ICC Under-19 World Cup: Australia beat Pakistan to reach Super League semi-final
Australia became the third side into the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 Super League semi-finals with a comprehensive win over Pakistan.
They joined England and Afghanistan in the final four with a 119-run success on a day where batting first was the order of the day.
The United Arab Emirates set a target beyond hosts West Indies on their way to a Plate semi-final success, while Uganda were 35-run winners in the Plate play-off semi-finals against Papua New Guinea.
Top order batting sends Australia through
Australia booked their place in the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 Super League semi-finals with a 119-run win over Pakistan thanks to some fine top-order batting.
Half-centuries for Teague Wylie and Corey Miller, as well as 47 from Campbell Kellaway, helped Australia to 276 for 7 from their 50 overs and that proved far too much for Pakistan in Antigua.
Barring a 50-run partnership for the third wicket, Pakistan were always behind in their chase and eventually crumbled to 157 all out with the wickets shared among the Australian bowlers.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to field, but soon regretted that decision as Kellaway and Wylie (71) put on 86 for the first wicket.
Kellaway was stumped off the bowling of Qasim Akram (3-40), but that just brought Miller to the crease and he accelerated the run-rate on his way to 64.
Their stand of 101 was brought to an end by Awais Ali, who had Wylie bowled, with Miller following soon after to leave Australia 203 for three with just under ten overs remaining.
Skipper Cooper Connolly chipped in with 33 and William Salzmann cracked a quickfire 25 off 14 balls from No.7 to set a competitive target.
It soon became clear that it would be well beyond Pakistan, with Muhammad Shehzad and Haseebullah Khan both caught behind to leave their side 27 for two in the fifth over.
Abdul Faseeh (28) and Irfan Khan (27) started to rebuild before the latter was bowled by Salzmann (3-37), and the wickets fell at regular intervals from then on.
Australia will now face the winner of the final Super League quarter-final between India and defending champions Bangladesh on Saturday.
UAE stun the hosts
A sensational knock from Aayan Afzal Khan helped UAE to one of the greatest results in their history as they beat the West Indies by 82 runs in the Plate semi-finals in Trinidad.
After edging past Uganda by a wicket, UAE endured a torrid start when Shiva Shankar (3-31) struck early and often to leave the visitors scrambling at 26 for four.
It was at that point that Aayan entered the fray, and his 93 turned the game on its head. While initially wickets continued to tumble, his 103-run partnership with Shival Bawa (51) for the seventh wicket ensured that the Asian would have something to defend.
He was the last man to fall in a first innings effort of 224 for nine, a target that proved far too much for the Windies.
Jash Giyanani (3-21) made the early inroads, with the home side quickly finding themselves 32 for four. And unlike the UAE, they had no Aayan to save the day, as Dhruv Parashar (4-30) picked up the baton with the ball.
In fact the most resistance from the West Indies came from the final pair, Nathan Edward hitting an unbeaten 51 as he and No.11 Isai Thorne put on 70 for the final wicket before fittingly Aayan sealed the win.
UAE will now take on the winner of Ireland against Zimbabwe in the Plate final, while the West Indies take on the loser in the play-off for 11th.
Kakuru fires Uganda past PNG
Cyrus Kakuru inspired Uganda to a 35-run victory over Papua New Guinea in the Plate play-off semi-finals in Trinidad.
His 65 was the foundation of Uganda’s 123 all out in a low-scoring affair and Papua New Guinea never really got going in reply, slumping to 88 all out inside 20 overs.
Uganda looked in trouble at 20 for three after electing to bat first, but it was at that point that Kakuru joined his skipper Pascal Murungi.
The captain chipped in with 16, the only other man to make double figures and while John Kariko (5-19) caused chaos, Kakuru motored along to a half-century. He eventually fell caught and bowled to Kariko for 65 off 59 balls with 11 boundaries.
But the reply never really got going, Juma Miyagi (4-29) and Joseph Baguma (3-30) combining to tear through the top order and reduce PNG to 27 for six. There was no way back from there, despite 26 from Junior Morea as PNG fell well short in reply. Uganda will now take on Scotland in the play-off for 13th.
Meanwhile, three UAE players and one India player have received positive PCR test results for COVID-19 through the official event testing programme. The players are currently self-isolating and are being monitored and cared for by the medical team.
India set up an ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 Super League semi-final clash with Australia after knocking out defending champions Bangladesh.
In a repeat of the 2020 Final, India bowled first and dismissed the Tigers for 111 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda before their batters chased down the modest target for the loss of five wickets.
On a day where bowling first proved decisive, Ireland beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets to seal their path through to the Plate Final, where they will face United Arab Emirates.
Toss proves vital as India power through
India have a remarkably strong record in ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup quarter-finals, with this their seventh win in nine matches – and they had their bowlers to thank.
India batted first in each of their Group B matches but this time their bowlers had the chance to set the tone after they won the toss.
Deciding to field proved a masterstroke and Ravi Kumar ripped through the top order. The 18-year-old had taken just one wicket in the tournament but finished with figures of three for 14 from seven overs here, as he dismissed the top three Bangladesh batters to leave the defending champions on 14 for three.
Bangladesh struggled to get a foothold in the match and slipped to 56 for seven, before Meherob Hasan came in and hit six boundaries in a crucial 30.
However, just two other Bangladesh batters reached double figures and they were eventually all out for 111.
India hoped for a comfortable run chase but they got off to a bad start when Bangladesh bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib removed opener Harnoor Singh for a duck.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44) and Shaik Rasheed (26) put on 70 for the second wicket to seemingly secure victory, but Bangladesh threatened a late comeback.
Ripon Mondol had Raghuvanshi caught at cover point and then returned two overs later to remove Rasheed, caught behind. New batter Siddarth Yadav then became Ripon’s third wicket when he was caught at cover to leave India on 82 for four.
Captain Yash Dhull came to the crease and hit four boundaries to calm the nerves, around Ripon dismissing Raj Bawa to take his final figures to four for 31, before Kaushal Tambe heaved a six into the stands to seal victory with 115 balls remaining.
Huge stand sends Ireland through
Jack Dickson and Tim Tector put on a batting masterclass with a 159-run partnership and Muzamil Sherzad took five wickets as Ireland comfortably beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets to reach the Plate Final.
Zimbabwe won the toss in Port of Spain and elected to bat but they made a slow start, with Matthew Welch run out for a nine-ball duck and captain Emmanuel Bawa trapped lbw by Matthew Humphreys for four.
Steven Saul (24) and Brian Bennett (37) put on 52 for the third wicket before Saul was clean bowled by Humphrey, while Bennett became the first of Sherzad’s victims eight overs later.
David Bennett hit three boundaries in his 35 but he had little support down the order, as Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 166 in 48.4 overs.
Sherzad was the pick of the Ireland bowlers, taking his tournament wicket tally to 13 with five for 20.
Zimbabwe made an equally strong start with the ball, as Mcgini Dube had Nathan McGuire caught in just the third over for six.
Joshua Cox then followed McGuire back to the pavilion as he was trapped lbw by Tendekai Mataranyika for a duck but Ireland quickly settled down.
But Dickson and skipper Tector quickly developed a partnership and they went on to see Ireland over the line, with Dickson finishing 78 not out and Tector 76 not out in an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 159.