… lose both warm-up matches ahead of opening match tomorrow

WEST Indies Under-19 produced another feeble batting performance which meant they lost their second and final warm-up match ahead of the Under-19 World Cup opening match tomorrow against Australia, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Very similar to the performance against India on Monday, the young West Indies side were bowled out yet again, well within their allotted 50 overs.

Yesterday, South Africa, who they drew 2-2 in a recent Youth One-Day International series held in St Vincent, bundled them out for 189 in 43.2 overs at Providence.

Captain Ackeem Auguste, batting at six, top-scored with a 47-ball 52 (6×4, 2×6) after entering with the score 61-5 in the 15th over. The skipper and Carlon Bowen-Tuckett who made 45 (5×4) from 85 balls added 63 for the seventh wicket in 12.1 overs.

Guyanese Matthew Nandu made 19 (3×4) from 39 balls while Rivaldo Clarke (15) and Anderson Mahase (11) were the other batters to reach double figures.

Matthew Boast (3-9), Michael Copeland (2-14) and Aphiwe Mnyanda (2-33) were the chief wicket-takers for the Proteas.

South Africa in response was in a bit of bother but reached 191-7 in 35.3 overs led by a captain’s knock of 61 (6×4, 2×6) off 58 balls by George Van Heerden. Dwald Brevis with 50 (4×4, 2×6) off 70 balls, also got in the runs, along with opener Ethan-John Cunningham (36).

McKenny Clarke had the most impressive figures of 3-34 from five overs while Anderson Mahase took 2-31 in his eight overs; Shiva Sankar (1-21) and Onaje Anthony (1-37) were the other wicket-takers.

Guyanese pacer Isai Thorne went wicket-less for 30 in 3.3 overs.

West Indies, who are in Group D alongside Scotland, Sri Lanka and Australia, play from 10:00hrs t morrow.