… Centuries for Raghuvanshi and Bawa

RAJ Bawa and Angkrish Raghuvanshi powered India past several batting records as they set Uganda an insurmountable total of 405. After captain Nishant Sindu fell for 15 in the 16th over, Raghuvanshi and Bawa worked together to add 206 runs in 22.4 overs.

Opener Raghuvanshi was eventually dismissed for 144 from 120 balls. Bawa then continued to pile on the runs as Kaushal Tambe and Dinesh Bana made useful cameos.

By the time left-hander Bawa reached 150, 66 per cent of his runs had come from boundaries and at the close of the innings, he held the highest score of the tournament, surpassing the 154 not out from England’s Tom Prest, to end with 162 from 108 balls including 14 fours and eight sixes.

The overall total of 405 for five marks India’s second-highest score behind their 425 for three against Scotland in 2004. In that match Shikhar Dhawan hit 155 not out, the previous highest individual score for India at an ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Uganda’s challenge got even tougher as opener Isaac Ategeka was forced to retire having been struck on the forearm by a Rajvardhan Hangargekar delivery. The right-arm seamer then dismissed his replacement Cyrus Kakuru for a first-ball duck off the final ball of an eventful first over.

Captain Pascal Murungi, who earlier took Uganda’s best figures of 3-72, batted bravely for 34 but could not stop the inevitable victory, as Uganda ended on 79 for nine from 19.4 overs with Ategeka unable to retake the field.
Opener Muhammad Shehzad shone with ball rather than bat as Pakistan earned a nine-wicket win over Papua New Guinea to set up a knock-out meeting with Australia.

Papua New Guinea started positively as Christopher Kilapat and Boio Ray put on 24 for the first wicket. However, once Kilapat, who top-scored with 11, fell, Papua New Guinea lost the next nine wickets for 26 runs.

Pakistan’s bowling was impactful as well as wayward, the bowlers contributing 19 extras to Papua New Guinea’s total of 50. Ahmed Khan claimed the wickets of the two openers on his way to three for 10 before captain Barnabas Maha was run-out having added only two to the total.

Chasing the modest total of 51, Shehzad was out for a duck from six balls before Abbas Ali and wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan combined to put on the runs needed for a comfortable victory.

Pakistan top Group C having won all three of their matches to set up a repeat of the 1988 and 2010 finals with Australia, while Papua New Guinea will meet hosts West Indies in the Plate League.
Suliman Safi’s century helped Afghanistan to victory over Zimbabwe in the final game of Group C to earn a quarter-final tie with Sri Lanka in the Super League.

The Afghanistan captain put on 111 from 118 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes, to move Afghanistan to 261 for six. He was dismissed on the final ball of the innings. Four other batters posted scores of over 20, with opener Nageyalia Kharote contributing an important half-century from 45 balls.

Alex Falao was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe with three for 54 from his ten overs to tally eight wickets for the tournament so far.

In reply in Diego Martin, Zimbabwe opener Matthew Welch led the charge with Steven Saul contributing nine to the score before being given out lbw to leave his side on one for 49.
Welch’s next two partners added only one run to the total before it was Welch’s turn to fall, having made 53 from 61 balls.

Zimbabwe eventually slipped to a 109–run defeat and will now face Scotland in the plate quarterfinals.
Bangladesh bowlers worked in tandem to restrict the United Arab Emirates to 148 on their way to a nine-wicket victory.

The UAE slipped to eight for two inside three overs as Ashiqur Zaman dismissed the two openers to earn himself figures of two for 14 from eight overs. Dhruv Parashar and captain Alishan Sharafu then combined to steady the ship for the UAE, putting on 44 runs for the third wicket.

Punya Mehra then top-scored with 43 off 64 balls but could not find a partner to stay with him, as the final seven wickets fell for 98 runs. Ripon Mondol returned Bangladesh’s best figures of 3-31, with three other bowlers also coming away with dismissals.

Chasing 148, Bangladesh made a commanding start, reaching 86 before losing their first wicket as Iftakher Hossain was caught by Soorya Sathish off the bowling of Jash Giyanani.

Hossain had added 37 runs from 70 balls, with fellow opener Mahfijul Islam putting on 45 runs before the players were taken off the field due to rain in Basseterre.

Mahfijul was able to reach his half-century as the team had a new target of 107, the opener eventually reaching 64 not out from 6 balls, as Prantik Nawrose Nabil joined him in the middle. They sealed the victory and safe passage to the knockout stages. (ICC Media)