In a thrilling encounter at Buffalo Park, East London, Pakistan U19 secured their second consecutive win at the ICC U19 World Cup by defeating Nepal U19 by five wickets. Azan Awais played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s triumph with a composed unbeaten half-century, guiding his team to victory after Arafat Minhas’ brilliant bowling spell restricted Nepal to a modest total of 197 runs.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Nepal U19 faced early setbacks as Pakistan’s bowlers struck at regular intervals. Arafat Minhas led the bowling attack superbly, claiming three crucial wickets for just 23 runs in his allotted 10 overs. Despite a valiant effort from Bipin Rawal, who top-scored with a gritty 39, Nepal U19 struggled to build substantial partnerships and were eventually bowled out for 197 runs in their allotted 50 overs.
Chasing a target of 198 runs for victory, Pakistan U19 got off to a solid start with openers Shamyl Hussain and Shahzaib Khan laying a strong foundation with an 80-run opening partnership. However, Nepal’s Aakash Chand struck twice in quick succession to dismiss both openers, putting Pakistan under pressure. Arafat Minhas and skipper Saad Baig fell cheaply, but Azan Awais anchored the innings with a composed unbeaten half-century, finishing with an impressive 63 runs off 82 balls. His partnership with Ahmad Hassan (29) and later Haroon Arshad (15*) ensured Pakistan reached the target with ease, securing victory with 14 balls to spare.
For his match-winning innings, Azan Awais was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match.
Pakistan U19’s next challenge will be against New Zealand U19 on 27 January 2024, as they aim to continue their winning momentum in the tournament.
Leave a Reply