The penultimate first-round match of the U-19 Tri-Series in West Indies will feature a battle between the hosts, West Indies U-19s and the dominant Sri Lanka U-19s. Given that England U-19s and Sri Lanka U-19s have booked their spot in the finals, this match is now a dead rubber.
West Indies U-19s had kicked off the tournament on a winning note but, they lost their next 4 matches to crash out of the tournament. On the other hand, Sri Lanka U-19s had a three-match winning streak which was broken by England U-19s in the last game.
The Caribbean youngsters will look to end their campaign on a high with a resounding performance against Sri Lanka U-19s. Here are a few fantasy tips for the match between WI-U19 and SL-U19.
WI-U19 vs SL-U19 Squads
West Indies U19
Kimani Melius (c), Kirk McKenzie, Leonardo Julien (wk), Kevlon Anderson, Antonio Morris, Matthew Patrick, Nyeem Young, Matthew Forde, Ashmead Nedd, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds, Avinash Mahabirsingh, Mbeki Joseph, Joshua James, Daniel Beckford
Sri Lanka U19
Navod Paranavithana, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Kamil Mishara (wk), Ravindu Rasantha, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Nipun Dananjaya (c), Naveen Fernando, Sonal Dinusha, Chamindu Wijesinghe, Sudeera Thilakaratne, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Ashian Daniel, Amshi de Silva, Yasiru Rodrigo, Lakshan Gamage, Ashen Daniel
WI-U19 vs SL-U19 Playing XI updates
West Indies U-19
Though Kimani Melius’ men have disappointed a lot in this tri-nation series, they would look to give another chance to the same group of players. The team management will not pressurize the youngsters much but they will license them to play their natural game. Matthew Ford and Kevlon Anderson will be the players to watch out for from West Indies U19.
Possible XI: Melius, Joseph, Julian, McKenzie, Anderson, Beckford, Forde, James, Searles, Mahabirsingh and Simmonds.
Sri Lanka U-19
After three consecutive wins in the tournament, Sri Lanka U19 had an off day on the field against England U19. As Sri Lanka U19 has already qualified for the final, the skipper Nipun Dananjaya would not be tensed after the defeat against England U19. He should keep faith in his men and name the same match squad.
Possible XI: Paranavithana, Mishara, de Silva, Wickramasinghe, Dananjaya, Gamage, Dinusha, Thilakaratne, Daniel, Nadeeshan and Rodrigo.
WI-U19 vs SL-U19 Match details
West Indies U19 vs Sri Lanka U19, Match 8
17th December 2019, 6:30 PM IST
Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua
WI-U19 vs SL-U19 Pitch report
Only one match of this series has been played at this venue and in that match, the English pacers ruled the Sri Lankan batsmen. Hence, the pitch may assist the faster bowlers once again and the batsmen will have to get settled in the middle before trying to play with an aggressive approach.
WI-U19 vs SL-U19 Fantasy tips and suggestions
Wicket-keeper: Leonardo Julian has been pretty impressive in this tri-nation tournament. He had been extraordinary in the opening encounter. However, his form has dipped ever since. On the other hand, Kamil Mishara has been patchy with the bat.
Batsmen: Skipper Kimani Melius has led his team from the front just like his rival Nipun Dananjaya. Both the captains should be the prime picks in the batting department followed by West Indies' middle-order batsman Kevlon Anderson. Lakshan Gamage can emerge as the 'X-factor' batsman for Sri Lanka U19.
All-rounders: Navod Paranavithana and Matthew Forde will be the players to watch out for in the all-rounders' section. Navod can bowl a few overs of left-arm spin besides opening the innings whereas Forde has been magnificent for the home side. Nyeem Young can prove to be a differential with his medium pace.
Bowlers: Talking about the top bowlers from West Indies U19 first, Ashmead Nedd and Matthew Patrick have shone with the ball. They have kept the batsmen at bay and can be backed to do the same job once again. From the Sri Lankan team, Yasiru Rodrigo and Kavindu Nadeeshan will be the centre of attraction among the fantasy team owners.
Captain: Kavindu Nadeeshan and Matthew Forde should be the top candidates for the captaincy role while Kevlon Anderson and Nipun Dananjaya could be the apt choices for vice-captain.
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Kamil Mishara, Nipun Dananjaya, Kimani Melius, Kevlon Anderson, Lakshan Gamage, Matthew Forde, Navod Paranavithana, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Ashmead Need, Matthew Patrick and Yasiru Rodrigo Captain: Kavindu Nadeeshan, Vice-Captain: Kevlon Anderson
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Leonardo Julian, Nipun Dananjaya, Kimani Melius, Kevlon Anderson, Lakshan Gamage, Matthew Forde, Ashian Daniel, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Jayden Searles, Ashmead Need and Avinash Mahabirsingh Captain: Matthew Forde, Vice-Captain: Nipun Dananjaya
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