The eagerly awaited Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2024 finally kicked off in South Africa with an exciting opening match between the host nation, South Africa, and the West Indies. The game, held in Potchefstroom, turned out to be a thrilling contest, with the Proteas narrowly defeating the West Indies by 31 runs despite Jewel Andrew's impressive century. Kwena Maphaka's outstanding bowling performance, taking 5/38, was crucial for the South African team.
Meanwhile, another Under-19 World Cup opener match saw Ireland convincingly beat the USA by seven wickets.
After winning the toss, West Indies captain Stephan Pascal opted to field first, placing his confidence in his team's formidable bowling attack. For South Africa, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius started aggressively, hitting a series of boundaries. However, the West Indies' Deshawn James managed to secure an early breakthrough, dismissing Steve Stolk (5), who misjudged a shot towards the off-side, resulting in an easy catch for the attentive Pascal.
Meanwhile, Pretorius continued to play aggressively, hitting the tournament's first six off Nathan Sealy. But Sealy soon had his moment, dismissing Pretorius with a stunning delivery in the following over. David Teeger and Richard Seletswane then took over, steadying the innings and looking to rebuild.
Just as they were gaining momentum, Seletswane was run out by a direct hit from Tarrique Edward.
Oliver Whitehead, coming in at number five, narrowly escaped an early dismissal and contributed significantly to rebuilding South Africa's innings. Together with Teeger, he put on 48 runs for the fourth wicket before being caught at mid-on while trying to advance down the wicket against James. Sealy, in his ninth over, claimed two more wickets, removing both Romashan Pillay and the well-set Teeger, swinging the momentum in the West Indies' favor.
Dewan Marais then unleashed a flurry of attacking shots, signaling his intentions clearly. His approach allowed captain Juan James to settle in and start playing his shots later on. Their positive batting added crucial runs towards the end of the innings. Marais' quickfire fifty, achieved in just 33 balls, was particularly noteworthy. He ended as the top scorer of the innings, contributing an impressive 65 runs from 38 balls.
Facing the challenge of the young South African team, the West Indies team, also known as the Boys in Maroon, struggled initially. Kwena Maphaka, a left-arm pacer for South Africa, swiftly dismantled the top order by taking out Adrian Weir, Pascal, and Joshua Dorne within his first 12 deliveries. Jordan Johnson attempted a counter-offensive but was eventually dismissed by Riley Norton. Despite maintaining a decent run rate of 7.3 in the first 10 overs, West Indies had already lost half their team.
Jewel Andrew and Nathan Sealy, determined to turn the tide, aggressively pursued their shots, propelling West Indies forward at a quick pace. Over the next 15 overs, the pair nearly added 100 runs, keeping their team in contention. However, just as they appeared to be steering the game away from South Africa, Sealy was run out from the outfield by a direct hit at 190, bringing a new twist to the match.
Andrew continued to push forward, with support from Tarrique and Nathan Edward, but South Africa's Maphaka and Norton struck again in the later overs, cutting through the West Indies' lower order. Andrew's wicket at 130 essentially clinched the match for the Proteas.
Ireland secure 7-wicket victory
After winning the toss, Irish captain Philippus le Roux opted to field first, aiming to exploit any early movement on the pitch. Reuben Wilson made an immediate impact, dismissing USA opener Aryaman Suri in the first over with an outstanding delivery. Olly Riley followed suit, taking out Pranav Chettipalayam with a delivery that sharply swung in, hitting the stumps. Riley continued his impressive form, claiming two more wickets in the initial Powerplay as the USA batsmen struggled with the movement from the Irish pacers. John McNally's medium pace also claimed a wicket soon after, leaving the USA reeling at 37 for half their side down. The fall of Parth Patel (13) to Wilson further exposed the USA's lower order. The USA was eventually bowled out in the 41st over, with Wilson and Riley each taking three wickets.
The USA had a strong start with Arya Garg delivering early blows, removing Jordan Neill and Gavin Roulston with the team's total at just five. However, Ryan Hunter and Kian Hilton then steadied the Irish innings for the third wicket.
They navigated through the new-ball challenge and capitalized on loose deliveries. Their partnership of 59 runs was crucial in chasing down more than half of the USA's total. After Hilton's dismissal in the 14th over, captain Philippus Le Roux stepped in to join the chase. Together with Neill, he guided Ireland to victory without further losses.
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