Tanez Francis starred with the bat as the West Indies opened their ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Tanzania on January 15.

After winning the toss, the West Indies elected to bowl first. 

Tanzania made a solid start through openers Dylan Thakrar and Darpan Jobanputra, who put on a 53-run partnership for the first wicket.

The breakthrough came when Guyanese all-rounder Jonathan van Lange removed one of the openers, triggering a collapse in the Tanzanian batting lineup. 

Vitel Lawes led the Windies’ bowling attack, finishing with three wickets as Tanzania were dismissed for 121 in 34 overs.

In reply, Francis anchored the West Indies’ chase with a well-compiled half-century, guiding his team to victory without major difficulty.

The West Indies will next face Afghanistan in their Group D clash on January 18, while Tanzania are scheduled to play South Africa the following day. 

Both matches will be played at the High Performance Oval in Windhoek, Namibia.