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Nepal shocked Afghanistan by just one wicket with a thrilling one-wicket win in their Under-19 World Cup match, securing their spot in the Super Six stage, while West Indies narrowly defeated England and Bangladesh triumphed over a determined USA team.
Nepal eliminate Afghanistan
In a decisive Super Six Qualifier in East London, Nepal, propelled by Aakash Chand's exceptional bowling, delivered a powerful performance against Afghanistan.
Electing to bowl, Nepal made early inroads, claiming five wickets during the Powerplay, including breakthroughs in the first two overs.
Gulshan Jha initiated the attack with Numan Shah's wicket in the opening over, followed by Chand’s dominant five-wicket haul before the 12th over.
Chand's remarkable bowling put Afghanistan on the back foot, requiring their lower order to step up. From a precarious 43/6, Naseer Khan and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar combined forces, with Ghazanfar playing an aggressive cameo, to add 42 runs for the seventh wicket, boosting Afghanistan's total.
Tilak Bhandari dismissed Ghazanfar (37 off 21 balls), and Dipesh Kandal trapped Arab Gul Momand for a duck, leaving Afghanistan struggling at 88/8.
Just as Afghanistan appeared on the brink of collapse, Faridoon Dawoodzai and captain Naseer Khan stitched together a fifty-run partnership, somewhat reviving their batting performance. Kandal eventually broke the partnership in the 38th over, claiming Naseer (31 off 83 balls), and Dawoodzai (29 off 65 balls) fell shortly after, as Afghanistan were all out for 145.
In Nepal's second innings, Dawoodzai and Khalil Ahmed grabbed three early wickets, reducing Nepal to 24/3. Captain Dev Khanal and Aakash Tripathi countered with a 49-run stand, before Naseer Khan interrupted with Tripathi's wicket at 16.
Afghanistan sensed an opportunity as Momand took another wicket and Naseer claimed another, momentarily shifting the momentum.
However, Khanal found an ally in Dipak Bohara, forging a pivotal partnership that nearly secured Nepal's victory. Ghazanfar's dismissal of Khanal at 58 added suspense to the closing moments. Despite Dawoodzai's late wickets of Bohara and Chand, with Nepal close to the target, Afghanistan couldn't clinch the final wicket.
Bhandari remained composed, guiding a shot behind gully for four, clinching a thrilling victory for Nepal. With this win, Nepal secured their place in the Super Six, while Afghanistan, semi-finalists in the last edition, were eliminated after failing to win a game.
West Indies upset England
Nathan Edward's standout all-round effort was pivotal in West Indies' two-wicket victory over England in Potchefstroom, propelling them into the Super Six round. His left-arm seam bowling yielded impressive figures of 3 for 28, contributing to England's total of 192. He then played a crucial unbeaten knock of 49 to guide West Indies to victory.
Choosing to field first, Nathan Edward made an immediate impact, dismissing Jaydn Denly in the opening over. England's Ben McKinney and Noah Thain built a 50-run partnership for the second wicket before McKinney fell to Edward. Thain, along with Hamza Shaikh who scored a steady 54 off 83, brought England to a comfortable 97 for 2 in 21 overs. However, the dismissal of Thain by offspinner Tarrique Edward triggered a batting collapse. England's innings faltered to 146 for 7 but a late push from the lower order brought them close to 200.
West Indies' start mirrored England's, losing a wicket in the first over and stumbling to 31 for 2 by the sixth over. Captain Stephan Pascal shouldered the responsibility, scoring a composed 58 off 84 balls.
England's legspinner Tazeem Chaudry Ali kept the contest alive with three wickets, including Pascal's. When West Indies were down to their seventh wicket, they still needed 37 runs, although the run rate was not a major concern.
Nathan Edward rose to the occasion once again, remaining unbeaten with 49 off 80 balls. He shared a crucial 36-run stand with Tarrique Edward, contributing 5 runs, and then struck the winning boundary to seal the match.
Ariful shines with stunning century
Ariful Islam's magnificent 103 led Bangladesh to a commanding 121-run victory over the USA in Bloemfontein. This win, their second in three games, secured Bangladesh's second place in their group and a spot in the Super Six stage of the tournament.
Despite being reduced to 94 for 3 after the USA elected to field first, Bangladesh recovered strongly. A pivotal 122-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Ariful and Ahrar Amin, who contributed 44 runs, propelled Bangladesh to a total of 291. Ariful hit nine boundaries, maintaining a brisk scoring pace. Arya Garg, USA's left-arm seamer, continued his impressive form by claiming 3 for 68, ending the tournament with a total of five wickets.
The USA's chase began solidly with opener Prannav Chettipalayam scoring 57, but he lacked substantial support from his teammates. Their promising start of 86 for 1 deteriorated to 112 for 4. After the 40th over, they rapidly lost 6 wickets for just 16 runs, culminating in a total of 170. Left-arm spinner Rabby was the standout bowler for Bangladesh, taking 4 for 31 in his ten overs.
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