Pooran hits 143 out of WI's 208

49.5 overs West Indies Under-19s 208 (Pooran 143) v Australia Under-19s
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

At 70 for 8, Australia Under-19s looked like wrapping up West Indies Under-19s for a sub-100 total, until they ran into Nicolas Pooran, who played the innings of the tournament to lift his team to 208. The alarming trend of top-order collapses continued at the Dubai International Stadium and on Monday it was West Indies' turn to suffer, but Pooran showed it was possible to bat 50 overs even after losing eight for nothing. The unsung hero was his partner Jerome Jones, who pitched a tent at the other end and ensured Pooran got as much strike as possible.

Pooran's 143 constituted a staggering 69% of West Indies' runs. His ninth-wicket stand of 136 with Jones was a record in U-19 ODIs, and Jones contributed just 20.

Of the 23 boundaries in West Indies' innings, Pooran hit 20, evidence of the control he had. He began by flicking Greg Walker to fine leg before clearing the infield on both sides of the wicket against the seamers. Pooran started farming the strike once Jones joined him at 70 for 8 but he showed enough trust in his partner's batting ability. Pooran turned down several singles and was successful in taking a single off the fourth ball on many occasions, letting Jones play the last two.

The 50 stand took only 47 balls and Pooran faced 39 of those. His driving and placement through the off side was crisp and the shot that stood out was his straight six off Walker, not just for the distance covered but also for the follow-through. Andrews was treated harshly, Pooran slogged him over deep midwicket and hit three sixes in the penultimate over.

Pooran deftly flicked Ben Ashkenazi to fine leg to move to 95 and two runs later their stand had swelled to 83 and broke the record for the ninth wicket in U-19 one-dayers. He brought up his century with a flicked boundary to fine leg and had all but ensured that West Indies batted out 50 overs.

Australia's fielding standards subsided as the partnership grew, with several fumbles and a run-out opportunity missed. Pooran had dug out a yorker and Jones charged out for the single but was sent back. The throw was too high. Pooran lost his middle stump in the final over and he walked back to warm gestures of appreciation from the Australians who each shook his hand.

West Indies may not have managed a par score, but it was a fighting one, which also looked unlikely given how they had begun. Australia bowled five seamers in the first 25 overs and induced several mistakes. They stuck to fuller lengths but it was the extra pace and hint of movement that the batsmen found tough to negotiate.

Billy Stanlake bowled one of the best deliveries of the tournament - a fast, inswinging yorker - to uproot Shimron Hetmeyer's middle stump. The left-hand opener barely had time to get his bat down to dig it out and the quality of the delivery was enough to dent the psyche of the rest. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, West Indies' in-form batsman, pushed at a delivery from Walker that moved away and edged to slip. Walker was on a hat-trick after he trapped Jonathan Drakes lbw padding up to one that came back in.

Jeremy Solozano attempted an expansive drive off James Bazley and edged to slip, where Alex Gregory took a sharp, high catch. West Indies lost half their side for 52 when Brandon King edged Ashkenazi to the wicketkeeper. Ashkenazi then flattened Ramaal Lewis' middle stump before the left -arm spinner Thomas Andrews dismissed Gudakesh Moti-Kanhai and Bryan Charles in similar manner. Australia had to wait 23 overs for their next breakthrough.

I tuned in to watch Tage bat............................oh well.

Good spells by the Aussie openers.

De Guyanese opener get cleaned up:

Pooran coming for Ramdin's job.

This lad belongs in the westindies team now.
Even if he fails in his first few games , they will have to stick with him. This young man has shown flashes of brilliance before and I see a other Tendulkar in the making.

You drinking this early on a Sunday

naw kwami.  doh push him too fast.  take no risks.  we have to be sure with this kid.  so long we have had nothng lke this coming up we doh want to make a mess here.

and if anybody can kill such talent with injudicious use, it is skunt butthole an' dem flailing around for a life boat
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Pooran innings was indeed one of the best at that level if, there was a better one I woulld like to have seeen it , I however  doubt there was a better one

One of the best innings i have seen at any level for a long time.  Great patience and maturity shown by Pooran.  It was indeed a brilliant knock!   

Lets hope the Wolves of WI cricket don't get hold of this youngster!! 

Anyone around him if you are listening....please keep this kid away from Opiss and company.  Let him spend time with Lara and Shiv. 

And remind him, his next innings start at Zero! 

one innings don't make you a match winner