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The West Indies broke Bangladeshi hearts with a thrilling three-wicket win over the host in Mirpur on Thursday to set up the title clash with India in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
In a match produced by ICC TV and aired across the globe by 15 broadcasters, Shamar Springer followed his two for 36 with an unbeaten 62, which steered the West Indies past Bangladesh’s 226 all out with eight balls to spare in front of thousands of dejected home fans.
The West Indies, which had also reached the final when the tournament was staged in Bangladesh in 2004, will meet an undefeated India for the title in Mirpur on Sunday, 14 February. This will be the first-ever final between the two sides at the age-group level.
Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan top-scored with 60, reviving the innings with a 85-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Saifuddin (36), after half the side had been dismissed for 113 runs.
The West Indies lost wickets regularly to keep Bangladesh in the hunt till Springer built on skipper Shimron Hetmyer’s half-century to record a memorable victory.
Bangladesh, electing to bat on a misty morning, lost openers Pinak Ghosh and Saif Hassan by the seventh over to make it 27 for two. It then slipped to 88 for four after star batsman Nazmul Hossain was dismissed for 11 and Joyraz Sheik fell for 35.
Mehidy hit seven boundaries in Saifuddin’s company before both the batsmen fell off successive deliveries by seamer Keemo Paul.
Mosabbek Hossain denied the bowler a hat-trick, but Paul finished with impressive figures of three for 20 from just three overs. Springer and Chemar Holder took two wickets apiece.
Gidron Pope provided the West Indies a swashbuckling start by taking 14 of the first over bowled by Mehidy before racing to 38 off 25 balls, which included five fours and a six.
Hetmyer took 16 deliveries to get off the mark before making a 59-ball 60 to lift his team to 147 for three in the 28th over.
West Indies moved to 177 for four, needing just 50 more runs in 13 overs, when left-arm spinner Saleh Ahmed turned the game around with two wickets in the 38th over.
Springer kept his end up and punished the loose balls before ending the match with two consecutive boundaries through the covers off Saifuddin.
“It’s a great feeling and an even better feeling to be in the final, a dream come true,” said Springer. “It was quite a challenge out there, but I just backed myself to do well.”
Added Hetmyer: “Credit to the bowlers for not allowing Bangladesh to run up a big score. It was a good wicket to bat on, but we did well to keep them down to 226.
“Springer was excellent as always. We lost quite a few wickets, but as long as Springer was out in the middle we knew we had a great chance.
“We are very excited about playing India in the final. It will be a very good contest.”
Mehidy rued the lack of runs by the batsmen, but praised the team for giving the West Indies a good fight.
“It was a slow pitch, but 226 was not enough,” the Bangladesh captain said. “But I am happy with the way the team fought till the end. Till the last boundary, we thought we could win it.
“We are disappointed that we could not give our fans a win, but our biggest achievement was to reach the semi-finals for the first time. We will still try to finish third in the tournament.”
Meanwhile, Namibia defeated Nepal by 15 runs in Fatullah to finish seventh in the 16-nation tournament, a marked improvement from its 14th place two years ago.
Lohan Louwrens and Michael van Lingen hit half-centuries to steer Namibia to 225 for nine after it elected to bat in a match reduced to 45 overs a side.
Nepal made a gallant chase before being all out for 210 in the final over with opener Sunil Dhamala making 59. Fritz Coetzee claimed three wickets.
Canada took the 15th spot with an eight-wicket win over Fiji in the battle of the wooden spooners in Cox’s Bazar.
Miraj Patel claimed four for 16 and Shlok Patel took three for 18 as Canada bowled out Fiji for 83 and then surpassed the modest target in 20 overs with opener Akash Gill making 38 not out.
Summarised scores:
Super League semi-final – West Indies beat Bangladesh by three wickets in Mirpur
Bangladesh 226 all out, 50 overs (Mehidy Hasan 60, Mohammad Saifuddin 36; Keemo Paul 3-20, Shamar Springer 2-36, Chemar Holder 2-36)
West Indies 230-7, 48.4 overs (Shamar Springer 62 not out, Shimron Hetmyer 60, Gidron Pope 38; Saleh Ahmed 3-37, Mohammad Saifuddin 2-46, Mehidy Hasan 2-57)
7th/8th place play-off – Namibia beat Nepal by 15 runs in Fatullah
Namibia 225-9, 45 overs (Lohan Louwrens 59, Michael van Lingen 58; Sandeep Lamichhane 3-35, Sushil Kandel 2-30)
Nepal 210 all out, 44.2 overs (Sunil Dhamala 59, Yogendra Karki 35; Fritz Coetzee 3-34, Burton Jacobs 2-44)
15th/16th place play-off – Canada beat Fiji by eight wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Fiji 83 all out, 28 overs (Miraj Patel 4-16, Shlok Patel 3-18)
Canada 84-2, 20 overs (Akash Gill 38 not out)
Forthcoming matches
12 Feb – New Zealand v South Africa, Cox’s Bazar (11th/12th place play-off)
12 Feb – Pakistan v England, Fatullah (5th/6th place play-off)
12 Feb – Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Cox’s Bazar (9th/10th place play-off)
13 Feb – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Fatullah (3rd/4th place play-off)
14 Feb – India v West Indies, Mirpur (Final)
Wicketkeeper/batsman Rishabh Pant hit 111 off 96 balls as power-packed India demolished Namibia by 197 runs in Fatullah on Saturday to cruise into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
All-rounder Anmolpreet Singh scored 41 and took three for 27 in his first appearance in the tournament as India piled up 349 for six after electing to bat, and then bowled the African side out for 152 in 39 overs. The match was produced by ICC TV and aired around the world by 15 broadcasters.
Three-time champion India, coached by batting great Rahul Dravid, will take on the winner of Sunday’s quarter-final between strong contenders England and Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Mirpur on 9 February.
The second semi-final between host Bangladesh and the winner between Pakistan and the West Indies on Monday will be played in Mirpur on 11 February.
Dravid said his team had started to play almost perfect cricket. “I think we have played some good cricket right through the tournament. At some stages, I still feel we have not played a perfect game, but this was our best all-round performance.
“We had a few hiccups earlier on in the batting but it is nice to see that we have recovered and we are playing well. We’re playing good cricket, focusing on the processes and not worrying too much about the results and things are going well.”
Dravid said he had reminded his boys not to be over-confident or complacent. “When you come into knock-out stage, you can’t take any team for granted. Namibia put in some very good performances to get here. Before the game started, we spoke about the dangers of being complacent and we wanted to get a win.
“The focus was to win and not about anything else. I am glad that we were able to put on a commanding performance and qualify for the semi-finals.”
Pant, the left-handed opener who had scored the fastest 50 in under-19 internationals off 18 balls against Nepal, smashed 14 boundaries and two sixes during his whirlwind 111.
Pant added 103 for the second wicket with Anmolpreet after captain Ishan Kishan had been caught and bowled by Fritz Coetzee for six in the third over.
That set the stage for an Indian assault with former school-mates Sarfaraz Khan and Armaan Jaffar scoring aggressive half-centuries.
Sarfaraz hit a run-a-ball 76 and Armaan made 64 off 55 balls before a late blitz by Mahipal Lomror lifted India to the mammoth total.
Left-handed Lomror took 24 runs in the final over bowled by Coetzee, which included three sixes, as he returned unbeaten on 41 off 21 balls.
Namibia made an impressive start with openers SJ Loftie-Eaton (22) and Niko Davin (33) putting on 59 for the first wicket by the 10th over.
Skipper Zane Green made 27 to lift Namibia to 80 for one, but the rest of the batting caved in as left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar supported his off-break partner Anmolpreet with three wickets for 25 runs.
“We set a good target with Pant leading the way and then fielded and bowled well today,” said India captain Kishan.
“It was nice to move into the semi-finals with such a good win. Namibia had a good start, but we needed to stay patient and once the first wicket fell, we applied pressure on their batsmen.”
Asked whether India would prefer to face England or the West Indies in the semi-final, Kishan said: “We can fare well against either team. We just need to play to our strengths and do the basics right.”
Namibia coach Rangarirai Manyande, whose side upset defending champion South Africa in the league, rued the inability to grab the opportunities that came their way.
“The Indians batted quite nicely,” said Manyande. “They batted very aggressively and did not give us a chance. Unfortunately, we could not grab our opportunity once we were 80 for one and that put us on the backfoot.
“We need to improve a lot. We were a little bit tired in the field and when the Indian spinners came on, we were unable to capitalize on the good start we got.
“But the boys are hungry for one more win which can help us finish in the top six.”
Scores in brief:
Super League quarter-final: India beat Namibia by 197 runs in Fatullah
India 349-6, 50 overs (Rishabh Pant 111, Sarfaraz Khan 76, Armaan Jaffer 64, Anmolpreet Singh 41, Mahipal Lomror 41 not out; Fritz Coetzee 3-78)
Namibia 152 all out, 39 overs (Niko Davin 33, Zane Green 27, SJ Lofie-Eaton 22; Mayank Dagar 3-25, Anmolpreet Singh 3-27)
Forthcoming Super League quarter-finals:
7 Feb – England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah
Semi-final line-up:
9 Feb – India v England/Sri Lanka, Mirpur
11 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan/West Indies, Mirpur
Plate Championship (play/offs):
7 Feb – Ireland v Canada, Cox’s Bazar
8 Feb – South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cox’s Bazar; Scotland v Fiji, Cox’s Bazar
9 Feb – New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox’s Bazar
Host Bangladesh defeated a valiant Nepal by six wickets after a tense run-chase to storm into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 on Friday, giving the nation its maiden appearance in the last four of a world event.
Skipper Mehidy Hasan and Zakir Hasan hit unbeaten half-centuries as Bangladesh recovered from early setbacks to surpass Nepal’s 211 for nine with 10 balls to spare in Mirpur. The match was produced by ICC TV and aired around the world by 15 broadcasters.
Bangladesh faces the winner of Monday’s quarter-final between Pakistan and the West Indies in the second semi-final at Mirpur on 11 February. The first semi-final on 9 February in Mirpur will feature the winners of quarter-final matches between India-Namibia and England-Sri Lanka.
Nepal’s captain Raju Rijal hit 72 (80b, 8×4, 1×6) after winning the toss and electing to bat, but four run-outs in the innings, including that of the captain himself, set his team back.
Nepal slipped to 178 for seven in 43 overs but useful contributions in the end from Dipendra Airee and Prem Tamang, who made 22 apiece, lifted it past the 200-run mark.
Right-arm seamer Mohammad Saifuddin was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, giving away just four runs in the final over to return with figures of two for 38.
Bangladesh, mentored by former Australia international Stuart Law, was made to fight hard for runs as Nepal’s bowlers conceded just 21 runs in the first 10 overs.
The home team was reduced to 98 for four in the 29th over when Mehidy joined Zakir to add a match-winning partnership of 117 for the unbroken fifth wicket.
Left-handed Zakir, who scored an unbeaten 75 from 103 balls, ended the match by lofting Airee for a six over long-on. He also hit five fours. Mehidy returned undefeated on 55 from 65 balls which also included three fours.
“It is so exciting to be part of the first Bangladesh team to enter the semi-final of a World Cup,” a jubilant Mehidy said, adding: “I think Nepal played a very good game. They did their best with both bat and ball. They are a very good side that we have beaten today.
“Zakir played so well and kept supporting me. He told me that we should try to take singles and twos because the boundaries were not easy to get. That worked well for us.
“We look forward to the semi-final. Hopefully we will raise our game and do our best to enter the final.”
Nepal’s Rijal rued his side’s inability to put up a bigger total.
“The four run-outs and the loss of five wickets in the middle overs cost us at least 25-30 runs. If we had got those runs we would have fought till the end.
“But I am proud of the way the team has played in the tournament. Our aim is to finish with a good placing.”
In the Plate Championship quarter-finals, Afghanistan trumped Fiji by 226 runs after opener Karim Janat smashed 156 off 132 balls with 12 boundaries and six sixes.
Afghanistan piled up 340 for nine after being sent into bat and Fiji was shot out for 114 in reply. Nijat Masood claimed three wickets for six runs in six overs and Rashid Khan took three for 16.
A fine all-round performance by Jeremy Ives helped Zimbabwe defeat Canada by six wickets in another Plate quarter-final in Cox’s Bazar.
Ives claimed three for 30 as Canada were restricted to 186 for eight after electing to bat. Amish Taploo top-scored with 37.
Ives then returned unbeaten on 43 after Zimbabwe cruised home in the 32nd over, with Shaun Snyder making 56.
Scores in brief:
Super League quarter-final: Bangladesh beat Nepal by six wickets in Mirpur
Nepal 211-9, 50 overs (Raju Rijal 72, Dipendra Airee 22, Prem Tamang 22 not out; Mohammad Saifuddin 2-38)
Bangladesh 215-4, 48.2 overs (Zakir Hasan 75 not out, Mehidy Hasan 55 not out; Sunil Dhamala 2-33)
Plate quarter-final: Afghanistan beat Fiji by 226 runs in Cox’s Bazar
Afghanistan 340-9, 50 overs (Karim Janat 156, Perwez Malakzai 74, Peni Vuniwaqa 3-41)
Fiji 114 all out, 31.2 overs (Nijat Masood 3-6, Rashid Khan 3-16, Zahir Khan 2-45)
Plate quarter-final: Zimbabwe beat Canada by six wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Canada 186-8, 50 overs (Amish Taploo 37, Abraash Khan 32, Arslan Khan 31, Jeremy Ives 3-30)
Zimbabwe 190-4, 31.4 overs (Shaun Snyder 56, Jeremy Ives 43 not out; Bhavindu Adhihetty 2-23, Shlok Patel 2-62)
Saturday’s match (Super League quarter-final)
India v Namibia, Fatullah
Plate Championship (play/offs):
7 Feb – Ireland v Canada, Cox’s Bazar
8 Feb – South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cox’s Bazar; Scotland v Fiji, Cox’s Bazar
9 Feb – New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox’s Bazar
New Zealand and South Africa put aside the disappointment of not qualifying for the Super League of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup by making winning starts in the Plate Championship which decides the 9-16 positions.
New Zealand bounced back from its defeats to India and Nepal in Group D to brush aside Scotland by seven wickets in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday.
South Africa, the defending champion who failed to finish among the top two in Group A, breezed past Ireland by eight wickets in another quarter-final in Cox’s Bazar.
Scotland was restricted to 181 for nine after electing to bat with left-arm seamer Ross ter Braak claiming three for 34. Owais Shah top-scored for the Scots with 32.
New Zealand made short work of the target as Glenn Phillips smashed 89 in an opening stand of 98 with Daniel Stanley from just 11.4 overs. The 40-ball blitz from Phillips contained 11 boundaries and six sixes.
Skipper Josh Finnie, who remained unbeaten on 30 as New Zealand won in 27 overs, said it was a good start for his team in the Plate championship.
“It’s nice to get off to a good start,” he said, “We bowled pretty well and picked up wickets at the right time.
“Then Glenn smashed a quick-fire 89 chasing a small target, which was a good way to go about it. Hopefully, we will continue the same way and get through to the final.”
Scotland captain Neil Flack conceded New Zealand played better and deserved to win, but his team too could take some positives from the game.
“We showed we can bat 50 overs against a good side,” he said. “We need to keep developing and make sure we finish the tournament on a high.”
South Africa kept Ireland down to 185 for seven despite an unbeaten 77 by Lorcan Tucker. Willem Ludick and Dayyaan Giliem claimed two wickets each.
Kyle Verreynne hit 77, adding 104 for the first wicket with Liam Smith (49), as South Africa coasted home with four overs to spare. Wiaan Mulder remained unbeaten on 43.
“I think we did well to restrict Ireland to 185 considering it had won the toss and chosen to bat,” said South African captain Tony de Zorzi.
“The Irish bowlers tied our batsmen down in the first 10 overs but then Kyle and Liam opened up to put on a century stand and make it easy for us to chase the score.
“We want to represent our country with some pride, so are very keen to do well in our remaining matches.”
South Africa await the winner of Friday’s match between Zimbabwe and Canada in the Plate semi-final on Monday. New Zealand take on either Afghanistan or Fiji on Tuesday.
Scores in brief:
Plate quarter-final: South Africa beat Ireland by eight wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Ireland 185-7, 50 overs (Lorcan Tucker 77 not out; Willem Ludick 2-43, Dayyaan Giliem 2-22)
South Africa 187-2, 46 overs (Kyle Verreynne 77, Liam Smith 49, Wiaan Mulder 43)
Plate quarter-final: New Zealand beat Scotland by seven wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Scotland 181-9, 50 overs (Owais Shah 32, Jack Waller 24; Ross ter Braak 3-34, Nathan Smith 2-37)
New Zealand 185-3, 27 overs (Glenn Phillips 89, Josh Finnie 30 not out, Finn Allen 31 not out; Haris Aslam 2-37)
Friday’s matches (Plate Championship only)
Zimbabwe v Canada in Cox’s Bazar; Afghanistan v Fiji in Cox’s Bazar
Undefeated Bangladesh, England, India and Pakistan will start as favourites when the Super League quarter-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 are played from 5 to 8 February in Mirpur and Fatullah. ICC TV will produce the quarter-finals, which will be aired around the world by 15 broadcasters.
These four teams topped their respective groups in the preliminary league with an all-win record, displaying all-round strengths good enough to take any one of them all the way to the title.
Sri Lanka and the West Indies, the other two Test nations in the last eight, will also fancy their chances even as qualifiers Namibia and Nepal look to make a mark against the bigger teams.
The knock-out round opens with a match between Bangladesh and Nepal, two of the five Asian sides in the fray, in Mirpur on Friday. The winner of this match will take on the winner of the other quarter-final between England and Sri Lanka, who go head to head in Mirpur on Sunday. This semi-final will be played in Mirpur on 9 February.
The other semi-final on 11 February could feature a mouth-watering clash between India and Pakistan if the archrivals come through their respective quarter-finals. India meets Namibia in Fatullah on Saturday and Pakistan faces the West Indies on Monday at the same venue.
Bangladesh, the most experienced side in the tournament with five players taking part in their second under-19 World Cup, has not looked back after knocking out defending champion South Africa in the opening match on 27 January.
Captain Mehidy Hasan’s team played inspiring cricket in home conditions in front of fanatical fans to raise hopes of beating Nepal and going past the quarter-finals for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Nazmul Hossain scored an unbeaten century against Scotland, while seamer Mohammad Saifuddin and spinner Saleh Ahmed are the bowling spearheads with seven wickets apiece.
“The journey has been good so far and if we can get to the semi-finals, there is every chance of something good happening. I can feel it,” said Mehidy.
“We have seen a bit of Nepal, whose players seem to be enjoying their cricket. We may be more experienced than them, but one can’t afford to relax in a knock-out situation.”
Nepal, which last played in the U19 World Cup in 2012 and returned for this edition after winning the qualifying tournament in Malaysia, defeated New Zealand and Ireland to advance to the quarter-finals.
Rahul-Dravid coached India swept past Group D rivals Ireland, New Zealand and Nepal in impressive fashion, but captain Ishan Kishan is not taking Namibia lightly in the quarter-finals.
“We have not seen Namibia play but they must obviously be doing well to get to this stage,” he said. “The idea is to stick to the basics and focus on our plans.
“We have batted and bowled well but we can’t expect one person to perform in every match. Everyone has to contribute. We want to perform as a team.”
Stocky Sarfaraz Khan scored 74 in each of the first two games to shore up a wobbly top-order.
But it was left-handed opener Rishabh Pant who stole the show with a blistering 78 off 24 balls against hapless Nepal, a knock studded with nine boundaries and five sixes.
His 50 off just 18 balls was the fastest recorded half-century in the history of under-19 international cricket.
Unfancied Namibia has progressed beyond its best-ever finish of 11th place in 2008 following a stunning two-wicket win over South Africa and a nine-wicket defeat of Scotland.
Skipper Zane Green, who also played in the 2014 event where Namibia finished 14th, said team spirit had played a big role this time.
“Our strength has been our team spirit. We play great as a team,” he said. “I am very happy with the performance so far but playing India will obviously be a new experience.
“We have only watched India on TV. They are a great side.”
England, with nine senior county players in its ranks, has shown excellent form with both bat and ball in its three Group C matches to emerge as the team to beat in the competition.
England raked up huge totals each time it took the crease, scoring 371 for three against Fiji and followed that with 282 for seven against the West Indies and 288 for four against Zimbabwe.
Opener Dan Lawrence, who plays for Essex, has notched up 288 runs so far with a century and two half-centuries. Durham’s Jack Burnham too has been in dominant form with two centuries.
Lancashire seamer Saqib Mahmood is the tournament’s leading bowler with 11 wickets, two more than the second-placed duo of Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan and Indian fast bowler Avesh Khan.
England’s captain Brad Taylor said even though his team had emerged unscathed in the group, the quarter-final against Sri Lanka will be a different proposition.
“We played them in Sri Lanka last year and know what to expect,” said Taylor. “They will be a tough opponent in conditions that suit their style of play.”
Pakistan trounced Afghanistan by six wickets and Canada by seven wickets before squeezing past Sri Lanka by 23 runs on Wednesday to top Group B.
The batting has revolved around skipper Zeeshan Malik and all-rounder Hasan Mohsin, whose 86 and two early wickets earned him the man of the match award against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will take note of the exploits of West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who clocked 147 kmph during one spell against Zimbabwe, and the batting duo of Shamar Springer and Gidron Pope.
West Indies coach Graeme West said the bowlers needed to keep a tight line and length if his wards were to overcome the challenge from Pakistan.
“We have batted really well in the top and bottom of the order,” he said. “I am really pleased with our strike bowler Joseph. But the bowling needs to be tighter and more disciplined.
“Pakistan have a lot of variety and quality in bowling. We will be looking for everybody to contribute, because without that we won’t be able to challenge the likes of Pakistan.”
In the Plate championship for teams which failed to qualify for the Super League, South Africa takes on Ireland and New Zealand faces Scotland in quarter-final matches on Thursday, 4 February.
Afghanistan will meet Fiji and Zimbabwe clashes with Canada the next day. All Plate matches will be played in Cox’s Bazar.
Quarter-finals (Super League)
5 Feb – Bangladesh v Nepal, Mirpur (QF1)
6 Feb – India v Namibia, Fatullah (QF3)
7 Feb – England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (QF4)
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah (QF2)
Semi-finals line-up
9 Feb – winner QF1 v winner QF4, Mirpur
11 Feb – winner QF2 v winner QF3, Mirpur
Pakistan rode on a fine all-round performance by Hasan Mohsin to defeat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the last league match and top Group B in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Mohsin top-scored with 86 and then rattled Sri Lanka with two early wickets as Pakistan fought back after being dismissed for 212 to bowl its rival out for 189 in Mirpur.
Pakistan will take on the West Indies in the fourth quarter-final in Fatullah on 8 February. Sri Lanka, which finished second in the group, meets England on 7 February in Mirpur.
Pakistan’s total was built around Mohsin’s attractive run-a-ball innings which was studded with eight hits to the fence and a six.
Pakistan was struggling at 96-4 after being sent in to bat on a hazy morning when Mohsin stepped in to stem the rot with a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with Salman Fayyaz (33).
Mohsin, who was on 61 at the fall of the seventh wicket, smashed 23 runs in the 47th over bowled by seamer Asitha Fernando which included five runs for an overthrow.
Moshin was bowled in the next over, trying to reverse sweep left-arm spinner Damitha Silva, who finished with two wickets for 41 runs.
Thilan Nimesh and Wanidu Hasaranga also claimed two wickets each, but ambidextrous 17-year-old Kamindu Mendis caught the eye with his rare talent to bowl both right-arm off-breaks and left-arm spin.
Mendis gave away 21 runs in four wicketless overs.
Mohsin, who was later named man of the match, stung early in Sri Lanka’s reply, grabbing the first two wickets by the sixth over with his medium-pace bowling.
Sri Lanka was reduced to 63-4 before Mendis, who bats left-handed, scored 68 and Vishad Randika made 46 while adding 84 for the fifth wicket.
Pakistan kept the pressure on the batsmen to clinch victory in the 47th over as leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with three for 31 runs. Sameen Gul, Mohsin and Ahmad Shafiq shared six wickets between them.
Pakistan captain Zeeshan Malik said defeating Sri Lanka had lifted the team’s morale for the quarter-final against the West Indies.
“I think we played very good cricket today, both with the bat and ball,” he said. “Mohsin was very good but all the bowlers did well.
“We look forward to our quarter-final and hopefully we will go beyond that as well.”
Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka blamed the defeat on the batsmen’s inability to string partnerships, but said his team did not fear England.
“The batting went wrong today,” he said. “The top order batsmen couldn’t score runs and form partnerships. Mendis and Randika had a good stand but we couldn’t do our job in the end.
“England is a good side. We played each other in December. But I think the conditions will support us. Our spinners are in good form, so I think this will be an advantage for us.”
Scores in brief:
Group B – Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in Mirpur
Pakistan 212 all, 48.4 overs (Hasan Mohsin 86, Salman Fayyaz 33; Damitha Silva 2-41, Thilan Nimesh 2-38, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-30)
Sri Lanka 189 all out, 46.4 overs (Kamindu Mendis 68, Vishad Randika 46; Shadab Khan 3-31, Sameen Gul 2-29, Hasan Mohsin 2-28, Ahmad Shafiq 2-23)
Thursday’s matches:
4 Feb – South Africa v Ireland; New Zealand v Scotland, Cox’s Bazaar
Quarter-finals (Super League)
5 Feb – Bangladesh v Nepal, Mirpur
6 Feb – India v Namibia, Fatullah
7 Feb – England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah
Quarter-finals (Plate Championship):
5 Feb – Afghanistan v Fiji; Canada v Zimbabwe, Cox’s Bazaar
The West Indies took the last quarter-final spot in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Bangladesh 2016 with a thrilling, but controversial, two-run win over Zimbabwe on Tuesday that gave it second place in Group C behind England.
Zimbabwe, chasing the West Indies’ 226 for nine, began the last over needing just three runs to win with one wicket in hand amid mounting tension in Chittagong.
But, West Indies seamer Keemo Paul whipped off the bails before sending down the first ball, catching non-striker Richard Ngarava out of his crease. The decision was referred to the TV umpire who declared Ngarava run-out.
The last-wicket incident proved an anti-climax to what had been an absorbing do-or-die contest between two valiant teams attempting to nail a quarter-final berth. The match was produced by ICC TV and aired around the world by 15 broadcasters
Zimbabwe, in its run-chase, was reduced to 147 for six following a four-wicket haul by fast bowler Alzaari Joseph, before Adam Keefe (43) and Wesley Madhevere (21) led a remarkable fightback by adding 62 runs for the seventh wicket.
Shamar Springer, who had top-scored with 61 in the West Indies innings, turned his team’s hero with the ball by dismissing both batsmen to finish with two for 16 in four overs.
The West Indies will take on the winner of Wednesday’s last league match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the fourth quarter-final in Fatullah on 8 February, while Zimbabwe will play Canada in the Plate Championships quarter-final in Cox’s Bazar on 5 February.
West Indies coach Graeme West admitted it was a tight match: “It got very tight and we knew that this was a game that was always going down to the wire. A bit of nip and tuck. It (the finish) was certainly not something we had envisaged.
“I can imagine what they (Zimbabwe team) must be going through now. I feel sorry for them because they got themselves into winning positions and then we pulled it back. I share their disappointment.
“Our objective was to progress to the quarters and doing that after a tense game was very pleasing. We are still not there and have to take care of the little things that we are not doing right at the moment.”
Zimbabwe coach Stephen Mangongo said he was happy with the way his side had fought in the match. “I am proud of my boys. Restricting the West Indies for 226 on a batting-friendly wicket was a good performance and we were up for the chase. And like any other games, we lost quick wickets under pressure.
“I am disappointed with the way the game ended. I have debriefed the boys in the dressing room and they were all crying. We have explained that technically the run-out is legal. We left it to the last man and we should not have done that. It was a hard lesson and they have learnt it the hard way.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh topped Group A with an eight-wicket demolition of second-placed Namibia, ending the match in Cox’s Bazar in one session itself.
Namibia was dismissed for 65 in 32.5 overs after being sent into bat by Bangladesh with Saleh Ahmed, skipper Mehidy Hasan and Ariful Islam claiming two wickets each.
Bangladesh lost Pinak Ghosh in the first over, but an unbeaten 34 from Joyraz Sheik steered the host to an easy victory in the 16th over.
Bangladesh ended the league with three successive wins and will now play surprise qualifier Nepal in the first quarter-final in Mirpur on 5 February, while another qualifier Namibia, which knocked out defending champion South Africa, will take on India on Saturday in Fatullah for a place in the semi-finals.
Saleh said the comfortable victory had made him and the rest of the team hungry for more.
“We not only want to defeat Nepal in the quarter-final, but also win the semi-final and the final. We want to be the world champion,” he said.
Namibia captain Zane Green rued his team’s bad batting but vowed to put up a better show against India.
“It was not our best batting performance and a total of 65 was always going to be too little to defend,” he said. “We should have added at least 100 more runs to make it competitive.
“But we will stay positive against India and will not back down.”
South Africa finished third in the group after a 10-wicket rout of Scotland in Cox’s Bazar, the first win in the tournament for skipper Tony de Zorzi’s men.
Electing to field, South Africa bowled out Scotland for 127 with Dayyaan Galiem, Wiaan Mulder, Sean Whitehead and de Zorzi taking two wickets each.
The South Africans raced to victory in 29 overs without losing a wicket as openers Kyle Verreynne and Liam Smith returned unbeaten with identical scores of 64 not out and in the same number of deliveries (87).
In the Plate Championship quarter-finals, South Africa will play Ireland on Thursday and on the same day, Scotland will meet New Zealand.
“It was good to bounce back in the tournament,” de Zorzi said. “We still have a job to do in the matches coming up so it was good to get a win under the belt.
“The guys have shown immense character and responsibility, knowing that we have a lot of people to play for at home. We could not get the results we wanted but we still wear our colours with pride and honour.
“We are definitely determined to win the Plate Championships. The boys know we have a job to do.”
Scores in brief:
Group A: Bangladesh beat Namibia by eight wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Namibia 65 all out, 32.5 overs (Niko Davin 19; Ariful Islam 2-9, Saleh Ahmed 2-10, Mehidy Hasan 2-12)
Bangladesh 66-2, 16 overs (Joyraz Sheik 34 not out, Fritz Coetzee 2-20)
Group A: South Africa beat Scotland by 10 wickets in Cox’s Bazar
Scotland 127 all out, 45.4 overs (Harris McCreath 29 not out; Dayyaan Galiem 2-16, Wiaan Mulder 2-16, Sean Whitehead 2-16, Tony de Zorzi 2-20)
South Africa 129-0, 29 overs (Kyle Verreynne 64 not out, Liam Smith 64 not out)
Group C: West Indies beat Zimbabwe by two runs in Chittagong
West Indies 226-9, 50 overs (Shamar Springer 61, Rugare Magarira 3-28, Wesley Madhevere 2-48)
Zimbabwe 224 all out, 49 overs (Shaun Snyder 52, Adam Keefe 43, Jeremy Ives 37, Wesley Madhevere 21; Alzaari Joseph 4-30)
Wednesday’s match:
Group B – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
Quarter-finals (Super League)
5 Feb – Bangladesh v Nepal, Mirpur
6 Feb – India v Namibia, Fatullah
7 Feb – England v Pakistan-Sri Lanka loser, Mirpur
8 Feb – West Indies v Pakistan-Sri Lanka winner, Fatullah
Quarter-finals (Plate Championship):
4 Feb – South Africa v Ireland; New Zealand v Scotland
5 Feb – Afghanistan v Fiji; Canada v Zimbabwe
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