Canada U19s Warm-up Opposition: Australia U19s and West Indies U19s

The Canadian juniors are scheduled to play two warm-up games before the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup (CWC) launches on Friday (17 January 2020) when South Africa U19s play Afghanistan U19s in Soweto, two teams in the same Group as Canada. Canada Under-19s enter the tournament on Saturday (18 January) against United Arab Emirates U19 in Bloemfontein.

Canada U19s first warm-up game is on Monday (13 January) against West Indies U19s in Soweto and is followed by a game against Australia U19s in Johannesburg on Wednesday (January 15).

West Indies U19s and Australia U19s are both in the same in Group in this tournament along with England U19s and Nigeria U19s. Australia won the first U19 championship 1988 and, when the competition was revived on a more frequent basis, also won in 2002 and 2010. West Indies won the championship in 2016. It is Nigeria U19s first appearance in a U19 CWC.

South Africa hosted an Under-19 Quadrangular (4-team) tournament in early January 2020 that was won by India U19s (Won 3, Lost 0). The other three teams each ended with 1 win and 2 losses. South Africa U19s beat New Zealand U19s, New Zealand U19s beat Zimbabwe U19s and Zimbabwe U19s beat South Africa U19s. It’s a few days before South Africa and Afghanistan open the tournament, so just a quick mention about the Quadrangular and a focus on Canada’s opponents in the two warm-up games.

The January 2020 U19 Quadrangular tournament followed a three game series in late December 2019 where India U19s won all three matches against South Africa U19s.

West Indies Under-19s v Canada U19s: Warm-up Game : January 13, 2020 (Soweto)

Canada’s participation in the Cricket West Indies Regional Under-19 One Day and in the senior Regional Championships in recent years mean there should be an awareness of the abilities of most, if not all, the West Indies U19 squad due to playing against them or watching them, if not in the playing XI on a particular day.

West Indies ICC U19 CWC Squad: Kimani Melius (captain, Windward Islands, St Lucia, RHB), Kevlon Anderson (Guyana, RHB, RFM), Daniel Beckford (Jamaica, LHB, LM, wktkpr), Matthew Forde (Barbados, RHB, RM), Joshua James (Trinidad & Tobago, RHB, RM), Nyeem Young (Barbados, RHB, RM), Antonio Morris (RHB, OB), Ashmead Nedd (Guyana, RHB, SLA), Mbeki Joseph (Trinidad & Tobago, LHB), Leonardo Julian (Trinidad & Tobago, LHB, wktkpr), Avinash Mahabirsingh (RHB, OB), Kirk McKenzie (Jamaica, LHB, OB), Ramon Simmonds (Barbados, LHB, LFM), Matthew Patrick (Trinidad & Tobago, LHB, OB), Jayden Seales (Trinidad & Tobago, LHB, RM).

Cricket West Indies hosted an Emerging Players Tri-Nations tournament in December 2019 and featured the players selected for West Indies Under-19 Cricket World Cup squad. Sri Lanka U19s beat England U19s in the Final after a triple round-robin phase in Antigua. West Indies are sounding confident about having a varied 5-bowler pace attack entering this 2020 ICC U19 CWC but the batsmen did not score many games in December’s Tri-Nations tournament.

West Indies began the Emerging Players tournament by scoring 164 runs from 46 overs and beat England by 36 runs on 6 December 2019. But the West Indies juniors only broke the 200-run barrier once, when beating Sri Lanka U19s by 7 runs on 17 December. In that game, West Indies scored 207/9 from 50 overs at Coolidge then restricted Sri Lanka U19s to 200/8 (50 overs). So a win for the West Indies U19s by 7 runs.

In Windies U19 opening game win against England, Leonardo Julien (69) 69 and opening bat Mbeki Joseph (38) added 90 runs for the second wicket in a total of 164 all out from 46 overs. Matthew Forde (2/25) and Jayden Searles (2/46) took early wickets when England batted. Slow left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd then captured 5/27 from 9.4 overs to dismiss England for 128 after 30.4 overs and seal victory for the Windies

West Indies U19s bowled out England U19s for 169 (49.4 overs) on 8 December but stumbled to 140 all out (36.4 overs) leaving England U19s with a 29 run win. Nyeem Young took 3/16 and Matthew Patrick 3/27 in the England innings. Windies U19 captain and opening bat Kimani Melius struck 46 and Kirk McKenzie 33 in what proved to be a losing cause.

All three West Indies U19 matches against England U19s were played at the Sir Vivian Richards ground/stadium. The third meeting on 12 December saw West Indies U19s stumble to 116 all out after 40.1 overs. Kimani Melius scored 35 but the Windies stumbled to the medium pace of Kasey Aldridge’s 5/18 from 9.1 overs. England U19s reached a winning 117/5 after 38.1 overs.

Sri Lanka U19s pulled off a 1 wicket win against the West Indies U19s at the Viv Richards ground on 10 December thanks to a last wicket stand of 37. West Indies reached 137/9 from 50 overs, recovering from 67/7 (33.3 overs) thanks to 43 from Kevlon Anderson, 23 by Jayden Searles and 21* from Ashmead Nedd. Sri Lanka sealed victory with 138/9 after 40.1 overs thanks to 46* by Sonal Dinusha who lead a 10th wicket stand of 37, assisted by Amshi de Silva (10*). Ramon Simmons took 3/31.
Sri Lanka U19s hit 234/9 (50 overs) then bowled out the Windies U19s for 104 (34.4 overs) in the first game played at Coolidge on 14 December. Nipun Dananjayah showed the way with 91 runs, Sudeera Thilakaratne dented the Windies batting with 3/10 from 6 overs and Kavindu Nadeeshan finished the West Indies batting by taking 4/17 from 6.4 overs. Kevlon Anderson topped the Windies U19 batting with 25.

Sri Lankan was bowled out for 113 (42.4 overs) in a loss to England U19s at Coolidge and two days later (17 December) Sri Lanka lost to West Indies U19s by 8 runs. A stand of 85 for the seventh wicket turned the tide during the Windies innings. Matthew Patrick scored 57 and Young 55 moving the innings to the relative heights of 169/7 and an eventual total of 207/9 from 50 overs. Amshi de Silva took 5/44 and was named man-of-the-match. Matthew Forde took 3/29 from 9 overs and Nyeem Young 4/48 (9 overs) as the West Indies bowlers brought victory with Sri Lanka closing on 200/8 when the 50 over limit was reached.

England U19s fired 292/4 (50 overs) against Sri Lanka U19s in the last round-robin game of the Emerging Players tournament on 19 December. Sri Lanka’s batting revived with 248/9 (50 overs) in losing by 44 runs. Sri Lanka U19s improved to 265/9 (50 overs) in the Final against England on 21 December and won the tournament by bowling out England U19s for 188 (43.1 overs).

Australia Under-19s v Canada U19s: Warm-up Game : January 15, 2020 (Johannesberg)

Australia ICC U19 CWC Squad: Jake Fraser-McGurk (captain, RHB, LBG), Cooper Connolly (RHB), Oliver Davies (RHB, OB), Sam Fanning (LHB, OB), Mackenzie Harvey (LHB, RM), Lachlan Hearne (LHB, OB), Corey Kelly, Liam Marshall, Todd Murphy (LHB, OB), Patrick Rowe (RHB), Tanveer Sangha (RHB, LB), Liam Scott, Bradley Simpson (RHB), Connor Sully, Matthew Willans (RHB, LF).

Australia U19s beat New Zealand U19s by 3 games to 0 in a 5 match series in Brisbane (Queensland) in July 2019. The first game of the series was a No Result, rain ending play with New Zealand on 9 runs for the loss of no wicket after just 2.2 overs. Not a ball was bowled in the second game. Australia then won the 3rd game by 8 runs, the 4th game by 7 wickets and the 5th game by 7 wickets.

Australia U19s struck 269/7 from 45 overs in the opening game of the series. The Australian innings was reduced from 50 overs and, as already mentioned, the young Kiwis barely had a sight of the ball in reaching 9 for no wicket from 2.2 overs. Opening bat Sam Fanning hit 44, Mackenzie Harvey 55 and Oliver Davies 58 and set the pace for a promising total.
New Zealand U19s close encounter, losing the third game by 8 runs after dismissing the Aussie juniors for 179 did not seem that close at 109/9 after 27.4 overs. The Kiwis last batsman, Lucas Dasent scored 43* from 56 balls in a stand of 71 that carried the team within range of the Aussies total.

Australia U19s 179 in Game 3 (July 9, 2019) was based on three top order batters scoring around the 40 mark. Opener Lachlan Hearne made 38, number 3 bat Sam Flanning scored 40 and number 4 Oliver Davies reached 41. Damien Burridge (not in the CWC squad) took 3/15 (7 overs) during New Zealand U19s innings of 170 all out (44.5 overs), a total bolstered by Dasent’s battling 43* in that last wicket stand of 71.

Opening bat Rhys Mariu scored 100 but New Zealand had only reached 191 when the last wicket fell midway through the 45th over in Game 4 on July 10 in Brisbane. Todd Murphy took 3/36 from 9 overs and xxx Pike (not in the CWC squad) 3/39 from 8 overs. Aussie opener Max Clayton (not in CWC squad) struck 92 and Mackenzie Harvey 54* in the winning total of 192/3 reached after 38.2 overs.

Australia U19s also won the last game of the series by 7 wickets on July 12. 2019. New Zealand U19s were bowled out for 173 (47.4 overs) then the young Aussies raced to 174/3 from just 28.3 overs. Leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha took 4/31 from 9 overs when the Kiwis batted. MacKenzie Harvey topped the batting with 83* and Oliver Davies clipped 59* as 66/3 from 13.2 over as the young Aussies surged to victory in the 29th over.

Eddie Norfolk

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