Under 19 World Cup

[Donny]

Fawad and Tariq propel Pakistan into final

The Wisden Bulletin


Fawad Alam held his nerve when Pakistan were in a precarious position and his decisive partnership with Tariq Mahmood propelled them into the final of the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka. India had their batsmen to blame, who could muster only 169 in the face of some very disciplined bowling.

Yet India's bowlers did their bit by picking up early wickets, but the undefeated 88-run partnership between Fawad and Tariq was an ideal lesson in pacing a run-chase.

Fawad and Tariq came together with the score on 83 for 5. Abhishek Sharma was fizzing his legbreaks and Rudra Pratap Singh was zeroing in on the corridor. Scurrying between the wickets, deftly gliding and nudging, they slowly uncorked the pressure valve.

And when the target looked within striking range, they did just that. Out came the ballistics and the ball soared like a rocket in all directions.

India needed an exceptional effort if they were to have any hope of defending 169. But Gaurav Dhiman and Rudra Pratap Singh provided them with an ideal start - Dhiman swung the ball both ways and generated some alarming seam movement.

He struck in his second over, when Khalid Latif (1) missed a straight ball that pitched on leg stump, deviated towards middle and trapped him right in front (3 for 1). Jahangir Mirza (9) was undone by a swinging yorker, from Rudra Pratap, that crashed into his boots (20 for 2).

But Adnan Zaheer made sure that the scoreboard kept ticking along with some confident shots and he wasn't prepared to let any bowler settle into his rhythm. He added 28 with Usman Saeed, and while Zaheer was completely in control, the other looked very uncertain in his 63-ball stay. Ironically it was Zaheer who fell first, as a thick edge lobbed up to short third man (48 for 3). Zaheer made 18.

Salman Qadir, although flummoxed by some zipping legbreaks from Sharma, cashed in on the loose deliveries and kept the asking-rate well in control. Usman (19) tried to break the shackles by cutting a straight ball from Sharma and predictably lost his off stump (68 for 4). Qadir (24) showed a few powerful shots, before he tamely prodded at one from Rudra Pratap. Dinesh Kartik, who was captaining the side in the absence of the suspended Ambati Rayudu, completed the simple chance and Pakistan were hobbling at 83 for 5. Over to Fawad and Tariq.

Apart from the brief moment when Kartik called the coin right, India had a poor first session. The Pakistan's bowlers showed exceptional skill and control and tightened the noose from the first ball. They were also helped by some poor shot selection and weak nerves.

Shikhar Dhawan took strike with 497 runs to his name already at a Bradmanesque average of 99.4. But today he learnt that even Eric Hollies can have his day. Dhawan ( miscued a pull off Ali Imran and found Latif at mid-on (23 for 1). Just one run later Praful Waghela was back in the hutch for a first-ball duck, trapped in front of the stumps by Riaz Afridi (24 for 2).

Robin Uthappa didn't take any undue risks and held his end up well, but Rakesh Solanki (21) soon became the next casualty, run out after he played the ball straight into the hands of short third-man and set off for a nonexistent single (73 for 3).

Uthappa departed soon after when he flicked Qadir uppishly to square leg. He made 33 with 3 boundaries. Karthik got out in similar fashion and Suresh Raina was soon out in a freakish manner. He played an extravagant pull off Tariq only to inside-edge the ball towards the keeper. Zulqarnain Haider fumbled the ball, but it lodged in his pad and he was able to claim the catch (113 for 6). Qadir, who is the son of the legendary legspinner Abdul Qadir, ended with 2 for 27 from 10 overs of high quality offspin.

But, the best passage of play came in the 39th over. Mansoor, bowling his legspin with phenomenal control, tempted Sunny Singh into a big drive. The third ball of the over was dispatched to the boundary – the first in 114 balls –and a hint of a smile spread across Sunny's face.

Two balls later, he had the look of a man who'd seen a ghost. A perfectly flighted delivery enticed him forward. The ball ducked in at the last moment, a googly, turned in just enough to beat the bat and clipped the top of the off stump. It's hard to imagine how any legspinner could have bowled that ball better.

The fast bowlers then cleaned up the tail with minimum fuss and India folded for a meagre total. India's opening bowlers gave them a chance, but they were left as clueless as Sunny was, when the two unbeaten Pakistan batsmen began to turn it on.

[Donny]

Australia overcome brave Ireland

Wisden Cricinfo staff


The favourites, Australia, have reached the final of the Under-19 Plate Championship, after dispatching a brave but outclassed Irish team in their semi-final at Chittagong.

Australia batted first and the result was never in doubt once they had rattled along to 340 for 5 from their 50 overs. But Ireland took their leave of the competition with their heads held high, as they compiled a fine total of 291 in reply. The openers William Porterfield and Gary Wilson made 48 and 44 respectively, while Eion Morgan capped a fine tournament with 65.


The damage had already been done by that stage, however. Australia are a team on a mission after the humiliation of missing out on the Super League, and once they had won the toss their batsmen went on the rampage. The captain Tim Paine and Theo Doropoulos opened up with a first-wicket stand of 131 in 21 overs, before Matt Harrison took over with a hard-hitting 91 from No. 3.


Ireland's bowlers came in for some punishment, particularly Morgan and Kevin O'Brien, who both conceded more than 70 runs in their 10 overs. But they stuck to their task as well, and Greg Thompson deservedly picked up a couple of wickets.


Australia's total was daunting, but nobody told Wilson. His 48 came from just 36 balls, and with Will Porterfield keeping pace nicely, Ireland were at one stage 117 for 1 in the 20th over. But a mid-innings stutter ensued as Gary Putland bounced back from an early pasting to tear out a pair of quick wickets, including the important scalp of Morgan.


Ireland slipped from 176 for 4 to 230 for 9, and a heavy beating was on the cards. But, in a appropriately resolute final act, Andrew Riddles and Allan Coulter hammered an unbeaten 61 for the tenth wicket in just under eight overs. Riddles made 29 from 33 balls and Coulter 38 from 30, as Ireland remained defiant to the last.


"I am very satisfied with our performances," said Ireland's coach Adrian Birrell. "We did our best to chase the target and started off on course to come close, but we lost our way in the middle order. We hoped to beat at least one full-member country in the tournament but it wasn't to be. It has been a good experience for our players."

Australia's coach Bennett King praised Ireland for their batting. "Ireland played well to reach almost 300 but our bowling wasn't good enough," said King. "I think we will play Bangladesh in the final and I expect that to be a competitive game."

Australia will now play the winner of tomorrow's second semi-final between Scotland and Bangladesh. The Plate Championship final will be held at the Fatullah District Stadium on March 4.

[Donny]

West Indies through to final

Wisden Cricinfo staff


West Indies are through to the final of the Under-19 World Cup, after cruising past England in a disappointingly one-sided match at Dhaka. Chasing a hefty target of 250 under the floodlights of the Bangabandhu Stadium, England capitulated after a slow start, and ultimately contributed to their own downfall with no fewer than four run-outs.

West Indies owed their success to their captain, Denish Ramdin, who won the toss and chose to bat first, and top-scored with a measured 72 from 85 balls to transform a rocky innings into a rock-solid platform for his bowlers. He was joined in an 87-run partnership for the sixth wicket by Zamal Khan, who provided a fiery finish with 60 not out from 49 balls – and on a pitch where 230 was considered a good total, West Indies had rallied from 146 for 5 in the 36th over to 249 for 6.

Such a total had looked somewhat outlandish at the early stage of the West Indian innings. Tishan Maraj was run out by his partner Xavier Marshall in the very first over, and Lendl Simmons laboured for a 25-ball 5, before being trapped lbw while trying to flick Harrison to leg. Marshall, who survived two confident appeals for caught-behind, tried to cut loose but with a half-century in sight, he took the long handle to Luke Wright, and was outstandingly caught in the deep by a diving Mark Lawson (69 for 3).

Assad Fudadin took up the cudgels and cracked seven fours in his third half-century of the tournament, but Harrison – the pick of England's bowlers with 3 for 28 – returned to bowl Fudadin and Jonathan Augustus in consecutive overs. But Ramdin and Zamal picked up the pieces and the tempo, and England had no answers. Ramdin was eventually caught behind attempting an expansive scoop shot, but he had done enough already.

That was not so apparent when West Indies came out to bowl, however. Ravi Rampaul and Mervin Matthew opened up with a diet of leg-side deliveries that were flicked off the pads for boundaries, but Rampaul eventually tightened up his line, and earned his reward as Ravi Bopara mistimed a pull to mid-on (32 for 1). Simmons then becalmed Simon Davies with a tight spell of offspin, and Ramdin was on hand to pull off a smart stumping (45 for 2), before Luke Wright was stunningly caught by Marshall in the gully for 3 (57 for 3).

All eyes were on Cook, but when he gave himself room and was comprehensively bowled by Rampaul for 33, the end was remarkably nigh. Tim Bresnan delayed the inevitable with a run-a-ball 41, but he fell victim to a poor piece of calling, and Samit Patel holed out in the very same over (114 for 6).

The end of the innings was rather shambolic. Tom New attempted a suicidal second run off a misfield, Adam Harrison was run out in a similar fashion, and after James Hildreth had smeared an edge through to the keeper, Simmons applied a wonderfully athletic coup de grace with a tumbling pick-up-and-throw to cue mass celebrations in the West Indian camp.

[Donny]

Pakistan hit 230 and The Windies started with a flourish but steadily lost wickets.

They now need 6 r.p.o. with 8 overs to come but have only 4 wickets in hand.

Ramdin is 35 n.o. and Rampaul, 11 n.o.
---------------------------------------------------

Rampaul batting well. 21 from 11 balls. 1/8 from that over as Ramdin is out for 36. 33 needed from 36 balls.
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[London Dave]

Great game, just watched the highlights...the Paks fielding was top draw...put a few test teams to shame! (but then again, experience tells me it's a hell of a lot easier when you aint chronologically challenged)

[Donny]

Pakistan on top of the world

Wisden Cricinfo staff


Pakistan have won the Under-19 World Cup, after beating West Indies in a tight finish in Dhaka. The West Indians were always up against it after losing the toss and being asked to bat under the floodlights, but it took a nerveless performance from Pakistan's spinners – in particular Tariq Mahmood, who finished with 3 for 34 – to seal the match with 17 balls to spare.

The day's key performer, however, was Pakistan's middle-order batsman Asif Iqbal, who scored the only half-century of the match and added 97 for the fifth wicket with Salman Qadir to transform his side's fortunes after a shaky start. Pakistan's day began strongly enough, but the introduction of the spinner Rishi Bachan turned the innings on its head. In successive overs, Bachan removed both openers for the addition of three runs, as Pakistan slumped from 55 for 0 to 81 for 4.

But from that moment on, Asif and Salman turned the innings around. They ran confidently and briskly between the wickets, and limited themselves to just a handful of boundaries – although Asif did splash out on one occasion as he smeared a six over the midwicket boundary, and swiftly followed up with another four to reach his half-century.

West Indies fought back in the closing overs of the innings, with Mervin Matthew deservedly collecting two late wickets after Asif had been run out by a direct hit from Bachan (178 for 5). But the last pair of Zulqarnain Haider and Ali Imran added 21 crucial runs in the final overs – including a swept four off the last ball – as Pakistan wrapped one hand firmly around the trophy.


West Indies needed a strong start if they were to have any chance, and that is precisely what Xavier Marshall and Tishan Maraj provided, as 59 runs were added in the first 10 overs. Maraj in particular was unafraid to hit the ball on the up, and had cracked six fours in his 32 when he ran himself out to tilt the balance back towards Pakistan.

Almost immediately, Marshall heaved at Tariq and sent a massive top-edge spiralling to the keeper Zulqarnain Haider (72 for 2). Lendl Simmons fell cheaply, lbw to Jahangir Mirza's googly for 5, and Assad Fudadin didn't last long either, as he slapped a wild cut shot straight to Salman Qadir at point (94 for 4). But West Indies' fifth-wicket pair repaired the innings.

Denesh Ramdin and Jonathan Augustus scampered the singles and lifted the run-rate, but their eagerness to take risks eventually proved their downfall, as Augustus was run out by a direct hit from the covers (144 for 5). With Ravi Rampaul and Ramdin – the hero of the semi-final victory over England – still at the crease, anything was possible, but the nerves got to West Indies and the run-outs started to stream in.

Zulqarnain, Pakistan's wicketkeeper, was particularly on the ball in the closing overs, plucking two big edges while standing up to the spinners, before beating Liam Sebastien with a scrum-half-like dive and throw to the non-striker's end. At one stage, West Indies were 197 for 6, needing 34 from 38 balls for victory, but they lost their last four batsmen for just eight runs, to prompt massive celebrations from the Pakistani camp.