TAURANGA – Wandile Makwetu scored a run-a-ball 99 not out and fast bowler Hermann Rolfes took four wickets to help 2014 winners South Africa beat defending champions West Indies by 76 runs at the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Bay Oval, Tauranga in New Zealand on Wednesday.
The result means New Zealand and South Africa have progressed to the Super League after two successive wins, while the Windies and Kenya, following back-to-back defeats, will now feature in the Plate Championship.
Wicket-keeper batsman Makwetu missed a well-deserved century by one run as South Africa recovered from 112/5 to 282/8. Makwetu clubbed 12 fours and a six in a 99-ball 99 not out.
Makwetu added 58 runs for the sixth wicket with Kenan Smith (22), and 67 runs for the eighth wicket with Gerald Coetzee (29) after South Africa were provided a solid 56-run start by openers Jiveshan Pillay (47) and Matthew Breetzke (18).
In their run-chase, the Windies slipped from 177/4 in the 38th over to be bowled out for 206 in 45.3 overs.
Alick Athanage (76, 100 balls, 6x4, 1x6) and Kirstan Kallicharan (44) were the star Windies batsmen as they put on 90 runs for the fifth wicket.
Rolfes was the standout South Africa bowler when he recorded figures of 10-3-33-4, while Gerald Coetzee and Jade de Klerk picked up two wickets apiece.
Makwetu had an overall good day when he also accounted for three batsmen behind the wickets.
South Africa captain Raynard van Tonder was relieved to have won: “The match was closer than what the scorecard suggests. I think we put up a good team effort and it was good to get some runs down the order because that will help us during the tournament.”
The victory over the Windies means South Africa have progressed to the Super League of the ICC Under-19 CWC in New Zealand. Photo: ICC on Twitter
Windies captain Emmanuel Stewart said his players would look forward to their remaining matches.
“We can’t change what has happened but we need to regroup as a team and do our best in the remaining matches. We are disappointed at not having made the Super League, but there is still a lot to play for and we are looking forward to our other matches.”
A scintillating double-century stand between New Zealand openers Jakob Bhula and Rachin Ravindra lit up the Hagley Oval as several records were broken during the Group A match against Kenya which the hosts won by a huge margin of 243 runs in Christchurch.
Bhula’s astounding innings of 180 was the highest individual innings in the history of U19 ODIs, while his 245-run first-wicket partnership with Ravindra (117) was the best-ever opening stand in Under-19 CWCs.
The opening wicket partnership set the tone for more onslaught as Finn Allen joined the party with a belligerent 90 that resulted in New Zealand notching a mammoth 436 for four, the second highest total in ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Elsewhere, Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka by 32 runs to become the first side to qualify for the Super League from Group D.
This result means the winner of Sri Lanka and Pakistan match on Friday, 19 January in Whangarei will become the second side to progress to the Super League from Group D.
In the fourth and last match of the day, Australia coasted to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe to notch up their first win in Pool B.
On Friday, 19 January, Australia will take on Papua New Guinea and India will meet Zimbabwe, and if both Australia and India win their matches, they will qualify for the Super League.