Under-19 World Cup 2014: Australia book semi-final spot despite Nicolas Pooran's 143

Nicolas Pooran

Wicket-keeper batsman Nicolas Pooran scored a career-best 143 to rescue the West Indies U-19 team, which was in dire straits after being reduced to 70-8 in 26.3 overs, and help them set a target of 209 against Australia in the 2nd quarter-finals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, it wasn’t enough to seal a semi-final spot as Australia won the match quite comfortably, chasing down the target in 46.4 overs.

Winning the toss, the West Indian captain Ramaal Lewis opted to bat-first. The Aussie pacers, making complete use of the new ball, ripped apart the West Indian top order, with pace spearhead Guy Walker taking 2 wickets in successive deliveries. The wheels of the collapse were set in motion courtesy of a brilliant yorker by Billy Stanlake to get rid of opener Shimron Hetmyer.

The rest of the Caribbean middle-order followed the openers, with only 3 West Indian players in Pooran, Jerome Jones and Jeremy Solozano managing to get past the double digits. A dejected Pooran was helpless looking at the collapse from the other end. He finally found some support from the no. 10 batsman Jones, who partnered the wicket-keeper in a 126-run stand for the 9th wicket. Pooran not only attacked the Aussies but also guarded Jones from an onslaught by the Aussie bowlers by regularly taking a single of the last ball of the over.

By the time, they had brought up their fifty-partnership, Jones had only scored 2 runs of them. Pooran took a special liking for the left-arm spinner Thomas Andrews, who was carted for sixes in three consecutive overs. Frustrated at the counter-attack, Aussies were letting go of easy chances in the field, the most important of which was a missed run-out chance to send Jones back to the pavilion.

Pooran was eventually dismissed by Walker for a sensational 143 off 160 deliveries in the 2nd last ball of the first innings, but not before the southpaw took Andrews for 3 sixes in the penultimate over of the game.

Pooran’s heroic innings involved 14 boundaries and 6 sixes. He went on to eclipse the highest individual runs scored against Australia U-19s, a record that was previously held by Indian cricketer Unmukt Chand.

Brief scores: West Indies U-19: 208 all-out, N. Pooran 143, G. Walker 44/3; Australia U-19: 209/5 in 46.4 overs, J. Morgan 55, M. Short 52, R. Jordan 28/2.