U-19 WC: Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka to book semi-final berth
Afghanistan Under-19 team on Thursday stunned Sri Lanka in a low scoring thriller to confirm their spot in the Super League semi-final of the 2022 ICC Under-19 World Cup. With this loss, Sri Lanka's dream run in the marquee event came to end along with their hope to lift their maiden title. They qualified for the quarter-finals after winning the group stage.
Why does it matter?
Sri Lanka finished the group stage as table toppers by defeating Australia, West Indies, and Scotland in the first round. They will next take on South Africa on Monday in the playoff semi-final to salvage their pride. Meanwhile, the high flying Afghanistan side will next take on England on Tuesday in the Super League semi-final for a place in the all-important final.
How the match panned out?
Batting first, Afghanistan huffed and puffed their way to 134/10. Abdul Hadi top scored with 37 runs while Noor Ahmad made the valuable contribution of 30. Vinuja Ranpaul starred with the ball by taking five wickets for 10 runs. In reply, SL managed to score 130 runs, losing the match by four runs. Dunith Wellalage scored 34 runs while Bilal Sami claimed two wickets.
Noor Ahmad on Afghanistan's win
Noor Ahmad won the Player of the Match award for his all-round contributions in the match. "It was a well-fought match. I tried to push the runs and help the team to get to a good total and then defend it. The wicket wasn't good for batting. If we can't make a good total, even they can't chase that," he said.
Games scheduled on Friday
Pakistan will be up against Australia in the Super League quarter-final at Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground. The United Arab Emirates will lock horns with West Indies in the Plate semi-final at Queens Park Oval. Uganda will square off against Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the Plate playoff semi-final at Diego Martin Sporting Complex. All three games are scheduled to start at 07:30 PM.
