Tuesday, August 22nd, 2017

Finch Targeting Word Cup After Making Under-19S Bow

Finch Targeting Word Cup After Making Under-19S Bow

Worcestershire paceman Adam Finch will now be targeting a place in England’s squad for the ICC Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand early next year after making his debut in that age group.

The 17-year-old featured in the first and fifth matches of the Royal London ODI Series against India Under-19s who completed a 5-0 whitewash.

Finch had figures of 1-36 at Cardiff and 0-21 at Taunton.

He has impressed with some of his performances for the Seconds and had his first five wicket haul at that level with 5-19 in the Championship match with a strong Yorkshire side at RGS Worcester last month.

England will be playing their group matches in Queenstown on the South Island and have been drawn to play Namibia, Bangladesh and Canada at the John Davies Oval.

They will play two warm-up matches, against Ireland in Christchurch on January 9, and Sri Lanka in Lincoln on January 11.

England will step up preparations for the World Cup in a Tri-Series against South Africa and Namibia based in Potchefstroom from November 30 to December 10 – with the squad for that trip set to be confirmed next month.

England have been Under-19s world champions only once in the 11 tournaments that have been held since 1988, when a squad including Graeme Swann, Rob Key and captained by Owais Shah beat New Zealand in the final in South Africa in 1998.

They qualified for the semi finals in Dubai in 2014, but were beaten by Sri Lanka in the quarter finals two years ago.

Of that squad, Mason Crane has already played senior international cricket, while Sam Curran, George Garton, Dan Lawrence and Saqib Mahmood have represented England Lions.

West Indies, who won the last Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016, will face the hosts New Zealand in the opening match on January 13 at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on the North Island, which will also stage the final on February 3.

The top two teams from each of the four groups will qualify for quarter finals, which will be split between Queenstown and the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from January 25-28, with both semi finals in Christchurch on January 27 and 28.

It means England will not have to leave the South Island unless they reach the final.

England Group C fixtures (all at John Davies Oval, Queenstown):

v Namibia (January 15)

v Bangladesh (January 18)

v Canada (January 20).

Other groups

Group A: New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa, Kenya.

Group B: India, Australia, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea.

Group D: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Ireland.