivotal wicket of top-scorer Shannon, bowled 17 short of a hundred as Ireland dipped to a perilous 182 for nine.
The young Windies snatched victory when Craig Young (1) was run-out by Jermaine Blackwood with three balls remaining.
Warrican finished with 3-33 off 8.3 overs and Gordo 2-24 off six overs.