West Indies U19 Spinners Shine in Crucial Super Six Victory Over Ireland

In a display of classic Caribbean tenacity, the West Indies Under-19 cricket team secured a vital 25-run victory over Ireland via the DLS method during a rain-interrupted Super Six clash at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 in Windhoek, Namibia.

The match, characterized by dramatic momentum shifts, saw the Caribbean side overcome early batting struggles to post a competitive total of 226 all out in the 47th over. Wicketkeeper-batter Jewel Andrew provided the foundation with a composed 66 from 82 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and an equal number of sixes. His crucial 67-run partnership with Jonathan van Lange (28) stabilized the innings after West Indies found themselves at 67/3 within the first 16 overs.

Ireland’s chase began promisingly with opener James West leading the effort, reaching 82/2 after 18 overs. However, the match turned decisively when West Indies’ spin duo of Micah McKenzie and Vitel Lawes took control. McKenzie delivered a devastating performance with figures of 4/36 from his 10 overs, dismantling Ireland’s middle order, while Lawes provided excellent support with 2/41.

When rain interrupted play for the second time with Ireland at 164/7 after 40 overs, still requiring 62 runs from the remaining overs, the DLS method confirmed West Indies’ victory margin. The win keeps the Caribbean side firmly in contention for the semi-finals, currently sitting third in Super Six Group 1 behind Australia and Afghanistan.

The tournament structure sees teams carrying forward points from previous matches against other Super Six qualifiers. West Indies advanced with points earned from their victory over South Africa and now face Australia in their final Super Six match on January 28 at Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe.

Cricket West Indies has called upon fans worldwide to support the young squad throughout their World Cup campaign. Broadcast coverage is available through ESPN Caribbean, Disney+ in the Caribbean region, Willow TV in North America, and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, with global streaming accessible via ICC.tv.