North Zone has officially punched their ticket to the Group B FIAL Interzone U19 final, overcoming a mid-tournament stumble to finish their group stage with a gritty four-wicket victory over South West at the Queen’s Park Oval on March 6.
The journey to the title decider began on February 20 at Fulham Grounds, where North’s bowling unit dismantled North East.
Nathan Sancho was the architect of that collapse, snaring 3/12 to restrict North East to a meager 98/7.
Zakariyya Mohammed’s unbeaten 34 then ensured a clinical six-wicket win, setting a high standard for the campaign.
However, the momentum shifted on February 27 when North faced a powerhouse South side.
Despite a fighting 198/9 anchored by Elijah Ashton (45) and Varisht Ramdeen (42), North’s bowlers had no answer for Ethan Ramcharan.
Ramcharan’s blistering 74 not out saw South chase the target in just 23.4 overs, handing North a heavy four-wicket defeat and leaving their final hopes hanging in the balance.
With everything on the line at the Oval this past Friday, North Zone’s character was put to the ultimate test.
South West posted a competitive 170, with Mark Ramkissoon (63) leading the charge.
Once again, Kaiden Pollard proved the man for the big occasion, claiming 3/30 to keep the target within reach.
The chase looked shaky until Maleek Lewis produced a career-defining 68.
Partnering with the ever-reliable Zakariyya Mohammed (50), Lewis navigated a tricky period against Jonathan Jebodh (3/33) to guide North to 171/6 in the 42nd over.
North Zone will now play South in the final on Wednesday at the National Cricket Center.
