Sealy’s all-round show fails to spur Young Windies in tour opener
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, (CMC) — A half-century and a tidy all-round stand from Co-Captain Nathan Sealy was topped by an unbeaten 84 from Supun Waduge that paved the way for a three-wicket win for hosts Sri Lanka Cricket Under-19s Select XI against West Indies Under-19s, in a One-Day warm-up match on Friday.
Sealy, batting at nine, struck two fours and two sixes in the top score of 54 from 71 balls, before the Caribbean side were bowled out for 227 in 48.2 overs in the 50 overs-a-side contest at Colts Cricket Club.
The Barbadian returned to bowl a miserly spell of 10-0-31-0 with his left-arm spin, and Deshawn James took two for 32 from six overs to lead the West Indies bowling, but Wadage cracked nine fours and one six from 105 balls to lead a successful run chase for the hosts.
The match will be the only contest the visitors will have before starting a series of three Youth One-day Internationals on August 27, 30, and September 1, before they play two four-day Youth Tests starting on September 5 and 12.
West Indies ran into early trouble after they were put in to bat; and they slumped to 42 for four in the 12th over before the first signs of resistance emerged from Joshua Dorne and Steve Wedderburn in a fifth-wicket stand of 55.
The visitors endured a mid-innings crisis when they wobbled from 97 for three to 116 for six in the span of 28 balls before Sealy led a rearguard to get them to a respectable total — and he was the last wicket to fall.
West Indies had the home team rocking on 56 for three inside the Power Play but Waduge was the glue that held the innings together, and he guided the Sri Lankan side to the finish line with resolute batting and a series of tidy partnerships.