Pakistan enter semis, could face India in last-four stage
MUMBAI: Pakistan will be facing either India or Bangladesh in the semi-final of the ongoing ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2018 in New Zealand, after they defeated South Africa on Wednesday.
Pakistan U-19 trumped South Africa by three wickets in the quarterfinal played at Christchurch to book a place in the final four of the tournament. Chasing a paltry total of 190 to win, Pakistan did stumble in the middle but eventually sailed through with three wickets in hand and 2.1 overs to spare.
Muhammad Musa’s 3/29 and a fine unbeaten 74 from Ali Zaryab Asif were the highlights of Pakistan’s win, as they got the better of their South African counterparts.
Wandile Makwetu’s half-century (60 off 65 balls, 4x4s, 1x6s) and Jason Niemand’s 36 were the only notable contributions from South Africa with the bat, after they were put in to bat with Pakistani captain Hasan Khan winning the toss and electing to field.
South Africa made a poor start as none of their top batsmen — Matthew Breetzke (12), Jiveshan Pillay (14), Raynard van Tonder (4) and Hermann Rolfes (5) — could provide solidity to their team.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Musa claimed two wickets each to peg South Africa back, from which the Proteas could never really recover.
For Pakistan, Arshad Iqbal and Hasan claimed one wicket each.
In their chase, Pakistan too stuttered but South Africa just did not have enough in their bowling firepower to defend the paltry total of 189/9 which they had accumulated in their allotted 50 overs.
Despite the top-order’s failure, Zaryab Asif’s 74 off 111 balls (5x4s) held t he Pakistani innings together and propelled them into the semifinal stage of the U-19 World Cup. Saad Khan (26) played a crucial knock and along with Zaryab Asif, he thwarted everything that South Africa challenged them with.
South Africa used as many as seven bowlers, and it was Niemand who was the pick with his spell of 10-1-31-2.
PAKISTAN TOO STUTTERED BUT SOUTH AFRICA DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FIREPOWER TO DEFEND 189/9.
Brief scores: South Africa U-19 189/9 in 50 overs (Wandile Makwetu 60, Jason Niemand 36; Muhammad Musa 3/29, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2/30) lost to Pakistan U-19 190/7 in 47.5 overs (Ali Zaryab Asif 74*; Jason Niemand 2/31) by 3 wickets.