A nail-biting finish at Willowmoore Park in Benoni as Australia managed a narrow win in the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 against Pakistan to enter into the final of the highly coveted youth multi-nation tournament. They will meet defending champions India in the summit clash on Sunday at the same venue. (As It Happened | More Cricket News)
Pakistani players gave their all to convert the result but it was not meant to be. Australia's last wicket pair Raf Macmilllan (19 off 29) and Callum Vidler showed immense intent and determination and faced Pakistan's gun fast bowlers as they were bowling spin.
During the last four overs of the Australian innings, the intense drama ensued as they were required 16 runs to win with only one wicket left. This situation arose after the 15-year-old Ali Raza struck two blows in quick succession. However, Macmilllan and Vidler held their ground on the pitch and managed to score some crucial runs against a high-quality bowling attack.
With just 3 runs needed in the final over, Mohammad Zeeshan came to bowl. Macmillan's inner edge took the ball to the boundary with Ubaid Shah trying his best to stop the ball.
Pakistan played their hearts out, but Australia secured the win and advanced to play in a similar match to last year's Cricket World Cup where the senior Indian team played Australia. The five-time under-19 champions India await the Aussies in the finals after defeating the hosts, South Africa.
Before the high drama, it was Ali Raza and Arafat Minhas who took the game deep after Pakistan were restricted to 179 runs all out. Raza claimed four wickets in the match with two coming in his final over. He dismissed Tom Straker and Mahil Beardman to finish his bowling figures with 10-2-34-4.
Australia were six down with 25 runs still needed when the 15-year-old appealed for a caught behind against Oliver Peake (49 off 75) on a bouncer but it was turned down by the umpire. He dismissed the set batter two balls later with a caught behind on a delivery that was slanted down the leg. The umpire was convinced this time and Peake was left devastated.
Arafat Minhas was the other star with the ball, who also showed his batting prowess in the match. He gave just 20 runs in his 10-over spell with one maiden and took two crucial wickets of Tom Campbell and Harry Dixon.
Player of the Match Tom Straker was the destroyer of Pakistan's batting line-up who took six wickets and completely shook the Pakistani batting order. He gave the first breakthrough and removed Shamyl Hussain early. Callum Vidler struck in the next over and got rid of the other opener Shahzaib Khan. Khan (4 runs off 30 balls) never looked set and was struggling for runs in his innings.
Azan Awais (52 off 91) was holding one end and wickets kept flowing from the other side until Arafat Minhas came. Both batters not just spent time at the crease but made runs as well. After Straker dismissed Awais, Minhas (52 off 61) shifted gears and hit quick boundaries to complete his half-century. Unfortunately, he holed out to Oliver Peake in the deep on Tom Campbell's delivery.
Straker didn't take much time to bundle out Pakistan's inning and left them hanging on 179 all out after claiming two wickets in the last two deliveries of his spell. His final figures were 9.5-1-24-6.
Earlier, the opener batter Harry Dixon (50 off 75) started the chase with a positive fifty-run knock. Australia were once hanging at 59/4 when Oliver Peake and Dixon stitched a 41-run partnership for the fifth wicket until Arafat Minhas broke that. Peake then added 44 runs with Tom Campbell to take the game close.
