The New Zealand Under 19 team have dug deep to claim a five wicket win in their second practise match against the West Indies at Maroochydore in Queensland, Australia.
It was a low scoring match between the two sides, with New Zealand dismissing the West Indies for 132 before reaching their target in the 47th over.
But it was far from plain sailing for the Kiwis, as they lost three early wickets to be teetering at 46 for three in the 20th over. The genuine pace from the West Indies bowlers was proving difficult to handle.
A crucial fourth wicket partnership of 61 between Robbie O'Donnell and opener Joe Carter got New Zealand’s chase back on track. Carter’s 51 kept his side in the match, while O’Donnell’s 38 was also pivotal.
Things once again looked shaky though when both fell in quick succession and West Indies refused to roll over.
The match was finally sealed with three overs to spare, as new batsmen Henry Walsh (15*) and Connor Neynans (14*) saw their side home with five wickets in hand.
Earlier in the match New Zealand had put in a devastating performance with the ball as Jacob Duffy once again proved almost unplayable.
The 17 year-old bowled his first six overs for figures of three for three. Walsh also got in on the act with two key wickets and the West Indies were struggling early.
Tight fielding and an economical bowling performance kept the Caribbean boys under pressure. Things could have been much worse for them had it not been for an eighth wicket partnership off 55 between lower order batsmen Katwaroo and Davis.
In the end though West Indies would only be able to post a pedestrian 132 before being dismissed in the 41st over.
It was a big win for the New Zealand Under 19 team, who have now made it two from two in their practise matches.
The match was also special for debutant Will Williams. The Canterbury based bowler picked up his first international wicket after being called into the squad as temporary cover for the injured Ed Nuttall.
The team now travel to Brisbane on Saturday as they prepare for their next warm-up match against South Africa on Tuesday.
