Pakistan Under-19s 112-2 (Minhas 74) beat New Zealand Under-19s 110 (Bogue 39; Subhan 4-11, Raza 3-36) by eight wickets
Pakistan took only 28.3 overs to roll New Zealand for 110, then needed 14.1 overs to knock the runs off – a clinical win that keeps Group 2 of the Super Six wide open before the much-anticipated meeting with India.
“We kept it simple, hit the seam and let the pitch do the rest,” seamer Abdul Subhan said after collecting 4 for 11, figures that lifted him into the tournament’s leading wicket-takers. New-ball partner Ali Raza, who claimed 3 for 36, added: “The early breakthroughs gave our batters room to play with freedom.”
Key moments
• Raza trapped opener Marco Alpe lbw in the third over, setting the tone.
• Tom Jones (10) and Hugo Bogue (39) added 48, the only partnership of substance for New Zealand.
• Left-armer Mohammad Sayyam ended that stand; Subhan removed Bogue four balls later. From 67-3 the innings collapsed to 68-7.
• Brandon Matzopoulos and Jaskaran Sandhu registered ducks as New Zealand’s middle order managed just eight runs.
• The tail’s 42-run contribution took the total into three figures but never threatened to change the mood.
Chase wrapped up early
Hamza Zahoor fell cheaply, yet fellow opener Sameer Minhas was unfazed. The right-hander’s unbeaten 74, his second consecutive half-century, contained ten fours and two sixes. Usman Khan scored 15 in a 67-run stand with Minhas before Farhan Yousaf’s run-a-ball 11 sealed victory – two sixes finishing the job with 197 balls unused.
New Zealand coach Paul Wiseman conceded it was “a tough lesson in adapting quickly to conditions,” while Pakistan team manager Ijaz Ahmed noted the boost to net run rate: “In tournaments like this, every decimal matters.”
Next up
Pakistan face India on Sunday, knowing another win will almost certainly secure a semi-final berth. New Zealand must beat Ireland convincingly and hope results elsewhere fall their way.
