Cricket/Under-19 World Cup: Having lost both their warm-up matches last week Ireland came tantalisingly close to pulling off a major upset when they lost their first Under-19 World Cup Group D match by just six runs to the mighty West Indies at the Khulna Divisional Stadium in Bangladesh yesterday.
The West Indies' opening pair put on 122 runs for the first wicket before Andrew Riddles made the first breakthrough for Ireland when he had Maraj caught by Greg Thompson.
The star of Ireland's attack was young Lisburn spinner Greg Thompson who took five wickets for 49 off his 10 overs. He was well supported by Riddles who took three for 42 off seven overs.
The West Indies' total of 265 for 8 off 50 overs looked safe, especially when Ireland lost skipper William Porterfield and Eoin Morgan for only 48 runs, but then came Railway Union all-rounder Kevin O'Brien, batting at number five. O'Brien ended up as the game's highest scorer, hitting 95 off 95 deliveries.
Opener Gary Wilson also contributed 64 runs, but with victory in sight Ireland's tail failed to wag, apart from an undefeated 15 from Kidd, as Gareth McKee and Boyd Ranking were run out.
Ireland will play their second Group D match today against Pakistan at the same venue.
WEST INDIES UNDER-19
X Marshall b Thompson 83
T Maraj c Thompson b Riddles 38
L Simmons c Wells b Thompson 5
A Fudadin c Porterfield b Thompson 29
D Ramdin c Blakeney b Thompson 7
J Augustus c Wells b Riddles 30
Z Khan c Riddles b Thompson 0
L Sebastien not out 14
M Matthew c McKee b Riddles 17
L Baker not out 1
Extras (b4, lb5, w26, nb6) 41
... ---
TOTAL (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 265
Fall of wickets: 1-122, 2-128, 3-148, 4-170, 5-190, 6-190 Kham), 7-239, 8-263.
Bowling: K O'Brien 10-0-57-0; B Rankin 4-0-44-0; E Morgan 9-0-48-0; A Riddles 7-1-42-3; G Thompson 10-2-49-5; G Kidd 10-2-16-0.
IRELAND UNDER-19
W Porterfield c Marshall b Baker 15
G Wilson run out 64
E Morgan c Maraj b Khan 5
K O'Brien c Khan b Simmons 95
S Wells b Baker 13
A Riddles c Sebastien b Simmons 12
P Blakeney c Ramdin b Bachan 4
G McKee run out 2
W Rankin run out 3
G Kidd not out 15
G Thompson not out 4
Extras (b1, lb12, w14) 27
... ---
TOTAL (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-48, 3-141, 4-188 , 5-229, 6-230, 7-234, 8-238, 9-245.
Bowling: Matthew 10-2-47-0; Baker 10-0-55-2; Khan 2-0-13-1; Sebastien 10-0-47-0; Bachan 8-0-37-1; Simmons 10-0-48-2.
West Indies Under-19 won by 6 runs
