ICC UNDER 19 CRICKET WORLD CUP 2020
QUARTERFINAL
NEW ZEALAND U19 beat WEST INDIES U19 by two wickets
Willowmoore Park, Benoni, South Africa
29 January 2020
They've done it! New Zealand Under 19 has defeated the West Indies in a thrilling ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup quarterfinal run chase in South Africa.
- Impressive West Indies opted to bat first in the second Super League quarterfinal against New Zealand's future stars
- After early discipline and strikes by Joey Field (2-52) and David Hancock, New Zealand reduced the West Indies to 34/2 by the end of the Powerplay
- A sublime Kirk McKenzie half century lifted the pace of the West Indies innings, however
- From 183/3 in the 36th over, NZ U19 fought back strongly with the ball to take the next five wickets for just 22 runs, captain Jesse Tashkoff (2-35) and Kristian Clarke (below) both picking up two wickets
- Tashkoff had picked up the big wicket of Nyeem Young for just one run, after the star performer mistimed a simple catch to Fergus Lellman at mid-off; while McKenzie would retire not out on 99* at 205/7, after severe cramp in his leg in the 43rd
- The key batsman was stretchered off the field and returned to the crease only to be bowled on 99 by Clarke (an impressive 4-25): the West Indies all out for 238 in 47.5 overs
- Still feeling the effects of the painful cramps, in a special sight McKenzie was helped from the middle a second time by the New Zealand team who recognised the brilliance of what they had witnessed
- Chasing 238, things did not start well for the New Zealand top order with opener Ollie White departing scoreless
- Despite a 48-run stand between fellow opener Rhys Mariu and Fergus Lellman, West Indies reduced the side reduced to 67/4
- Keeper Quinn Sunde (above) and Simon Keene started to rebuild, putting on a valuable 51-stand for the fifth wicket before falling for 32 and 33 respectively
- The West Indies spinners stemmed the flow of runs with Ashmead Nedd quickly claiming 3-33. When Keene feathered him in the 31st over, NZ Under 19 was in deep trouble at 148 for six. At 153 for eight by the end of the 35th, they were still trailing by 85 runs and under real pressure
- However, allrounder Joey Field (38* off 58) and Kristian Clarke (46* off 42) then produced one of the great fightbacks of the tournament
- New Zealand was 153/8, requiring 86 runs to win
- After a careful start to their matchwinning partnership, after seeing off the dangerman Nedd, Field found the boundary at the end of the 43rd over as the pair began to build momentum at the death
- With five overs left the pair had still needed 51 runs, Nyeem Young coming back into the attack and keeping it tight
- Fourteen runs off Matthew Forde's 47th over got the runs flowing again, Clarke punching a six into he stands before Field (below) blasted his second boundary
- The equation was now 31 off 18, but Clarke crunched a big 48th off Young - pelting 13 runs from it while Field contributed a single
- Down to the last two overs, NZ Under 19 needing 17 runs as both teams sat on the edge of their seats
- Forde dotted down, then conceded a wide. Field squeaked a single off the next delivery before a second wide delivery contributed to 10 off the over: the pair now needed just seven from the last six balls of the game
- Nyeem Young took the ball, Clarke on strike and finding a single to turn the strike over to Field who immediately found the fence!
- The pair ran a single off the third delivery to level the scores before Clarke struck the winning run next ball for a brilliant rearguard win, with just two balls to spare
- As their teammates celebrated, Field and Clarke couldn't contain their delight after their nerveless 86-run stand for the ninth wicket
"Semis bro!"
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 29, 2020
What a special win that was from New Zealand today.
This was what it was like for their two heroes with the bat, Kristian Clarke and Joey Field, immediately after they secured qualification to the Super League semi-finals.#U19CWC | #FutureStars pic.twitter.com/yZ75fCz4Sm
- Man of the match Clarke's unbeaten 46*, to go with his invaluable four-fa, was the highest score by a number 10 batsman in all of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup's history, while the brilliant stand likewise was an all-time tournament record for the ninth wicket
- New Zealand's Semi-Final will start against Bangladesh on the evening of Waitangi Day NZT, 6 February at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
