West Indies (WI) team beat Zimbabwe by a tense two-run to move quarter-final of ICC U-19 World Cup (WC) held on Tuesday at the Zahur Ahmed Chhowdhury Stadium.
Chasing a winning target of 227 runs set by West Indies, Zimbabwe managed to score 224 for all in 49 overs.
The tense result looked a far cry, though, when Zimbabwe were cruising at 143 for 3, with Shaun Snyder doing the early running with a belligerent 52 in reply to West Indies’ 226 for 9 achieved largely on the back of Shamar Springer’s sprightly 61 in the middle, source cricket website.
That West Indies were in with a chance at the end was courtesy Alzarri Joseph’s hostile bursts of fast bowling. After picking up two wickets at the top, he returned to dismiss the well-set William Mashinge (23) and Brandon Mavuta (1) off successive overs as Zimbabwe lost three wickets for four runs
to hurtle the chase. He finished with career-best figures of 4 for 30.
With the space spearhead having completed his quota, Adam Keefe, who made a 47-ball 43, scripted a turnaround.
His combative 62-run stand for the seventh wicket with Wesley Madhevere (21) helped Zimbabwe claw back into the contest, before they lost two more to take the game into a thrilling final over that brought out two contrasting ends of the emotional spectrum.
