Pakistan, Zimbabwe enter Super Six

The ninth day of ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 sees action in Kimberley, Potchefstroom, and East London.

Pakistan secure 10-wicket win over New Zealand

It was all Ubaid Shah at the start of the Kiwi innings. The pacer beat the bat several times by getting the ball to jag around considerably. He ran through the New Zealand top order in his first spell. Luke Watson had barely settled in when Ubaid beat him with a peach and sent his off-stump cartwheeling.

His partner, Tom Jones, looked like he had settled in with three boundaries, but Ubaid moved one prodigiously in the seventh over and got a thick nick that went behind to the keeper. Snehith Reddy was sent packing off the last ball of the same over when Ubaid swung one in and sent his middle stump into the air.

Oscar Jackson added 26 for the fourth wicket along with Ollie Tewatiya but fell to a good length ball from Mohammad Zeeshan. Jackson tried to go leg side but the ball rose on him and took a leading edge which went straight to the gully region.

Lachlan Stackpole brought the initiative back to New Zealand with a flurry of boundaries. He backed his timing against the pacers, and used power to muscle fours and sixes against the spinners.

Naveed Khan brought Pakistan back into the game with his strikes. Stackpole fell while trying to dispatch the offspinner over the covers. The ball didn't elevate to the intended level, and Shamyl Hussain took a catch. Tewatiya was the next to go, getting stumped off Naveed's bowling. Ali Asfand and Arafat Minhas struck with their left-arm spin to rattle the Kiwi tail.

The Kiwi innings fell through, and they were bowled out for 140.

PAKISTAN RESPONSE

In response, Shamyl Hossain and Shahzaib Khan had Pakistan off to the perfect start. Putting their foot on the pedal, they set the right tone for the chase. Shahzaib took the lead in run scoring, even as the Boys in Green went at better than a run a ball.

The duo slowed down after their enthusiastic start, going at about four an over between overs 11-17. However, Shahzaib picked pace again, taking on Tewatiya, hitting the left-arm spinner for two sixes in the 19th over. Shamyl followed suit taking on Zac Cumming in the 21st over, hitting a six and a four against the legspinner, before letting Shahzaib sign off with a six off the final ball of the over.

The duo made it feel like Pakistan were playing on a different wicket. The Boys in Green won the game with all their wickets intact.

Zimbabwe into the Super Six

Hansie de Villiers was trapped lbw early in the innings by Kohl Eksteen. Along with JW Visagie, Gerhard Janse van Rensburg stabilised the innings against a disciplined Zimbabwe. Visagie fell finally when he played on against Newman Nyamhuri.

The Eagles couldn't escape Nyamhuri's wrath over the upcoming overs, as the left-arm seamer kept getting crucial breakthroughs. Janse van Rensburg (23) was the next to go when he tried to pull Nyamhuri but ended up giving a leading edge straight to the third. Before Namibia could get back on their feet, Zacheo van Vuuren saw his off stump uprooted after missing a sharp delivery from Nyamhuri.

Alex Volschenk tried to bring the innings back on track, but Ryan Simbi struck thrice to derail the Namibia innings. He accounted for Ben Brassell, Volschenk and Jack Brassell before Namibia could touch 100.

It took a sturdy effort from Hanro Badenhorst (39*) to help Namibia bat out their 50 overs. Newman Nyamhuri finished with 4-21 for his effort.

The Young Chevrons were steady yet safe in their approach. 21 were added for the first wicket, mostly from the willow of wicketkeeper Ryan Kamwemba, before he fell lbw to Jack Brassell. Panashe Taruvinga and Brandon Sunguro stuck to the same principle, bringing up their 50-run stand in the 17th over, but scoring merely four runs off the next four overs. Taruvinga then slammed four fours in the 22nd over.

The modest target ahead of them allowed them to vary their approach as per the conditions.