Caribbean side win two of three opening matches on Tour of England
LONDON – All-rounder Matthew Forde, skipper Sachin Singh and fast bowler Jayden Seales have been among the stand-out performers for the Windies Under-15 Invitational squad which has so far won two of their three matches on the Tour of England.
Forde has hit a couple of half-centuries and logged a tidy bowling performances, Singh has hit a half-century as he has batted steadily and Seales has been consistent with the ball, as the Windies U15 Invitational logged wins in a Twenty20 match against London Under-15s and a 50 overs-a-side contest against Herfordshire Emerging Players Performance before losing a 50 overs match against Hampshire Development Squad.
In the opening match last Wednesday, an unbeaten half-century from Singh and his unbroken, century, second-wicket stand with Seth Agard carried the Windies U15 Invitational to a commanding victory over London U15s.
Singh, the Windies U15 Invitational captain, hit seven fours and one six in the top score of 55 not out and Agard supported with 47 not out, as the visitors successfully chased 116 for victory at Walkers.
After opener Tariq Mohammed was run out early in the chase, Agard came to the crease and shared 104 for the second wicket with Singh to take the Caribbean side over the finish line with four balls remaining.
Earlier, Mohammed, bowling off-spin, as well as Seales and leg-spinner Sameer Ali each collected two wickets, as Sunbury were restricted to 115 for eight from their allocation of 20 overs.
In the second match on Sunday, Seales and Antonio Fernandes combined for six wickets to bowl the Windies Under-15 Invitational to an 11-run victory after openers George Langston and Joe Burselm gave Hertfordshire EPP a confident start.
Seales grabbed 3-21 from 9.4 overs, Fernandes took 3-40 from eight overs and Ali 2-34 from his allotted 10 overs, as the Windies U15 Invitational dismissed Herts EPP for 203 in 49.4 overs at Wormsley.
The Caribbean side snared all 10 Herts wickets for 99 practically in the second half of the home team’s innings, after Langston struck half-dozen boundaries in the top score of 92 from 137 balls and Burslem made 46 in an opening stand of 104.
After Ali trapped Burslem lbw with the last ball of the 25th over, the rest of the Herts batting failed to click, as the visitors scythed through the batting.
Earlier, Matthew Forde, batting at seven, smote seven fours in 58 from 66 balls to lead a lower-order revival before the Windies U15 Invitational were dismissed for 214 in 49.1 overs.
Between Forde, Mohammed, batting at eight, and Seales, batting at nine, they added 90 between the 34th and 48th overs to add beef to the Caribbean side’s total, after they slipped to 114 for six.
In the third match yesterday, Forde followed up with an unbeaten 72, but the rest of the batting failed to ignite and the Windies U-15 Invitational stumbled to a 43-run loss against Hampshire Development squad.
Forde, batting at eight, hit nine fours and one six from 54 balls, Agard made 42, opener Lee Solomon added 32 and Antonio Morris scored 22, as the Windies side failed to successfully chase 262 for victory in the contest at Toting & Eling.
Apart from a second-wicket stand of 65 between Solomon and Agard, there was little stability from the rest of the visitors’ batting, as Tom Prest undermined them with 4-38 from his allotment of 10 overs.
Taeim Tonge had led the Windies bowling with 4-46 from 8.4 overs, Forde supported with 3-56 from 10 overs and Agard snared 2-24 from three overs, as Cole Campbell anchored the Hants batting with four fours and two sixes in an even 100 from 121 balls before they were bowled out for 261 in 49.4 overs.
Summarised scores:
At Walkers: Windies Under-15 Invitational won by nine wickets.
LONDON UNDER-15s 115 for eight off 20 overs (Gareth Herath 25, Ben Waing 21; Tariq Mohammed 2-9, Jayden Seales 2-13, Sameer Ali 2-16). WINDIES UNDER-15 INVITATIONAL 118 for one off 19.2 overs (Sachin Singh 55 not out, Seth Agard 47 not out).
At Wormsley: Windies Under-15 Invitational won by 11 runs.
WINDIES UNDER-15 INVITATIONAL 214 off 49.1 overs (Matthew Forde 58, Sachin Singh 42, Seth Agard 30, Tariq Mohammed 25, Jayden Seales 24; Teddy Duke 4-40, Liberty Maher 2-8, Kailum Patel 2-33). HERTFORDSHIRE EMERGING PLAYERS PROGRAMME 203 off 49.4 overs (George Langston 92, Joe Burslem 46; Jayden Seales 3-21, Antonio Fernandes 3-40, Sameer Ali 2-34).
At Totton & Eling: Hampshire Development won by 43 runs.
HAMPSHIRE DEVELOPMENT 261 off 49.4 overs (Cole Campbell 100, Miles Kantolinna 33, Harry Gadd 32, Fletcha Middleton 30, Ollie Southon 21; Taeim Tonge 4-46, Matthew Forde 3-56, Seth Agard 2-24). WINDIES UNDER-15 INVITATIONAL 218 for eight off 50 overs (Matthew Forde 72 not out, Seth Agard 42, Lee Solomon 32, Antonio Morris 22; Tom Prest 4-38, Ollie Southon 2-38).