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TEENAGE STARS . . . Zimbabwe Under-19 cricketers take their places on the field at Peterhouse Boys School yesterday on an historic day when they beat World Champions West Indies in a Youth One Day International

Percival Sizara in Marondera
ZIMBABWE cricket’s revival went a notch up yesterday when the national Under-19 side beat the West Indies, the current world champions at Peterhouse Boys School yesterday. The 26-run victory ensured the bilateral Youth One Day International series between the Zimbabwe and West Indies Under-19 sides is now headed for a thrilling conclusion.

The series is now deadlocked at 1-1 going into the final winner-take all game at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

“I think the boys really played well. We worked hard and it’s good to be rewarded with a win.

“We have managed to put ourselves in the series and we have a chance now to finish it off with a series win,” Zimbabwe Under-19 stand-in-coach, Prosper Utseya said.

Utseya, who is the bowling coach, was in charge of the second game in the absence of Stephen Mangongo who was attending a family bereavement.

Zimbabwe kept the series alive in intriguing fashion with a recommendable all round display that saw them set 236-9 in 50 overs before restricting West Indies to 210 all out in 44,2 overs much to the delight of a lively crowd.

“I think we kept it simple today (yesterday) and we managed to execute with the bat. We have been asking our batsman to front up and they gave us a score which we can bowl at and manage to defend,” Utseya said.

Despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Zimbabwe’s batting showed much improvement from the first game with new opening pair of Milton Shumba and Gregory Dollar looking confident and sharp against pace and swing from Windies seamers Javier Spencer and Darren Nedd.

West Indies got a breakthrough in the seventh over with Zimbabwe on 34 through Spencer, who had Dollar (16) caught by Bhaskar Yadram, before first change bowler Nyeem Young bowled Shumba (12) by the 11th over.

The Windies further put Zimbabwe in a spot of bother in the next over with left arm spinner Joshua Bishop’s beautifully yoking Alistair Frost for a three-ball duck leaving Zimbabwe at 64-3.

A steady partnership was urgently needed and Ryan Murray (59) and Deon Myers (45) stuck it out in the middle with an innings-changing 78-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Zimbabwe had West Indies in trouble at 8-2 in the second over.

Then West Indies finally got their run chase off with a 66-run third wicket stand between Keegan Simmons (49) and Yadram (42).

This slowed down West Indies a bit.

Moments of brilliance by the Zimbabwe bowlers, notably Dion Mazhawidza (3-44) and Harrison (2-34), spiced with some top drawer fielding turned the match on its head.

Other Zimbabwean wicket-takers were Jakachira (1-25) and Madhevere (1-28) with Dollar completing another run out.

Murray was voted man-of-the-match.