Get Newsletter
Notification products, updates
×
×Notification products, updates
January 27, 2024
Nepal won a very close and exciting game against Afghanistan by just one wicket. With this win, Nepal qualified for the next tournament stage, called the Super Sixes.
In another close match, the West Indies beat England. It was challenging for both teams, but the West Indies won by two wickets.
Bangladesh played well and defeated the USA by 121 runs. Bangladesh’s strong bowling and brilliant batting helped them secure their spot in the Super Six stage of the tournament.
Aakash Chand was the hero for Nepal, taking five wickets to help his team beat Afghanistan by just one wicket. In a remarkable achievement, Nepal has secured a spot in the Super Six stage of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
In a thrilling match that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, the West Indies emerged victorious over England in a nail-biting finish. Ariful Islam scored a fantastic hundred runs for Bangladesh, which helped them win comfortably against the USA in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Afghanistan 145 (40.1 overs) vs Nepal 149/9 (44.4 overs)
In an adrenaline-fueled virtual Super Six Qualifier in East London, Nepal’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Aakash Chand’s superb spell, was commanding against Afghanistan.
After being asked to bowl first, Nepal’s bowlers made an immediate impact. Gulshan Jha set the tone by claiming a wicket in the first over, dismissing Numan Shah. Aakash Chand then took charge, securing five crucial wickets before the 12-over mark. Afghanistan struggled to establish any momentum, finding themselves at a precarious 43/6.
Nepal’s relentless bowling display continued, with Tilak Bhandari removing Ghazanfar (37 off 21 balls) and Dipesh Kandal trapping Arab Gul Momand lbw for a duck. Afghanistan’s batting woes only deepened as they slumped to 88/8.
In a remarkable display of determination and skill, Faridoon Dawoodzai and Naseer Khan engineered a spirited fightback, forming a crucial half-century partnership that breathed new life into their team’s innings. This late-order resistance helped Afghanistan reach a slightly more respectable total of 145 before being bowled out.
In response, Nepal’s chase started shakily as Afghanistan’s Dawoodzai and Khalil Ahmed struck early, reducing the batting side to 24/3. However, a crucial 49-run partnership between skipper Dev Khanal and Aakash Tripathi steadied the ship for Nepal, offering a ray of hope.
Just as Nepal started to regain control, Naseer Khan dismissed Tripathi for 16, shifting the momentum back in Afghanistan’s favor. Momand soon followed up with the dismissal of Deepak Dumre, and Afghanistan sensed an opportunity to change the course of the game.
Naseer claimed another wicket in the next over, and it seemed like Afghanistan was clawing their way back. However, Nepal’s Khanal found a reliable partner in Dipak Bohara, and the duo combined to inch Nepal closer to victory.
With less than 20 runs needed to win, Ghazanfar provided a late twist in the match by claiming Khanal’s prized wicket for 58. Tension mounted as Dawoodzai quickly removed Bohara and Chand, leaving Nepal teetering on the brink of an unexpected defeat.
Despite the mounting pressure, Tilak Bhandari displayed steely nerves. He secured Nepal’s memorable victory by guiding Momand past Gully for a four. With this nail-biting win, Nepal booked its place in the Super Six. At the same time, Afghanistan, semi-finalists in the 2022 edition of the tournament, was left to rue its winless campaign.
Player of the Match Aakash Chand expressed his delight at his game-changing bowling performance and shared his thoughts on the match’s final moments when he was dismissed with Nepal agonizingly close to the target.
“I was feeling nervous [when batting] towards the end. I was just closing my eyes and praying to God. The last time we qualified was in 2016. It’s this one after that. Nothing better can happen for us. With the new ball, I was just look for swing and it worked out.”
England 192 (46.3 overs) vs West Indies 196/8 (41 overs)
West Indies chose to bowl first and quickly took control of the game. Nathan Edward made a significant impact during the match, starting with bowling out a player in the very first over. England tried to come back with Hamza Sheikh scoring 20 runs off only 23 balls, but the West Indies bowlers kept taking wickets and didn’t let England score many runs.
After losing many of its players, England scored only 192 runs before losing all 10 wickets.
When it was West Indies’ turn to bat, England’s bowler Kelly started strong by getting a West Indies player out on the first ball. But West Indies captain Stephan Pascal played well and scored many runs for his team. Farhan Ahmed got another West Indies player out, but Jordan Johnson came in and played strong shots, making the game close.
England tried hard to get all the West Indies players out, but Pascal and Edward stayed calm and scored enough runs to bring the West Indies close to winning. When one more player got out, the game was tied. Ultimately, Edward scored the winning runs, making the West Indies the winners.
Captain Stephan Pascal, who played with pain in his muscles during the game, said he was happy his team won and would keep playing for his team even if it hurt.
“I was cramping up when I was batting. So long as I was in the middle, it was normal, but when I got to the sidelines, my heartbeat was high. We have shown a lot of passion. It was a lapse of concentration on my part [that saw him lose his wicket], but Edward was up to the task.”
Bangladesh 291/7 (50 overs) vs USA 170 (47.1 overs)
In a fantastic performance, Ariful Islam’s impressive century helped Bangladesh win their second game in the tournament against the USA.
After being asked to bat first by the USA, Bangladesh’s top batters had a good start but couldn’t make huge scores. They lost three players before scoring 100 runs.
Then, Ariful Islam and Ahrar Amin played together well and scored many runs for Bangladesh. They kept playing until Bangladesh scored more than 200 runs.
Amin was the first to leave, and Islam also left after scoring 103 runs. Mohammad Shihab James hit some big shots at the end, and Bangladesh ended up with 291 runs, which was a challenging target for the USA.
When the USA started batting, they lost a player named Bhavya Mehta early. They kept scoring runs slowly, and a player named Prannav Chettipalayam played carefully.
But then, Ariful Islam got Siddharth Kappa out, and Chettipalayam also got out soon after, scoring 57 runs. Even though Utkarsh Srivastava scored 37 runs, the USA couldn’t catch up to Bangladesh’s score.
Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby took four players out, and Bangladesh won the game by 121 runs.
After the match, Bangladesh’s captain, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, said their bowlers did a great job. Still, they could do even better in future games.
“Our batters played well, they have been going really well. I think our bowling needs to improve a bit, especially in reducing extras. The Super Sixes are coming and we need to improve there.”
Cheer on your favorite team! Visit our site to show your unwavering support.
Top Cricket News | Cricket World Cup | Cricket World Cup News | Bangladesh Premier League | Big Bash League | India Priemier League | Pakistan Super League | T20 Blast
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Top Cricket News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
Stay Tuned With Updates
