Ravi Kant SinghTownsville:  Despite a below-par performance with the bat, India managed to eke out a 107-run win over Papua New Guinea in their third outing at the U-19 World Cup at Endeavour Park on Thursday.

The victory took them to second place in Group C, and they will now play Pakistan in the quarter-final on August 20.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, skipper Unmukt Chand (4) saw himself back in the dressing room with just five runs on the scoreboard. His opening partner Prashant Chopra however, put up a fight, scoring 58 valuable runs before perishing to Vagi Morea.

Vijay Zol (72) then took over striking a fine half-century, forging a valuable partnership with keeper-batsman Smit Patel (30). The left-hander would be the last to fall as India were bowled out for 204. Chad Soper was Papua New Guinea’s best bowler, finishing with figures of 5/32.

It seemed to be a day tailor-made for the bowlers, as Kamal Passi started by dismissing PNG’s opener Lega Siaka (1). Medium-pacer Ravikant Singh came in soon after, taking wickets at regular intervals, as the opposition’s batting began to disintegrate. Singh went on to finish with figures of 5/21, and was declared the Man-of-the-Match.

When Charles Amini made his way back to the dressing room in the 25th over, PNG had lost their seventh wicket. They didn’t  trouble the scorers for too long, as Baba Aparajith dismissed batsman No.10 to bundle Papua New Guinea out for just 97.

England reaches Super League quarter-finals

Another impressive knock by wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes and some hostile pace bowling by Shozair Ali helped England defeat Nepal by 126 runs to finish second behind Australia in Group A.

Foakes missed a century by eight runs but his 92 (84b, 7x4,3x6) was the centre-piece of England’s 274 for seven, which also featured a half-century from Ben Duckett (55, 33b, 6x4, 1x6).

Despite a half-century from Nepal opener Subhash Khakurel, Nepal’s run-chase was never allowed to flourish as Ali and fellow new ball partner Reece Topley rattled through the line-up to dismiss the Nepal for 148.

Ali, a Warwickshire quick bowler, finished with four for 37 from 10 overs while the rangy Topley was also eye-catching with three for 10 from seven overs.

Pakistan tops Group B

A clinical performance by Pakistan provided it with an ideal preparation for its quarter-final clash with traditional rival India.

New Zealand, batting first, stuttered to 152 for eight with Robert O’Donnell (29) and Henry Walsh (33) netting 51 runs for the fourth wicket. For Pakistan, wickets were shared between all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz (two for 32), right-arm fast bowler Ehsan Adil (two for 21) and 17-year-old left-arm quick Zia-ul-Haq (two for 27).

When Pakistan batted, Nawaz followed up his two for 32 with a 23 not out (20b, 1x4, 2x6) to not only win the player of the match award but also for ensuring his side’s five-wicket win with more than 18 overs to spare.

Pakistan captain Baba Azam praised the composure of his team. “We were confident we would go well and I was very pleased with the way we worked together as a unit today. We have enjoyed our cricket so far and now we are into the quarter-finals, I think we can continue to improve,” he said.

West Indies relegates Zimbabwe to Plate Championship

Zimbabwe needed a convincing win over the West Indies to give itself a chance of qualifying for the Super League quarter-final. However, at Endeavour Park, Zimbabwe lost by six wickets and will now have to compete in the Plate Championship.

West Indies’ Test opener and captain Kraigg Brathwaite struck form at the right time as he returned unbeaten on 70, even as his side achieved the modest victory target of 149 with six wickets and almost 15 overs to spare.

Brathwaite said it was good to get some runs on the board today.

“I was looking for a hundred actually but I was just taking my time and getting into it. I am really pleased with our fast bowlers, they are really hitting their straps and backing themselves and looking to bowl fast which is a good sign for us,” he said.

Scores in brief:

Group A - England beat Nepal by 126 runs, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
England 274 for seven, 50 overs (Ben Foakes 92, Ben Duckett 55, Alex Davies 45; Rahul Vishvakarma 3-62, Avinash Karn 2-60)
Nepal 148 all out, 46 overs (Subash Khakurel 55, Hasim Ansari 35; Shozair Ali 4-37, Reece Topley 3-10)
Player of the match – Ben Foakes (England)

Group B - Pakistan beat New Zealand by five wickets, Kev Hackney Oval, Sunshine Coast
New Zealand 152 for eight, 50 overs (Henry Walsh 33; Ehsan Ali 2-21, Zia-ul-Haq 2-27, Mohammad Nawaz 2-32)
Pakistan 153 for five, 31.2 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 40, Saad Ali 32; Theo van Woerkom 2-43)
Player of the match – Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)

Group C - India beat PNG by 107 runs, Endeavour Park 1, Townsville
India 204 all out, 45.1 overs (Vijay Zol 72, Prashant Chopra 58, Smit Patel 30; Chand Soper 5-32, Toua Tom 2-26)
PNG 97 all out, 31.5 overs (Charles Amini 28, Chris Kent 27; Ravikant Singh 5-21, Baba Aparajith 2-16, Kamal Passi 2-18)
Player of the match – Ravikant Singh (India)

Group C - West Indies beat Zimbabwe by six wickets, Endeavour Park 2, Townsville
Zimbabwe 148 for eight, 50 overs (Malcolm Lake 31, Nyasha Mayavo 30; Akeal Hosein 2-16, Justin Greaves 2-28, Jerome Jones 2-40)
West Indies 150 for four, 35.1 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 70 not out, Kyle Mayers 30 not out; Kieran Geyle 2-28)
Player of the match - Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies)

Group D - Bangladesh beat Namibia by seven wickets, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane
Namibia 151 all out, 49.4 overs (Stephan Baard 40; Abu Jayed 3-29, Naeem Islam Jnr 2-19, Taskin Ahmed 2-29)
Bangladesh 155 for three, 37 overs (Liton Das 70 not out, Anamul Haque 32)
Player of the match – Liton Das (Bangladesh)

Quarter-finals line-up
Super League
*Sun 19 Aug – South Africa v England, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
Sun 19 Aug – Australia v Bangladesh, Endeavour Park 2, Townsville
*Mon 20 Aug – Pakistan v India, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
Mon 20 Aug –West Indies v New Zealand, Endeavour Park 1, Townsville

Plate Championship
Sun 19 Aug – Afghanistan v PNG, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Sun 19 Aug – Zimbabwe v Scotland, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane
Mon 20 Aug – Sri Lanka v Nepal, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane
Mon 20 Aug – Ireland v Namibia, WEP Harris Oval, Brisbane