“The team has settled in very well. The last couple of net sessions we had were very good, especially yesterday’s session, where we had a very good gym session in the morning before we went into the nets in the afternoon. I thought the bowlers bowled aggressively, hitting their lines and lengths very hard. The batters are doing very well and we’re still making sure they get in their drills to practice the shots that they want to play in the game so all is going well,” Reifer said.
Reifer noted that the quality of the pitches they practiced on got better as time went on.
“The first day the pitches were a bit slow, obviously, because it was short notice and the guys didn’t have a lot of time to prepare the pitches but yesterday, they were very good for bowling and batting so the boys were happy,” Reifer added.
The former Barbados and West Indies batsman also spoke about how his players are coping with the pressure of playing in a home World Cup.
“These youngsters understand what and who they represent. They know they represent the millions of people in the Caribbean and the millions of people that follow West Indies cricket around the world as well so they know what they’re playing for…they know the importance of the World Cup,” he said.
Reifer says the players have shown a better understanding of what it takes to be elite athletes as time has gone on.
“They’ve been preparing very well mentally, physically, and skillfully. Even off the field, they’re eating better, they’re hydrating better so they understand the importance of being elite athletes. I think they’re on the right road and the right path in terms of understanding. They’ve come a long way in terms of where we started in January to where we are now.” Reifer said while going on to commend them on their noticeable maturity as youngsters.
“There’s vast improvement and vast development. It’s good to see that these youngsters have adapted and adjusted to the lifestyle of being a professional. The conversations that they’re having with each other are very mature conversations so I’m very happy to hear that as well. All in all, we’re doing well and continuing to prepare,” he said.
Reifer finally spoke about a focus on the tactical aspects of the game in the few weeks leading up to the World Cup.
“We’re focusing a lot more now on the tactical side of the game. Focusing a lot more on game awareness and guys understanding their roles. Even in the discussions that we’ve had over the last two days, they understand their roles and responsibilities within the team. They understand about having that killer instinct and positive mindset to go out there and do well,” Reifer said.
The West Indies U19s first match in the World Cup will be against Australia U19s at Providence in Guyana on January 14, 2022.
They will compete in Group D alongside Australia U19s, Scotland U19s, and Sri Lanka U19s.
In the match played at the Cumberland Playing Field, West Indies Under 19s won the toss for the third consecutive game and chose to bat after electing to field in the two previous matches.
They struggled throughout their innings, eventually capitulating for 106 in 38.3 overs.
Opener Shaqkere Parris top-scored for the young Windies with 27 and the only other batsmen to reach double figures were Teddy Bishop, who got 26, and vice-captain Giovonte Depeiza who got 22.
Hardus Coetzer and Dewald Brevis each took three wickets for the South Africans while Asakhe Tsaka and Alder took two apiece.
The South Africans then made a meal of their modest target of 107, being 90-8 at one stage before getting to 113-9 in 18.3 overs to win by one wicket thanks to 24 not out from Alder, batting at number nine, which included two sixes.
Opener Ethan Cunningham top-scored with 25 for South Africa U19s.
Off-spinner Onaje Amory almost produced a match-winning spell with 4 for 8 from his four overs, while Johann Layne and Matthew Nandu got two wickets each.
The fourth and final game of the series will be played on Monday at Arnos Vale.
Set a target of 240, Bishop showcased his tremendous skills with the bat as well as powers of concentration as well as his ability to cope with the pressure to make 133 as West Indies scored 241-8 off 47 overs to win by two wickets with three overs to spare.
He faced 117 balls and hit 20 fours to control the run chase. His century came off just 85 balls and included 15 fours, and he carried on until he was the seventh wicket to fall with the score at 227 – with the West Indies just 13 away from victory.
“It feels really great and most important a win for the team. This innings is really special for me … my first century for the West Indies. It’s important to get a win for the team. The bowlers did really well for us in the morning, so the batters had to make sure we backed it up,” the young batsman said afterwards.
“The plan was to keep ticking it along to hit the gaps and to keep my partners in the game and keep talking to them. We can take a lot away from this game with this win. We were two-nil down so now we got a great win today and we are back in the series.”
Bishop shared a crucial partnership of 73 with vice-captain Giovonte Depeiza for the fifth wicket which took the score from 118-4 to 191-5 before Depeiza was run out for a patient 21 off 51 balls.
This was Bishop’s second top-class knock in a row, as he followed up the equally brilliant 97 not out from 104 balls in a narrow one-wicket loss on Monday.
The result was set up by the West Indies bowlers who were disciplined after England won the toss and chose to bat. Left-arm seamer Nathan Edward came in for his first match and grabbed two early wickets, while left-arm spinner Anderson Mahase (2-42) and pacer McKenny Clarke (2-52) maintained the pressure.
George Bell top-scored with 44 for the Young Lions who also got contributions of 41 from Thomas Aspinwall and William Luxton who scored 27.
The series will now switch to the Polo Field in Canterbury for the next three matches. The first ball on Friday is 10:30 am (5:30 am Eastern Caribbean Time/4:30 am Jamaica Time).
Winning the toss and choosing to field first, the young Windies were excellent in their bowling effort, restricting the South Africans to 146 all out off 34.2 overs.
Opener Jade Smith top scored for South Africa U19s with 34 from 43 balls while his opening partner Ethan Cunningham got 30 from 44 balls.
They were the only two batsmen to pass 20 as left-arm spinner Anderson Mahase was the pick of the bowlers for the West Indies U19s with figures of 4 for 33 from his 10 overs, while off-spinner Onaje Amory and left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael took three wickets each.
Despite a top score of 39 off 33 balls including four fours and three sixes from vice-captain Giovonte Depeiza, the West Indies U19s had a disappointing batting display in reply, only managing 128 all out from 34.3 overs.
Captain Ackeem Auguste was the second-highest scorer with 27 from 43 balls, while Teddy Bishop also supported with 24 from 44 balls against 3-36 from Dewald Brevis from his 7.3 overs and 2-5 from Andile Simelane off three overs.
The Windies U19s will be looking to rebound in the second match of the series on Tuesday.
The teams arrived in St. Vincent late on Monday for the series that will be used by both teams as preparation for the Men’s ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to be hosted in the Caribbean from January 14-February 5.
West Indies Head Coach Floyd Reifer views these matches as an important way to initially see how players react to different scenarios in a competitive setting.
“It’s great for us to have these matches as part of the build-up to the World Cup. We are really looking forward to this series against South Africa, as we are at the stage where it is important for the squad to play together, to see players in various roles, see how they respond to situations and how well they execute the plans we put in place,” Reifer said.
He also stressed the importance of the matches in facilitating good team chemistry and culture ahead of the World Cup.
“It is for us to also make sure we get the team going well together and have synergy, so the players fully understand each other. This is very crucial for us as we look to build the team energy and the team culture. I can’t stress enough how vital these matches are, and we will be taking them very seriously,” Reifer said.
He thanked the parties involved in making the series possible.
“We want to thank the Government and Cricket Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for working with our operations and medical teams over the past week to put things in place for us to get some much-needed playing time in the middle and preparations,” he said.
The ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup will feature 16 teams in 48 matches.
They are defending champions Bangladesh, England, Canada and the United Arab Emirates from Group A, with debutants Uganda placed in Group B alongside India, South Africa and Ireland. Group C comprises Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea and Group D sees host West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka and Scotland.
For the fourth game in a row, West Indies U19 captain Ackeem Auguste won the toss, this time choosing to bat first.
In another disappointing batting display, West Indies U19s could only manage 126 all out in 35 overs.
Teddy Bishop top scored with 43 and Rivaldo Clarke added 30, against 4-11 from leg-spinner Dewald Brevis and two wickets each from pacers Matthew Boast and Aphiwe Mnyanda.
South Africa U19s were then skittled out for 107 in 23.5 overs to go down by 19 runs.
Mnyanda top-scored with 20 while Boast (11) and Valentine Kitime (13) were the only other batsmen to get double figures against 3-34 off eight overs from pacer Johann Layne, 3-23 off six overs from medium-pacer McKenny Clarke, and 3-14 off 2.5 overs from left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael.
Both teams will now turn their attention to the start of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup on January 14th in the Caribbean.
West Indies U19s will play Australia U19s in their first game at Providence in Guyana on January 14th while South Africa U19s will square off against India U19s at the same venue a day later.
