Defending champions Bangladesh bounced back with a win over Canada in the ICC U-19 Men’s World Cup 2022.
Pakistan booked their place in the Super League quarterfinals of the ICC U-19 Men’s World Cup 2022 with a 24-run victory over Afghanistan. England took booked their place in the next round with a thumping victory against the United Arab Emirates. (More Cricket News)
Afghanistan did well to restrict Pakistan to a modest 239 for 9 in the Group C match at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. However, the Afghans got the pace of their innings all wrong in reply, managing 215 in the designated 50 overs.
The top three soaked up far too many balls in pursuit of the target. It took them 170 balls to bring up 100 runs with Bilal Sayedi (42 off 81), Nangeyalia Kharote (12 off 32), and Allah Noor (28 off 49) managing strike rates under 58.
Despite the slow start, Afghanistan took the contest deep although their innings was characterised by some wild running between the wickets, with three run outs as well as a number of near misses.
Noor Ahmad blasted three sixes to leave his side in with a chance of a shock victory, needing 28 off the last two overs with two wickets in hand. But when he fell for 29 to Awais Ali, the pick of the bowlers with three for 36, there was only going to be one winner.
Earlier, Abdul Faseeh top-scored for Pakistan with a 68. Afghan bowlers Izharulhaq Naveed (3/41) snapped three wickets, while Noor Ahmad (2/46) and Naveed Zadran (2/55) took two each and Bilal Sami (1/58) accounted for one wicket.
Faseeh had six hits to the fence and two maximums in his 95-ball innings. Opener Muhammad Shehzad (43), skipper Qasim Akram (38) and Maaz Sadaqat (42 not out) also contributed after Pakistan opted to bat first.
Skipper Tom Prest smashed an unbeaten 154 as former champions England cruised to the Super League quarterfinals with a thumping 189-run win over the UAE in Basseterre, St Kitts. Continuing his incredible run of form, Prest powered England to a mammoth 362 for 6 after electing to bat.
The English bowlers, led by leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed (4/30), then put up a disciplined effort to bowl out UAE for 173 in 38.2 overs. Prest blasted 13 fours and four sixes in his scintillating 119-ball innings, while Jacob Bethell (62), William Luxton (47) and George Thomas (41) also chipped in as the 1998 edition winners England put up an imposing total.
Bethell and Thomas gave England a blistering start, adding 69 runs in 11.5 overs. The Young Lions' total always looked like it would be a big ask to overhaul and the UAE were reeling when they were reduced to 61 for five in the 15th over.
Ali Naseer's counter-attacking 54 off 44 balls helped reverse some of the momenta as he put on 59 with Nilansh Keswani for the sixth wicket. But when Nilansh departed, the last four wickets fell for 53 runs as leg-spinner Rehan excelled in his first outing in the West Indies with four for 30 from his allotted ten overs.
Defending champions Bangladesh bounced back from defeat with a dominant eight-wicket triumph over Canada. Off-spinner SM Meherob and pacer Ripon Mondol snapped four wickets each as Bangladesh bowled out Canada for a lowly 136 in a group A match at Conaree Sports Club in Basseterre.
Bangladesh then galloped to the target in 30.1 overs to register their first win of the tournament. Iftakher Hossain anchored the chase for the defending champions with a well-made 61 off 89 balls while Prantik Nawrose Nabil (33) and Aich Mollah (20 not out) also chipped in.
Earlier, opener Anoop Chima stood amid the ruins with a 117-ball 63 as Canada's decision to bat backfired with only four of their batters reaching double-digit figures.