A couple of one-man masterclasses – one with the ball, one with the bat – sent England and Afghanistan comfortably through to the Under-19 World Cup semi-finals on Tuesday. England defended 234 for 7 to beat New Zealand by 65 runs in Potchefstroom, while Afghanistan’s 315 for 7 proved far too many for Ireland in Bloemfontein, the margin there a hefty 191 runs.
England 234-7 (50 overs) beat New Zealand 169 all out (40.2 overs) by 65 runs
Afghanistan 315-7 (50 overs) beat Ireland 124 all out (40.5 overs) by 191 runs
England: bowlers finish what batters started
Ben Mayes’ tidy 53 and Ben Dawkins’ 42 set things up, yet for long spells England were stuck in third gear – 96 for 2 after 25 overs, the run-rate never much above four. Still, six of the top seven reached double figures and Farhan Ahmed’s unbeaten 29 off 23, finished with a last-ball six, nudged the total into “competitive” territory.
New Zealand looked in a hurry early on. Aryan Mann punched three boundaries in the first two overs before falling to a sharp grab at short cover from Caleb Falconer. Enter Manny Lumsden. The left-arm seamer’s first over (the eighth) produced two outside edges, and from 44 for 1 the Kiwis slumped to 46 for 3.
Lumsden’s control up front (5-17) strangled the chase. “I just tried to hit the top of off and not complicate things,” he told the ICC stream afterwards. A slow squeeze followed: nine overs for only 19 runs, a mix-up costing Brandon Matzopolous, and the asking rate climbed past five an over – hardly Everest, but awkward on a wearing surface.
With 67 needed from the last 12 overs and only three wickets left, New Zealand still had a sniff. Lumsden’s return snuffed it out: three wickets in five balls, all bowled or lbw, put the result beyond doubt.
Afghanistan: Shinozada goes big, Ireland fold
Over in Bloemfontein, jeopardy never really surfaced. Afghanistan were 57 for 3 when Faisal Shinozada joined captain Mahboob Khan; by the time the pair were separated 28 overs later, the score read 245 for 4. Shinozada’s 163 from 142 deliveries – 15 fours, six sixes – is the tournament’s highest so far. Mahboob’s 89 off 79 meant the fourth-wicket stand was worth 188, and the rate rarely dipped below a run-a-ball.
Reuben Wilson (3-52) and Oliver Riley (3-62) kept plugging away, but Ireland could never apply the brakes. “Once they got past 250 we were chasing shadows,” Ireland coach Pete Johnston admitted.
Afghanistan’s new-ball pair wasted no time. Abdul Aziz removed both openers inside five overs, and two run-outs had Ireland 41 for 4. Leg-spinner Aqil Khan (3-36) worked through the middle order and the contest ended in the 41st over.
Looking ahead
England, unbeaten so far, head to Kimberley where they’ll meet the runners-up from Group 2; Afghanistan, making their third semi-final appearance in five editions, stay in Bloemfontein to face the Group 1 winners. Both squads have a day off before training resumes – and neither side will mind that the hard work today was wrapped up in time for lunch.
