LINCOLN, New Zealand (CMC) – West Indies Under-19s captain Andre Creary believes there is room for improvement in his side, as they complete final preparations for the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

West Indies Under-19s lost their rain-affected, opening official warm-up match against Australia Under-19s by 41 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis Method at Lincoln Oval on Monday, and Creary observed that his side will need to get their act together to make an impact in the competition.

“We lost, but I would say it was a good game for everyone,” said Creary. “It gave us a chance to play against one of the top teams and to have an early look at what is really required.

“What we need to do is to be more consistent – with the bat, with the ball, and in the field. We need to build more partnerships and also to bowl in pairs.”

He added: “I believe we could have achieved the target, but we needed to form more partnerships. That is one of the areas we will be focusing on in the tournament. It is a key area in all forms of cricket.”

In the match played on the No.3 ground near Christchurch, the Australia Under-19s, choosing to bat, piled up 319 for seven from their allocation of 50 overs.

The West Indies Under-19s had reached 263 for nine from 43.4 overs when bad light ended the match.

“In the game against the Australians, the ball did a bit, but the pitch was a really good one so you saw some pretty good scores,” said Creary.

“I would say we are growing in confidence with every outing and we will be ready for the opening match.”

The West Indies Under-19s captain added that the weather was quite chilly in New Zealand at this time, but the players were acclimatising well, and were very comfortable.

“We are really looking forward to the tournament,” he said. “It’s a bit colder here than in the Caribbean, but we knew that before we came, so we have done what is necessary to be fully ready for the challenges.

“Things are gearing up nicely. We are enjoying each other’s company and we are working as a team.”

West Indies Under-19s had another warm-up match yesterday (Monday evening Caribbean Time) against Ireland in Christchurch, but the start looked set to be delayed due to bad weather.

West Indies Under-19s have been drawn in Group-D in the opening round of the YWC and will face Pakistan (Friday, January 15), Bangladesh (Sunday, January 17), and Papua New Guinea (Tuesday, January 19).

The top two teams will move on to the Cup phase and the bottom two will play in the Plate competition.