Australia Under 19 coach Tim Nielsen believes his side’s close call against West Indies was the perfect preparation for their knockout semi-final against arch-nemesis England.
After cruising to victories over Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka and South Africa in their first four matches, the Aussies closed out the Super Six phase with a clash against the Windies.
After the Aussies posted a strong 7-314, WI came out swinging and raced to 0-88 after 11 overs with Zachary Carter (64 off 42) doing the bulk of the damage.
But spinners Naden Cooray (1-38) and Aryan Sharma (2-47) took wickets at vital stages and quick Charles Lachmund struck at the death (4-66) to seal a hard-fought 22-run win.
It’s a result that has Nielsen feeling buoyed heading into the clash with the also-undefeated England, with the coach highlighting some impressive leadership from the composed duo of Ollie Peake and Will Malajczuk.
“The West Indies game was really good for us, because we got a chance to bat for 50 overs,” Nielsen told reporters on Monday night from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
“Zachary Carter, he took us on and let us know about it.
“That was a bit of an eye opener for us. We hadn’t been placed under that pressure or put in that position during the tournament.
“But to their absolute credit, Ollie Peake and Will Malajzczuk as the nominated leaders of the group, were great on the ground.
“They stayed calm, they reassessed and came back to bowling and fielding as best they could. And that was enough to get us over the line.”
Lachmund’s first five overs cost 39 runs as WI raced away in the Powerplay overs.
But the Toowoomba product relished the contest and fought back strongly to take three big wickets in the final 10 overs.
“It was good to get a vibe about what it’s going to be like in the semi and final,” Lachmund told the Unplayable Podcast, in an episode to be released on Tuesday morning.
“It was actually awesome to get into that different contest, and find ways to win.
“That’s what good teams do, they always manage to find a way no matter the circumstances.”
While the conditions the Australians faced in Windhoek, Namibia, were “not dissimilar to home”, according to Nielsen, the pitches in Zimbabwe have been slower, lower and much more conducive to spin.
The Aussies face the English in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and Nielsen is expecting that trait to continue, having watched India bowl 31.2 overs of spin in their final Super Six match against Pakistan at the venue on Sunday.
Not that the conditions will prevent Australia rolling out their strike weapons, fast bowlers Lachmund and Will Byrom, who have combined for 21 wickets in the tournament so far.
Queenslander Lachmund has 12 wickets at 12.91 in the tournament so far while New South Welshman Byrom has nine at 6.88, which included a starring 5-14 against Sri Lanka.
Crucially, Byrom has recovered from the calf tightness which kept him out of the win over the Windies and is available for selection.
And the significance of the challenge, facing England in a World Cup semi-final isn’t lost on the group.
“They watch more cricket and talk about more cricket and Instagram more cricket than any of us do, I can promise you,” Nielsen said.
“They sit around in the team room, hook up the computer to the to the big screen, and there’s games you would never believe.
“They’re tragic. So, they’re very aware of the Australia-England rivalry.”
Lachmund echoed those sentiments, admitting that when he’s not doomscrolling he loves spending his time watching highlights of the game’s best bowlers.
“I love watching those cricket.com.au From The Vault videos with Dale Steyn and James Pattinson,” Lachmund said.
“Unbelievable to watch I reckon. I’ve watched them multiple times, all of them.”
Australia’s U19 World Cup fixtures
Jan 16: Australia beat Ireland by 8 wickets
Jan 20: Australia beat Japan by 8 wickets
Jan 23: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets
Super Sixes, Jan 25: Australia beat South Africa by 6 wickets
Super Sixes, Jan 28: Australia beat West Indies by 22 runs
First semi-final, Feb 3: Australia v England, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Second semi-final, Feb 4: India v Afghanistan, Harare Sports Club, Harare
Feb 6: Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare
Australia squad: Oliver Peake (c, VIC), Kasey Barton (NSW), William Byrom (NSW), Naden Cooray (NSW), Jayden Draper (QLD), Steven Hogan (QLD), Thomas Hogan (ACT), Ben Gordon (QLD), John James (NSW), Charles Lachmund (QLD), Alex Lee-Young (NSW), Will Malajczuk (WA), Nitesh Samuel (NSW), Hayden Schiller (SA), Aryan Sharma (VIC)
All matches start 6:30pm AEDT, and broadcast exclusively live on Prime Video
