DHAKA, Bangladesh--St. Maarten-born West Indies U19 cricketer Keacy Carty starred in a historic championship win for the West Indies in finals of the Youth World Cup in Bangladesh yesterday.
Carty who became the first ever St. Maarten cricketer to play for the West Indies stroked an unbeaten 52 off 125 balls (2x4) to give West Indies its first Youth World Cup championship trophy. The former Milton Peters College student whose best score of the tournament was 22 after five innings saved the best for last. Before yesterday’s championship win, West Indies was runners up to Pakistan in the 2004 version.
Three-time champions India were favourites to lift the trophy at the start of the tournament and became clear favourites in the final when it strolled unbeaten to the final against a West Indies team that had stuttered and stumbled and received good fortune on its way to the final.
But when the Caribbean boys won the toss and decided to bowl first on a grassy pitch and then bowled out India for only 145 in 45.1 overs of the allotted 50 overs, the smiles widened and the confidence heightened. Those smiles and confidence pummelled drastically as their response was jolted at five for one when the team’s enforcer Gidron Pope from St. Vincent was dismissed for three in the third over and at 77 for five when Jyd Goolie from Trinidad and Tobago was caught and bowled for three in the 29th overs.
Carty who looked far from fluent but portrayed a dogged attitude was now joined by the last recognized batsman in Kemo Paul from Guyana. With high anxiety, heart throbbing moments and now the quiet assurance from Carty, West overhauled the total with three balls to spare. Paul hit the winning runs to remain unbeaten on 40 off 68 balls (1x4, 1x6). The jubilation shuddered the Caribbean islands as fans jumped and leaped for joy at the win. Captain of the victorious team Shimrom Hetymer from Guyana contributed out-of-character 23 off 53 balls (1x4). He and Carty combined for a partnership of 39 runs off 135 balls to settle the early nerves in the team. The slow and patient approach to the low total was un-Caribbean batsmen who are known for their flamboyant and aggressive stroke play but when the win as achieved, the means justified the end.
India’s best bowler was Mayank Dagar with three for 25 in 10 overs.
When India batted the alertness of the wicket keeper Tevin Imlach from Guyana accounted for the first wicket as Rishabh Pant on one wondered out his crease after he left alone a delivery. The wicket keeper under armed the ball unto the stumps to find Pant out of his crease (3 for 1). The fired up fast bowler Alzarri Joseph from Antigua and Barbuda added a second wicket to his name when Imlach caught Anmolpreet Singh for three (8 for 2).
India lost its out-of-form captain in Ishan Kishan for four (27 for 3) to put a dent in the top order. Indians best batsman of the tournament in Sarfaraz Khan overcame a barrage of hostile short-pitch bowling and body blows to be his team only hope of a substantial total. He and Mahipal Lomror 19 off 43 balls (2x4) added 37 for the sixth wicket. When Khan was dismissed for a hard fought 51 off 89 balls (5x4, 1x6) he had compiled his fourth half century in six matches. The only other batsman with a significant sore for India was Rahul Batham with 21 off 31 balls (3x4).
For West Indies, Joseph and Ryan John from Grenada grabbed three wickets apiece for 39 and 38 runs respectively off 10 overs apiece.
Carty was named man of the match for his 52 not out and a very good catch at backward point.
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President, Dave Cameron in expressing heartiest congratulations on behalf of the Board and Management to the players and management of the under 19 team credited the over 15 months of preparation the team underwent which he thinks “gave them the tools necessary to win the title.”
The five-wicket win Cameron says “was intense, but the players showed resilience and patience required to take them through to the very end. The region is proud this (yesterday) morning of the achievements of this team and we see a clear path to the development of our future stars. This was a comprehensive team effort and this is indicative of how we would like to move forward with all categories of our game.”
The President in expressing his joy said “it was a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift to all the people in the Caribbean.” He noted also that the team will be appropriately recognized once they return home.
