Andrew hundred in vain as U19s lose opener

POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa (CMC):

Wicketkeeper Jewel Andrew lashed a stunning hundred, but it was not enough to prevent West Indies from tasting defeat in their opening game of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, with a 31-run loss to South Africa yesterday.

Asked to chase a challenging 286 for victory at Senwes Park, the Caribbean side slumped to 17 for three in the third over before the 17-year-old Andrew arrived at number six to pummel 130 off 96 deliveries, including 14 fours and three sixes.

Nathan Sealy, batting at number seven, chipped in with 33 from 55 balls, but Andrew otherwise lacked support and West Indies’ fightback fizzled out, dismissed for 254 at the start of the 41st over.

Left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka, who claimed the first three wickets to tumble, finished with five for 38 to earn Man of the Match honours while pacer Riley Norton provided support with three for 66.

Sent in earlier, South Africa gathered an impressive 285 for nine off their 50 overs with Dewan Marais top-scoring with 65 off 38 balls, Juan James hitting 47 off 54 deliveries and David Teeger chipping in with 44 off 98 balls.

Opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck a breezy 34-ball 40, the hosts stringing together critical partnerships to get up to their eventual total.

Left-arm spinner Nathan Sealy led the West Indies attack with three for 34 while the new-ball pair of Deshawn James (2-38) and Nathan Edward (2-63) finished with a brace of wickets each.

James struck early when he got opener Steve Stolk (5) to miscue to captain Stephan Pascal at cover point, with 26 on the board in the fourth over.

Teeger arrived to repair the damage, first in a 34-run, second wicket stand with Pretorius and then in a 37-run, third wicket partnership with Richard Seletswane (16), before adding a further 48 for the fourth with Oliver Whitehead (26).

When Whitehead perished at the end of the 34th and Sealy removed Teeger and Romashan Pillay (0) in the very next over, South Africa had lost three wickets for no runs in the space of five balls, to be in turmoil at 145 for six.

However, Marais belted four fours and four sixes in 131-run, seventh wicket partnership with James, who counted three fours and and a six, to bail South Africa out of trouble.

In reply, West Indies found themselves floundering after Maphaka blasted out the top order. Adrian Weir was leg before wicket without scoring to the second ball of the chase, playing across a yorker length delivery, Pascal top-edged a half-hearted pull to gully for six before Joshua Dorne also missed another full length delivery and was leg before wicket for nine.

The prolific Jordan Johnson tried to pull his side around with a 19-ball 21, in a 35-run, fourth-wicket stand with Steve Wedderburn (12), but both perished cheaply in the end to leave West Indies on 73 for five at the end of the 10th.