Shamar Springer struck a stunning hundred as West Indies Under-19s clobbered minnows Fiji Under-19s by 262 runs here Sunday, to pick up their first victory of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Sent in, West Indies stormed to 340 for seven off their 50 overs with Springer blasting 106 off just 78 balls, in-form opener Gidron Pope stroking 76 and Jyd Goolie, a breezy 66.
Seamer Cakacaka Tikoisuva finished with six for 59 from his ten overs.
In reply, Fiji could only muster a paltry 78 off 27.3 overs with Peni Vuniwaqa top-scoring with 29 to be one of just two batsmen to make it into double figures.
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph did the early damage with three for 15 before off-spinner Gidron Pope ran through the innings with four for 24.
Behind Joseph’s devastating new ball spell, Fiji tottered at 13 for four in the seventh over and never recovered, and have now lost three straight games in the competition.
With their win, West Indies moved into second spot in Group C on two points alongside Zimbabwe. The two teams meet on Tuesday, with the winner clinching a post in the Super League quarter-finals.
Needing a strong result following their opening loss to England last Friday, West Indies fired from the outset as Pope and Tevin Imlach, who scored 36, put on 120 for the first wicket.
The left-handed Pope faced 77 deliveries and hammered 12 fours while Imlach struck six fours in a 40-ball knock.
Despite the strong start, West Indies slumped once the opening pair were parted, losing four wickets for 20 runs in the space of 29 deliveries with Tikoisuva taking the first three wickets to fall.
He claimed Imlach playing on, trapped Pope lbw with a full length delivery in his following over before having Keacy Carty caught at cover for one off a loose drive.
When captain Shimron Hetmyer edged an attempted cut and was caught at slip off off-break bowler Vaibhav Kapadia in the 23rd over, West Indies were left to rebuild.
Springer then arrived to spark the revival, lashing ten fours and four sixes in a rollicking 157-run, fifth wicket stand with Goolie, which snuffed the life out of Fiji.
Goolie, a left-hander, faced 75 balls and counted five fours and a six.
The right-handed Springer reached his first fifty off 42 deliveries. He moved into the 40s with a four and a six in the 37th over bowled by off-spinner Tuwai Yabaki and reached his landmark in the following over, with the second of three consecutive fours off Kapadia.
Springer needed only 32 more deliveries for his hundred, edging seamer Peni Vuniwaqa to the third man boundary to reach the landmark.
Facing a daunting total, Fiji’s job was made even more difficult when the impressive Joseph wrecked the top order.
With a single run on the board, he bowled T Veitacini with the third ball of the innings with one that seamed away and then trapped Delaimatuku Maraiwai lbw for four in the fifth over with a delivery that shaped back.
His new ball partner Ryan John then claimed Jordan Dunham for three at 11 for three in the sixth over before Joseph completed his top order demolition by producing a beauty of a delivery that jagged back to bowl Samuel Saunokonoko for two, as the batsman offered no stroke.
Vuniwaqa stood alone as wickets tumbled around him, facing 49 balls and hitting five fours before finally being ninth out, bowled playing back to Pope.
Scores:
WEST INDIES U19s 340 for seven off 50 overs (Shamar Springer 106, Gidron Pope 74, Jyd Goolie 66, Tevin Imlach 36; Cakacaka Tikoisuva 6-59)
FIJI U19s 78 all out off 27.3 overs (Peni Vuniwaqa 29; Gidron Pope 4-24, Alzarri Joseph 3-15, Kirstan Kallicharan 2-21)