England reach U-19 World Cup final after 24 years
England defeated Afghanistan by 15 runs in the first semi-final to qualify for the summit clash of the 2022 U-19 World Cup. Rehan Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers for England as he picked three wickets in the penultimate over to shift the moment from the opposition. England will play their first final of the Under-19 World Cup in 24 years.
Why does it matter?
The last time England reached the U-19 WC final was during the 1998 South Africa World Cup. England won their maiden ICC U-19 Men's Cricket World Cup during the same edition after defeating New Zealand by seven wickets in the final. Tuesday's result has given the English team a perfect opportunity to add yet another trophy to their Under-19 cabinet.
How the match panned out?
Batting first, England managed to post 231 runs for the loss of six wickets in the rain-curtailed match. For England, George Bell top-scored with the bat. He scored an unbeaten 56 runs off 67 balls. Alex Horton (53* runs off 36 balls) and George Thomas (50 runs off 69 balls) also made valuable contributions. Noor Ahmad and Naveed Zadran picked two wickets each.
How did Afghanistan fare?
Chasing 232 for a win, Afghanistan managed 215/9 in 47 overs and lost the match by 15 runs (DLS Method). Allah Noor was the pick of the batter for Afghanistan, scoring 60 runs off 87 balls. Mohammad Ishaq smashed 43 runs while Abdul Hadi remained unbeaten at 37. Rehan Ahmed picked four wickets while conceding 41 runs. Thomas Aspinwall picked two wickets.
Suliman Safi on Afghanistan's loss
"Very difficult time," said a dejected Afghanistan captain Suliman Safi at the post-match presentation following their loss. "Momentum (was) with us. We played some great knocks. We are a good team. Winning and losing is part of cricket," he added. The Afghan skipper also congratulated the English side on their victory and reaching the WC final.
Tom Prest on England's win
"Didn't expect it to get that tight as it did. Boyden was brilliant under pressure. Was quite a brave call choosing to bat. Had to put a score on the board. Something special that partnership. Those runs were crucial at the end," England captain Prest said. Prest also said that he "can't really believe" that he is leading England to the U-19 WC final.
India to face Australia in the second semi-final
India U-19 will square off against Australia U-19 on Wednesday in the Super League Semi-Final 2. The match will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua, and is slated to begin at 06:30 PM (IST). The winner of this fixture will next take on England in the final on Saturday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.
