THE bilateral Youth One Day International series between Zimbabwe and West Indies Under-19 sides is now headed for a thrilling conclusion after the hosts completed a 26-run victory at Peterhouse Boys School on Wednesday.

The series is now deadlocked at one-all going into the final winner-take all game set for Harare Sports Club this Saturday.

“I think the boys really played well. We worked hard and it’s good to be rewarded with a win. 

“We have managed to put ourselves in the series and we have a chance now to finish it off with a series win,” Zimbabwe U19 stand in coach, Prosper Utseya, said.

Utseya, who is the bowing coach, was in charge of the second game in the absence of Stephen Mangongo who attended a family bereavement.

Zimbabwe kept the series alive in intriguing fashion with a recommendable all round display that saw them set 236-9 in 50 overs before restricting West Indies to 210 all out in 44,2 overs much to the delight of a lively crowd.

“I think we kept it simple today (yesterday) and we managed to execute with the bat. We have been asking our batsman to front up and they gave us a score which we can bowl to and manage to defend,” Utseya said.

Despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Zimbabwe’s batting showed much improvement from the first game with new opening pair of Milton Shumba and Gregory Dollar looking confident and sharp against pace and swing from Windies seamers Javier Spencer and Darren Nedd.

West Indies got breakthrough in the seventh over with Zimbabwe on 34 runs through Spencer, who had Dollar (16) caught by Bhaskar Yadram, before first change bowler Nyeem Young bowled Shumba (12) by the 11th over.

The Windies further put Zimbabwe in a spot of bother in the next over with left arm spinner Joshua Bishop’s beautifully yorking Alistair Frost for a three-ball duck leaving Zimbabwe at 64-3.

While Zimbabwe’s runrate was sound, losing two wickets within five balls didn’t do them any good particularly as the second powerplay had just begun.

A steady partnership was urgently needed and Ryan Murray (59) and Deon Myers (45) stuck it out in the middle with an innings changing 78-run stand for the fourth-wicket.

Even though Murray and Myers were to fall towards and just into the slog overs respectively, Zimbabwe had stabilised for a good finish that was aided by Wesley Madhevere (38) and useful knocks from Liam Roche (11) and Taun Harrison (10 not out) to put something meaningful on the board.

Utseya reckons the batting department clicked but they are still work in progress.

“However, there are still areas that we could have improved in order to finish with a bigger score but I think all in all it was good to see that they managed to give us a score to bowl to.

“It was such a good batting wicket we would have wanted to score big but you know coaching Under-19 they tend to make some silly mistakes but having said that they have to try and learn as much as they can to make sure they correct those small mistakes and hopefully they learn quick,” he said.

Spencer (4-35) ended the innings as West Indies’ pick bowler with other wickets coming from Young (2-64) and a scalp each for Nedd, Bishop and Jeavor Royal.

Zimbabwe’s target defense, meanwhile, was right on the money from the start with two early wicket that saw West Indies in trouble at 8-2 in the second over.

Then West Indies finally got their run chase off with a 66-run third wicket stand between Keegan Simmons (49) and Yadram (42) before the latter was mankaded by Tinotenda Jakachira.

This slowed down West Indies a bit but didn’t stop them from building on this time with Alick Athanaze (46) and Matthew Patrick (42) putting the visitors on course at 155-5 in the 34th over.

However, moments of brilliance by the Zimbabwe bowlers notably Dion Mazhawidza (3-44) and Harrison (2-34) iced with some top drawer fielding turned the match on its head and all the local boys needed to do was take care of their process for a well fought victory.

Other Zimbabwean wicket-takers were Jakachira (1-25) and Madhevere (1-28) with Dollar completing another runout.

Murray was voted man of the match.