HARARE, Zimbabwe – West Indies Under-19s concluded their ICC Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup campaign on Wednesday with a hard-fought 22-run defeat to defending champions Australia at Harare Sports Club, narrowly missing out on a semi-final berth in what was a competitive and spirited tournament run.

Needing a victory to boost their semi-final chances and their net run rate, the young Caribbean side fell just short in their pursuit of Australia's 314 for seven, finishing on 292 for nine despite half-centuries from Zachary Carter and captain Joshua Dorne.

Australia advanced unbeaten to the semi-finals while West Indies exited the tournament tied on four points with Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, but with an inferior net run rate.

The young Men in Maroon’s campaign began with optimism in Windhoek, Namibia, where they defeated Tanzania by five wickets on opening day. Seventeen-year-old Tanez Francis struck a measured half-century supported by Jewel Andrew's run-a-ball 44 as West Indies comfortably chased down Tanzania's 122 with 29 overs to spare.

Leg-spinner Vitel Lawes led the bowling attack with impressive figures of 3/23, well supported by Shaquan Belle and Micah McKenzie who claimed two wickets each.

Following a loss to Afghanistan, West Indies concluded the group stage and confirmed their Super Six qualification with a comprehensive 55-run victory over South Africa on January 22.

Carter announced himself on the world stage with a smashing century of114 runs including eight fours and eight sixes. In doing so, he became the fifth West Indian to score a century at Under 19 World Cups as West Indies ended on 234 all out.

In response, Belle produced the tournament's best bowling figures of 6-40 to dismiss South Africa for 179, with support from Jakeem Pollard, Isra-el Morton, and Lawes who claimed one wicket each.

West Indies entered the Super Six stage carrying forward two points from their group-stage victory over South Africa.

Their first Super Six encounter on January 25 against Ireland in Windhoek, again showcased the team's fighting spirit in a rain-affected contest decided by DLS method which confirmed a 25-run victory for West Indies.

In Wednesday's crucial encounter with defending champions Australia, West Indies won the toss and elected to field first. Opposition captain Oliver Peake scored an impressive century to power his team to their eventual total.

Nevertheless, West Indies’ chase began explosively as Carter and Francis provided a positive start with their opening partnership of 88. Carter was particularly destructive, with the tournament's fourth-fastest half-century.

Dorne and Carter continued the momentum to put West Indies in a strong position, but the Caribbean side was unsuccessful in the death overs and eventually finished on 292 for nine, 22 runs short of their target.

With the unbeaten Australians advancing to the semi-finals, West Indies’ elimination was confirmed by Sri Lanka’s defeat of South Africa on Thursday, which took the Asian side to second place with six points, two more than the West Indies.

Several West Indies players distinguished themselves throughout the tournament.

Opening batsman Carter emerged as a key performer with his explosive contributions against South Africa and Australia.

He finished his campaign with the joint-most sixes in the tournament with 13. Wicketkeeper-batter Andrew provided crucial stability in multiple innings and led the team in boundaries scored with 30.

With the ball, Belle's 6/40 against South Africa remains as the tournament's best bowling figures, while the spin duo of Micah McKenzie and Vitel Lawes proved effective. Lawes was the team’s leading wicket taker with 10 scalps and the most dot balls bowled with 150.

Francis also impressed with the bat at the top of the order and in the field throughout the tournament. Belle, Carter and McKenzie won Player-of-the-Match honours against Tanzania, South Africa and Ireland, respectively.

The World Cup performance was fortified by comprehensive preparation that saw West Indies Under-19s secure home series victories over strong international opposition in the months leading up to the World Cup.

In August and September, the team won 4-3 against Sri Lanka Under-19s in a seven-match Youth ODI series in Antigua, followed by an emphatic 5-2 series victory over England Under-19s in Grenada during November and December.

These series provided invaluable match exposure, tactical development and mental conditioning that helped the squad arrive at the World Cup battle-hardened and confident. Upon arrival in Windhoek, the team continued preparations with warm-up victories over Ireland and Japan.

While the tournament ended without the trophy, the experience gained by this young squad signifies invaluable development for West Indies cricket. The players showcased the skills, competitive spirit and resilience that are hallmarks of Caribbean cricket as they competed against the world's best emerging talent.

Cricket West Indies extends its gratitude to all fans across the Caribbean and around the world who rallied behind the team throughout their World Cup journey and reaffirms their commitment to developing the next generation of cricketers to carry forward the proud traditions of Caribbean cricket.