Canada Under-19s will be seeking a solid win against host country Bermuda today (Monday, July 6, 2015) in the ICC Americas U19 Championship. Bermuda U19s opened the tournament on Sunday with a heavy loss to USA U19s, so the young Bermudians will surely be under instruction to perform much better in this second game of the tournament. A situation where Canada needs to come out and play well in the quest to secure a place in the 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup tournament.
The Canadian squad has several players with national U19 and ICC Americas U19 representative experience including captain Abraash Khan. Today’s focus must be on the Bermuda game; Tuesday’s Canada-USA match that completes the first set of two round-robin sets of matches is something to consider after Monday’s game against Bermuda is over. The Canadian coach and squad have high expectations going into what has become a three team tournament due to Suriname having withdrawn due to problems obtaining transit visas.
Canada is due to play USA again on Friday (July 10) and conclude with a second match against Bermuda on Saturday (July 11).
The top team in this ICC Americas U19 championship automatically qualifies for the 2016 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. The second placed team has a chance to reach the U19 CWC event via a global qualifier later this year.
Mohak Buch (76) and Yadunandan Polisetty (37) set the USA U19’s on a solid course in Sunday’s opening game against Bermuda with a useful opening stand. Polisetty was dismissed with 129 on the board out only two of the remaining US batsmen reaches scores in the 20’s. Srimary Dasarathy made 24 and Kushal Ganji 23. Chare Smith took 4/43 from 10 overs and Bermuda’s captain Delroy Rawlins took 3/37 from 9 overs of spin bowling.
Bermuda never recovered after losing a wicket in each of the first and second overs. Rawlins made 10 before being out at 41/4 after 9.5 overs. Six balls later it was 42/6. Chare Smith, batting tenth, top scored with 28 as Bermuda struggled to 119 all out. US seamer Keifer Phill took 3/25 from 7 overs. Karan Patel had 2/16 from 4 overs, captain Alexander Shoff took 2/9 from 3 overs and Sahil Patel took 2/27 from 4.3 overs. Sahil Patel clearly bowled when Chare Smith was at the crease.
So best wishes to the Canadian Under-19 players for today’s opening game with Bermuda U19s, and for a successful tournament. Wishes that extend across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada’s national men’s team that has a warm-up Twenty20 game in Edinburgh today before meeting Kenya on Friday (July 9) as Canada enters the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier where the aim is to gain one of six spots in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 Championship. Today marks the start of what are three very important weeks for Canadian cricket on the international stage.
Eddie Norfolk