Windies pace rocks Australia's U19 campaign

Australia's Under 19 World Cup campaign had a rocky start in South Africa's Kimberly overnight as they were beaten by the West Indies, going down by three wickets at the Diamond Oval.

Trinidad's Jayden Seales and Barbados allrounder Matthew Forde did the damage with the ball as they shared seven wickets between them as Australia were bowled out for 179 in the 36th over.

Barbados seam-bowling allrounder Nyeem Young (pictured above) then hit 61 from 69 balls in a crucial sixth-wicket stand with Forde to guide the Windies to their victory target after 46 overs in the Group B opener.

Victoria star Jake Fraser-McGurk led the way for Australia with 84 from 97 balls before he became one of Seales' four victims as the Barbadian claimed 4-49 from eight overs.

Image Id: 2B3B919740C74C30BAED7BC5D15E6E1E Image Caption: Jake Fraser-McGurk salutes his fifty // ICC/Getty

Australia captain Mackenzie Harvey made 20 before he was run out while backing up off the bowling of Seales. Both No.3 Harvey and No.4 Lachlan Hearne were run out in the same fashion but Hearne could consider himself especially unlucky.

Being run-out as the non-striker is bad enough but NSW's Hearne could only wryly grin after Fraser-McGurk smashed a straight drive back at Joshua James only for the ball to deflect off the bowler's heel and onto the stumps, leaving the batter from Sydney's Mossman club short of his ground.

There was more bad luck for the Aussies as Ollie Davies, who had smashed 11 sixes in a warm-up game in a whirlwind innings, fell for a first-ball duck to an unfortunate glove down the leg side as Young added a wicket before his run-scoring heroics.

Fraser-McGurk and wicketkeeper-batsman Patrick Rowe then put on a 91-run stand for the fifth wicket to lift Australia but the side lost their last six wickets for 21 runs.

Image Id: 944199EBE46649238FE6D9F0A3C5D73D Image Caption: Patrick Rowe scored 40 // ICC/Getty

While Seales did his damage at the top of the order, Forde ripped through the tail and finished with 3-24 from 6.4 overs, mimicking senior West Indies star Sheldon Cottrell's salute celebration.

From the start that we had, 2-50 after 10 we felt like 220 or 230 would be a par score," Harvey said after the match.

"Credit to the West Indies bowlers who pinned that back, but that's something for us to look forward to in the next couple of games, being able to bat through that full 50 overs and able to make scores about 230.

"(Fraser-McGurk) batted really well and managed to hold the team together throughout that middle patch and credit to him.

"He's a talented young player, he's one of the youngest in the team, so to show that experience through that middle period where we were losing a few wickets, it's something to look forward to for the rest of the tournament. "

Image Id: 21ABBE00718B4054B0B773B124EC7909 Image Caption: The Aussies celebrate a Matt Willans wicket // ICC/Getty

The Australians were able to make regular inroads in defending the below-par total with tall left-arm Queenslander Matthew Willans making the initial breakthrough.

Tanveer Sangha, who holds a Sydney Thunder contract, was outstanding as the leg-spinner claimed the next four wickets to leave the Windies teetering at 5-92 after 25 overs.

Image Id: 0985AD3C29684FF9A86740FD1239A13D Image Caption: Tanveer Sangha's leg-spin claimed 4-30 // ICC/Getty

Tanveer bowled out his 10 overs unchanged and finished with 4-30. His figures would have been all the more impressive but Young got hold of him in his final over, taking it for a six and a four as 11 runs were conceded.

"Tanveer bowled absolutely amazing, he's a talented young spinner," Harvey said.

"Especially on this wicket where there was a bit of bounce and turn he hit the spots beautifully. He was our best bowler today."

Image Id: 1CF4F48FEDC5473D864AE48C82E49192 Image Caption: Jayden Seales celebrates one of his four wickets // ICC/Getty

The two Barbadians Young and Forde put on an 78-run stand for the sixth wicket to break the back of the run chase.

And while both fell in quick succession – Forde lbw to South Australian seamer Corey Kelly and Young lbw to Queensland seamer Connor Sully –with West Indies still 10 runs short of their target, the side eased home.

"I thought our bowling was up and down today to be brutally honest," Harvey said.

"We pinned it back a bit too late towards the end. I feel like our players will come bigger and better in the next couple of games."

The loss leaves Australia in a precarious position in Group B with only the top two teams from the group advancing to the Super League stage of the tournament.

Australia face must-win matches against Nigeria on Monday and a high-stakes clash with England next Thursday.

The third and fourth-ranked team in each group will play in a 'Plate League' knock-out stage to rank teams from ninth to 16th.

Australia U19 World Cup squad: Cooper Connolly, Oliver Davies, Sam Fanning, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Lachlan Hearne, Corey Kelly, Liam Marshall, Todd Murphy, Patrick Rowe, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Bradley Simpson, Connor Sully, Matthew Willans.

Australia's U19 World Cup fixtures

Lost to West Indies by three wickets

v Nigeria, January 20, Country Club B Field, Kimberley (Fox Cricket & Kayo)

v England, January 23, Diamond Oval, Kimberley (Fox Cricket & Kayo)

Quarter-finals: from January 27

Semi-finals: February 4 and 6, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Final: February 9, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom