An unbeaten 86 from opener Teague Wyllie propelled Australia Under-19s to a comfortable six-wicket win over West Indies Under-19s in the opening game of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup at Providence on Friiday.
Australia’s opening pair of Wyllie and Corey Miller marched to the crease in pursuit of their target of 170.
Opening bowlers Johann Layne and Shiva Sankar started the innings with tight bowling and the pressure paid off when Layne removed Miller for a duck to leave the Aussies 5-1 in the third over.
Sankar then got in on the action by removing number three Isaac Higgins for nine to leave the Australians 21-2 off 7.5 overs.
After 11 overs, Australia was 45-2 with Wyllie (17) and captain Cooper Connolly (12) at the crease.
After Connolly and Willey put together a solid partnership, it was broken by Onaje Amory in the 18th over when he removed Connolly for 23 to leave the Australians 74-3.
Australia after 20 overs were 77-3 with Wyllie on 36 and Nivethan Radhakrishnan on two.
Looking extremely comfortable at the crease, Wyllie (46) and Radhakrishnan (12) carried the Australian total past 100.
Soon after, Willey brought up his fifty, off 83 balls, in the 30th over.
Australia lost their fourth wicket when Radhakrishnan was dismissed in the 39th over by Matthew Nandu for 31 to leave the score at 139-4.
After 40 overs, Australia were 154-4 with Wyllie still batting on 79 and Campbell Kellaway on one.
The Aussies eventually got to 170-4 off 44.5 overs to register the six-wicket win.
Wyllie was voted man of the match.
Earlier, West Indies Under-19s were restricted to 169 all out in 40.1 overs, with captain Ackeem Auguste getting 57 and Rivaldo Clarke contributing 37 against three-wicket hauls from Tom Whitney (3-20 from 8.1 overs), Nivethan Radhakrishnan (3-48 from 10 overs) and captain Cooper Connolly (3-17 from 7 overs).
In the other Group D match played Friday, Sri Lanka Under 19s (218 all out from 50 overs) beat Scotland Under-19s (178 all out from 48.4 overs) by 40 runs.
Both West Indies U-19s and Australia U-19s next games will be on Monday, January 17 against Scotland Under-19s and Sri Lanka Under-19s, respectively. (www.sportsmax.tv)