In a game dominated by bowlers and defined by nerves, the United States of America Women Under-19s edged past West Indies Women Under-19s by 3 wickets in Match 4 of the ongoing USA U19 Women’s tour of the Caribbean. The match turned out to be a low-scoring nail-biter that tested both teams’ character and depth under pressure.
Opting to bat first, West Indies Women U19s struggled right from the start as their top-order crumbled in the face of disciplined bowling by the USA attack. The opening quartet – Samara Ramnath (3), Theanny Herbert-Mayers (1), Naijanni Cumberbatch (2), and Brianna Harricharan (8), all fell cheaply, leaving the home side reeling early.
However, the innings found its only bright spark in a resilient 65-run partnership between Eboni Brathwaite and Brianna Harricharan. Brathwaite was particularly impressive, standing tall amidst the wreckage and crafting a superb 53 off just 37 deliveries, laced with calculated aggression and maturity beyond her years. Her knock helped West Indies post a fighting total of 89/8 in 20 overs.
USA’s bowlers were on point once again, with Saanvi Immadi leading the charge with an impactful 3/23, while Aditi Praveen Kumar delivered a tight spell of 2/9. Maahi Madhavan also played a pivotal role, chipping in with 2/18 to ensure the Windies couldn’t capitalize.
Chasing a modest target of 90, the USA U19s started cautiously but weren’t spared the drama of their own mini collapse. The innings saw its fair share of turbulence as the top order offered glimpses of promise before the middle order faltered.
Saanvi Sood gave the innings a steady start with 10 runs, while skipper Chetna Pagydyala anchored early proceedings with a composed 19 runs. However, a cluster of quick wickets saw Nikhar Doshi (4), Pooja Ganesh (6), and Hashini Karthikeyan (0) fall in quick succession, bringing the match back into balance.
The turning point came through a vital 33-run partnership between Chetna and Sainavi Kamabalapalli, which stabilized the chase during a tricky phase. Sainavi, who later finished with a crucial 19 off 22 balls, played with remarkable calmness under pressure. Finishing touches were applied by Maahi Madhavan, who contributed a quickfire 10* off 7 deliveries, steering USA to the target making 92 in 19.2 overs with 3 wickets in hand.
Despite the loss, the West Indies bowling unit gave a commendable fightback. Captain Samara Ramnath picked up 2/12, showing her value as a dependable all-rounder. Naijanni Cumberbatch and Brianna Harricharan also scalped 2 wickets each, bowling with sharp lines and using the surface effectively to build pressure.
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