West Indies Under-19 defeat England 5-2 to clinch ODI Series in Grenada

The West Indies Under-19 team beat England (5-2) in the final match in the recent ODI series which concluded on Saturday, November 29, at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada. England had to face a target of 214 runs, but were bowled out for 154 runs in 44.1 overs.

England got off to a strong start at 68 for 2, but the West Indies’ bowlers Aadian Racha and Micah McKenzie turned the game around. Both took four wickets each and put pressure on England’s middle order. For England, Caleb Falconer had a great performance with 52 runs, followed by Joseph Moores, who contributed with 37.

During the start of the final match, Alex French took 3 wickets for 21 runs and captain Farhan Ahmed took 2 for 37. This made Ahmed England’s leading wicket taker with 12 wickets by the end of the series.

Captain Joshua Dorne scored an unbeaten 102 in the 6th ODI which saw them secure a 4-2 lead in the series. Kunal Tilokani’s 49 runs and Matthew Miller’s 43 also contributed greatly to the team’s victory.

Head coach Rohan Nurse said that the team did very well in the last series against Sri Lanka, which they won by 4-3. He said, “We feel very proud of the group in the way they adapted in potentially challenging situations. They were able to find answers for the challenges that were put in front of them and there was a bit more consistency throughout this series, as opposed to the series against Sri Lanka.”

He further said that the team has greatly evolved and improved as there was no compromise in the performance despite the rotation of the team to give other players a chance to play.

At present, Nurse is preparing the team’s game plan for the upcoming ICC Under 19 World Cup. Also during the Christmas break, the team will work on their fitness, tactics and nutrition. West Indies’ first match in the World Cup will be against Tanzania on January 15, 2025, followed by matches against Afghanistan and South Africa.