Mohsin Khan hits first century of the event as the ball dominates
The first action of the 2018 Under 19 ICC Cricket World Cup took place today in and around Christchurch, with eight teams contesting warm-up matches.
It was a day when the ball held sway – all but two teams were dismissed within their 50 overs – which made Muhammad Mohsin Khan’s hundred for Pakistan all the more impressive. See scorecard
His 114-ball 102 provided the bedrock for his side’s 297, with Mohammad Taha’s rapid 50, which contained four sixes, providing the late impetus. Taha then returned to claim 3/12 with his right-arm seamers to help dismiss Namibia for 107 and complete an excellent all-round performance for both player and team.
Namibia were just pipped to the dubious honour of having the day’s lowest total by Papua New Guinea, who were dismissed for 105 by West Indies.
The Windies were aiming to get miles in their players’ legs and so utilised eight bowlers, but slow left-armer Jeavor Royal managed to stand out from the crowd, taking 2/4 from his six overs, including the wicket of PNG’s top scorer, Igo Mahuru. Windies started cautiously in reply, starting the 17th over having scored just 53/2. But five and a half overs later the game was done, Bhaskar Yadram’s 23-ball 37 bringing proceedings to a swift conclusion. See scorecard
The day’s two other contests were tighter affairs. New Zealand’s innings against Zimbabwe got off to an awful start, two wickets falling in two balls to Kieran Robinson to leave the Kiwis 7/2 in the third over. They rebuilt through skipper Kaylum Boshier, who compiled a stoic 113-ball 66, and Todd Watson, who was more belligerent, striking four sixes in his 32-ball 53.
At 132-4, with middle-order pair Milton Shumba and Robert Chiminya both set and having added 74, Zimbabwe appeared to be in control. But Boshier turned the game with two wickets in an over, adding to his scalp of opposite number Liam Roche earlier in the piece, and the African side soon slid to 168 all out. See scorecard
Bangladesh’s game against Afghanistan meanwhile swung to and fro, with both teams seemingly competing to out-collapse each other – 16 players made single-figure scores across both sides. See scorecard
The lack of contributions made No.7 Azmatullah’s punchy 81, which contained five fours and sixes apiece, seem pivotal, pulling Afghanistan to a defendable 206. Still Bangladesh seemed in command when in the 15th over opener Pinak Ghosh reached his fifty, his team having raced to 84/1, the required run rate just 3.51.
But Afghanistan applied the squeeze, especially through seamer Naveen-ul-Haq and legspinner Qais Ahmed who took 4/38 and 3/26 respectively, and Bangladesh only managed to add 60 in the subsequent 26.4 overs, losing wickets regularly to finish 150 all out.
Source: ICC Website
