Australia blanked England while South Africa and Bangladesh showed their bowling prowess with mighty wins over Zimbabwe and USA respectively. In the 16th-place play-off, Afghanistan fought off a spirited USA side to win a low-scoring thriller.

Hugh Weibgen and Callum Vidler starred for Australia in their huge win over England on the second day of Super Six matches at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024. Weibgen smashed a brilliant hundred while Vidler picked four wickets to help Australia gain a positive start to the Super Six round. 

In Potchefstroom, things went south for Zimbabwe quickly with Kwena Maphaka putting on a masterclass with the new ball. The left-arm quick finished with his second five-wicket haul in the tournament before the South African openers once again flaunted their stroke-making to seal a big victory.

Bangladesh encountered a few hiccups in their win over Nepal, but saw players from the bench step in to make a significant impact in the game in what would be a huge plus for the side. 

Outside of the Super Six fixtures, in the 13-16th place play-offs, Afghanistan staved off the USA side that refused to go down without a fight. Even with a low total on board, USA gave it their all to take the game to the final over.

Australia beat England by 110 runs (DLS method) in Kimberley

Australia 266/6 (50 overs) v England 104 (16.5 overs)

Left-arm spinner and all-rounder Theo Wylie came into the side and delivered for England with a remarkable four-wicket haul, effectively stalling Australia’s charge in Kimberley after England chose to put them in to bat during the Super Six fixture of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024.

Australia’s key batters, Hugh Weibgen and Harry Dixon, displayed their prowess, with Weibgen scoring a stunning century to capitalise on his excellent form in the tournament. Following the early loss of Sam Konstas to Sebastian Morgan in the very first over, Dixon and Weibgen combined forces to construct a solid partnership at a commendable pace.

It was the introduction of Wylie, the seventh bowler used by England by the 19th over, that finally provided the breakthrough they needed. The left-arm spinner removed the well-set Dixon for 53 with the slog-sweep being caught at deep mid-wicket.

England enjoyed double success in the same Wylie over when wicketkeeper Jack Carney took a terrific catch to dismiss Harjas Singh.

Weibgen and Ryan Hicks then worked to revive the Australian innings, but England’s spinners once again proved effective. Leg-spinner Tazeem Ali, who had been consistently outstanding for England throughout the tournament, cleaned up Hicks for 19, breaking a threatening partnership.

Wylie delivered a crucial blow by dismissing the dangerous Tom Campbell before he could inflict much damage. However, Weibgen found the support he needed from Oliver Peake. The two combined to compile a partnership of 66 runs in just 44 balls, boosting Australia’s scoring rate.

Weibgen, the skipper, reached an impressive century during this partnership and was only dismissed in the 48th over when Wylie struck for the fourth time. In the final few overs, Raf Macmillan and Peake added a few more runs, including 20 runs off the last over, allowing Australia to finish on a total of 266 for six.

In response, Callum Vidler propelled Australia into a commanding position with an exceptional spell during the Powerplay. The pacer dismissed Wylie, who was opening the batting, in his first over, and later cleaned up the aggressive Ben McKinney just after the England captain had hit him for a six.

Hamza Shaikh and Noah Thain fell victim to short deliveries as Vidler claimed his fourth wicket within his first five overs, reducing England to a precarious 60 for four. Unfortunately, play was halted due to rain and lightning immediately after this, leading to the players leaving the field.

When play resumed, England’s revised target was 215 in 24 overs. Things unravelled quickly when Tom Straker and Macmillan ran through the middle and lower-order post the break.

From 60 for four, England were down to 75 for seven. Charlie Allison nailed a few big hits, but Straker and Macmillan kept going, reducing England to nine down in 16 overs before Campbell took the final wicket to bowl England out for 106.

With a massive 110-run win (by DLS method), Australia start off their Super Six stage with a huge win. They take on West Indies next on Friday while England will play Zimbabwe a day after. Australia, with six points, are now at the top of Group 2 standings of the Super Six stage.

Australia captain and Player of the Match Hugh Wiebgen said that he was happy with a near-perfect performance from his side.

“We batted really well upfront with Dixon stepping up and I could carry on in the middle overs. I thought 266 was a good total. Everyone knows their role very well in the side. I think in the first couple of games, we went ahead of ourselves a little bit. Today we just gave ourselves a bit more time, starting off slow, knowing we could cash in at the end. Vidler is a superstar. He’ll go very far. It’s great to watch him in full flow.” 

Bangladesh beat Nepal by five wickets in Bloemfontein

Nepal 169 (49.5 overs) v Bangladesh 170/5 (25.2 overs)

At Mangaung Oval, Nepal struggled to post a competitive total after choosing to bat first against Bangladesh. Rohanat Doullah Borson and Sheikh Paevez Jibon combined to capture seven wickets as Nepal were bundled out for 169.

Despite Bangladesh striking three times in the Powerplay with the wickets of Bipin Rawal, Aakash Tripathi, and Arjun Kamal, Nepal managed to recover from the early setbacks, mainly due to the efforts of skipper Dev Khanal and Bishal Bikram.

The pair steadily accumulated runs without resorting to aggressive strokes. Bangladesh were compelled to make several bowling changes, and it was the part-time off-spin of opening batter Jishan Alam, brought in for this game, that eventually broke their partnership.

Alam induced a catch at short cover to dismiss Khanal, who had moved across to play through the off-side. Off-spinner Jibon further deepened Nepal’s troubles by dismissing Gulshan Jha and Deepak Bohara in consecutive overs.

Towards the end, Subhash Bhandari contributed a few crucial runs, allowing Nepal to reach a total of 169. Borson, who had previously shone in warm-up games with a hat-trick, concluded with impressive figures of four for 19. Jibon, who took three pivotal wickets during the middle overs, returned with excellent figures of 10-2-34-3.

Bangladesh started off the chase in style with Alam smashing Aakash Chand for a four and a six in the second over. The opener continued to attack, reaching an impressive 45 runs from just 32 deliveries within the first 10 overs, firmly placing Bangladesh in the driver’s seat.

Subash Bhandari broke the opening stand when he had Rahman Shibli slogging to long-on for 16. Chowdhury Md Rizwan revealed his intentions early by smashing Dipesh Kandal for a four followed by a six, but his innings was short-lived with Bhandari getting him out stumped in the next over. 

Bhandari continued to shine, securing his third wicket in his fourth over when Jishan Alam’s aggressive shot found the hands of the fielder stationed at long-off. Bangladesh were reduced to 92 for three, putting them in a slight spot of bother. 

Nevertheless, Ariful Islam and Ahrar Amin forged a valuable partnership that pushed the team’s total to 137. It was Bhandari’s fourth that pegged Bangladesh back again, the off-spinner coming around the wicket to bowl a quicker arm-ball that flattened Amin’s stumps. A fifth followed for Bhandari soon after with the in-form Shihab James dismissed for a duck while attempting a big hit against the spinner. 

Ariful kept going amidst the loss of wickets at the other end to ambitious shots, completing an impressive half-century off just 34 balls. He remained unbeaten on 59 as Bangladesh romped home with five wickets to spare.

Bangladesh, who take on Pakistan next, have four points in Group 1 of the Super Six table, but are behind India and Pakistan, both of whom were unbeaten in the Group stages, at this point.

Bangladesh skipper Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby praised the batting effort of the team in the post-match presentation.

“We are very pleased with the batting effort, especially that Jishan came back really well with the bat and Ariful played a very good knock. We brought in Jishan and asked him to play his shots early on. I think we are looking at improving our bowling ahead of the next game against Pakistan.”

South Africa beat Zimbabwe by nine wickets in Potchefstroom

Zimbabwe 102 (29.2 overs) v South Africa 103/1 (13.3 overs)

In the Super Six clash of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 between South Africa and their sub-Saharan Africa neighbours, it was a Kwena Maphaka masterclass with the new ball that set the stage for South Africa’s dominance. Opting to bowl first, South Africa got an early wicket when Nathaniel Hlabangana was run out by a pinpoint direct hit from Romashan Pillay.

Maphaka went on a rampage from there, dismissing Brendon Sunguro, Campbell Macmillan, and Panashe Taruvinga within the span of just three overs, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 16 for four. Two of these three dismissals saw the batters beaten for Maphaka’s extra pace and movement off the surface as the stumps were disturbed.

Ronak Patel, who had showcased his resilience in challenging situations in the tournament, once again rose to the occasion, this time partnering with wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Kamwemba. Together, they constructed a valuable half-century partnership that lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious position.

However, the momentum swung back in South Africa’s favour when Tristan Luus delivered a crucial double-wicket over. Luus had Patel and captain Matthew Schonken bowled in the 16th over, dealing a significant blow to Zimbabwe’s batting lineup. Shortly thereafter, Riley Norton joined the party by dismissing Kamwemba, who had been well-set, without any additional runs on the scoreboard.

Maphaka, building on his burgeoning reputation, returned to the attack and dismantled the defence of two more lower-order batters, completing his second five-wicket haul in the tournament. With his skiddy pace and movement off the pitch, Maphaka was undoubtedly the standout bowler of the day. Remarkably, four of his five dismissals at the JB Marks Oval were bowled. 

With Zimbabwe struggling at 82 for nine, their last-wicket pair managed to add a few crucial runs, pushing their total just past the three-figure mark. It was Tristan Luus who finally ended Zimbabwe’s innings, dismissing the last batter. Zimbabwe concluded their innings at a mere 102 runs, narrowly avoiding what would have been their third total below 100 in four matches of the tournament.

A superstar so far in the tournament, Maphaka led his team off the field after a brilliant performance that saw him go level with the top wicket-takers (12 wickets apiece) in the tournament, Saumy Pandey and Ubaid Shah. 

South African opening batters, Steve Stolk and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, continued their ruthless assault in the Powerplay, replicating their dominant performance against Scotland in the previous game. Against Zimbabwe, they unleashed a barrage of strokes, piling up an impressive 86 runs within the first 10 overs.

Stolk, riding high from his remarkable 13-ball fifty in the last match, once again took off at a blistering pace, amassing 23 runs from his first 11 deliveries. 

In contrast, Pretorius initially played a more composed role. However, he quickly shifted gears and showcased his aggressive style by smashing a six and two boundaries off a single over from Ryan Simbi.

Anesu Kamuriwo was brought back into the attack following the first Powerplay, and he managed to dismiss Stolk, who had contributed a dynamic 29-ball 37 to the team’s total. 

Meanwhile, Pretorius continued his onslaught, completing a well-deserved half-century. He remained unbeaten on 53 runs as South Africa cruised to yet another resounding victory, with more than 36 overs to spare.

South Africa take on Sri Lanka next on February 2 in Potchefstroom. They are currently below Australia with four points in Group 2 of the Super Six table. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be up against England on February 3. 

Kwean Maphaka, the Player of the Match, stressed that while this game was close to a complete performance for the Proteas, they were saving their best for the latter stages of the tournament.

“We are very happy with the performances. But I don’t think we have had a complete game yet. This was close, but we’re saving it. Obviously, the net run-rate is at the back of our minds, but we mainly focus on playing the game, and that’s what we did today. With the ball, I just keep doing what has been working for me — get the inswingers right and luckily it worked for me today.”

Afghanistan beat USA by three wickets in Benoni

USA 148 (48.2 overs) v Afghanistan 151/7 (49.3 overs)

In the first of two 13th-16th place playoffs held in Benoni, Afghanistan opted to bowl first against the USA. However, they struggled to make an early breakthrough as Prannav Chettipalayam and Siddharth Kappa played cautiously during the initial Powerplay.

Chettipalayam decided to up the ante in the 11th over, smashing back-to-back fours off Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar. Nevertheless, the tide turned with the introduction of skipper Naseer Khan, who immediately made an impact. 

The left-arm spinner managed to trap Kappa in front of the stumps for 12, breaking the opening partnership. In his third over, he struck again, this time dismissing Chettipalayam, who handed a simple catch back to the spinner, ending his innings at 33.

Soon after, Aryaman Suri attempted a sweep shot off Arab Gul Momand but was adjudged LBW, leaving USA struggling at 68 for 3. Afghanistan then turned to Ghazanfar, who had gone wicketless in his previous five overs, with the aim of not allowing the USA batters to settle down. 

This strategy paid off as the enigmatic spinner left Rishi Ramesh clueless, bowling him with a delivery that went with the angle. In his next over, Ghazanfar had Manav Nayak caught at mid-on for 12 runs, thanks to a leading edge.

Utkarsha Srivastava once again assumed the role of anchor for USA, a role he had played on several occasions during this tournament. 

However, in the 39th over of the match, Faridoon Dawoodzai made a crucial impact by taking two wickets in quick succession. He removed Amogh Arepally and Utkarsha Srivastava, dealing a significant blow to USA’s batting efforts. 

USA’s innings concluded at a total of 148, as Afghanistan’s bowling unit put on an impressive display in Benoni. Ghazanfar was the pick of Afghanistan’s bowlers, finishing with figures of three for 30.

Afghanistan’s hope of effortlessly chasing the target was quickly shattered as USA’s new-ball bowlers, Arya Garg and Ateendra Subramanian, made a significant impact by taking two wickets within the first two overs of the innings.

Garg struck again, dismissing Sohail Khan Zurmati, leaving Afghanistan reeling at 11 for three.

A partnership gradually took shape as Jamshid Zadran and captain Naseer Khan worked to rebuild Afghanistan’s innings. However, Subramanian returned to the attack and removed Zadran for 23. Another promising partnership was interrupted a few overs later when Numan Shan was bowled by Subramanian.

With the USA consistently taking wickets, Afghanistan’s scoring rate declined, making the run-chase more intriguing. Aaryan Batra delivered a crucial blow when he dismissed Naseer for 39, with Afghanistan yet to cross the three-figure mark.

Ghazanfar was run out by a direct hit from cover just two overs later, leaving Afghanistan in a trouble at 104 for seven. However, a pivotal eighth-wicket partnership between Arab Gul Momand and Rahimullah Zurmati injected excitement into the contest during the death overs.

Despite the tight bowling from Subramanian, Garg, and Khush Bhalala, the Afghan duo held their ground and pushed the game to the final over. Requiring four runs off four balls, Momand played a remarkable slog sweep off Bhalala, sending the ball sailing over mid-wicket for a six, securing a thrilling victory for Afghanistan.

Zurmati’s unbeaten 37 and Momand’s crucial 23 were the driving forces behind Afghanistan’s remarkable turnaround. Their unbeaten partnership of 47 runs ultimately steered Afghanistan to victory in a challenging run-chase. Subramanian was the pick of the USA bowlers, taking three for 20 in his 10 overs. 

Afghanistan skipper Naseer Khan stated that it was a tough tournament for the team in the post-match presentation.

“It was a tough tournament for us, especially me as captain. We didn’t do well in the Group stages, but we’re glad to tick off this win. In the last two matches, we were a bit unlucky. We didn’t do well in the field and struggled with the bat. It would have been a different story if the top-order performed well in the last few games.”

New Delhi, 31 January 2024: The World Sports Group on Wednesday announced the launch of the inaugural edition Asian Legends League at a Press Conference at The Lalit Hotel in New Delhi. The exciting T20 tournament will see teams comprising of legendary stars from five biggest Asian cricketing nations — India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — compete in a thrilling tournament, taking place from March 13 to March 21, 2024.

The League Commissioner and former Indian cricketer Mr Chetan Sharma also announced the names of the five franchises along with their Icon Players for the season at the Press Conference. While former India allrounder Irfan Pathan became a part of the Indian Royals, former Pakistan speedster Mohammad Irfan entered his name in the fray for Pakistan Stars. Sri Lanka Lions roped in former opening batsman Upul Tharanga, while former Afghanistan skipper Asghar Afghan joined Afghanistan Pathans for the inaugural season. Mohammad Ashraful was onboarded by Bangladesh Tiger as their icon player.

Speaking about the newly formed competition, Mr. Chetan Sharma said, “The Asian Legends League is a one-of-a-kind tournament which will see some of the biggest names from the five top countries in Asia battle for supremacy once again. As cricketers, when we play cricket we feel very proud. But it’s always a proud feeling to represent your country in such leagues. The presence of marquee players like Irfan Pathan and Mohammad Irfan will surely make this league a must-watch among cricket lovers.”

Explaining his motivations to associate with the league, Irfan Pathan said, “it feels good to be playing on the field after being a commentator for so long. But our first love is always playing cricket. And playing in the Asian Legends League will surely bring back a lot of memories. I have played a lot of cricket against the other Icon players in this league. It gives you a different thrill. For the fans also, it will be a very thrilling experience. It’s always fun to watch such leagues.”

Dubai, 31^st January, 2024: Considered to be among the best bowlers in the DP World ILT20 Season 2, the Desert Vipers’ left arm pacer Mohammad Amir was on fire against the MI Emirates, helping his side register a thrilling win at the Dubai International Stadium. The Desert Vipers won by 2 wickets against MI Emirates.

Amir, who bagged three wickets for 26 runs in his quota of 4 overs, dismissed the dangerous Kusal Perera for 0, and followed it up with the scalps of Tim David and Trent Boult in the last over of the innings, to restrict the MI Emirates to 149.

Speaking after the match, Amir said, “I got three wickets, so that feels good for sure, but most importantly, the team won the game, and this performance is definitely going to help my confidence, and I hope to continue in this form going ahead in the tournament.”

Amir, who was the Player of the Match, is one of the senior players in the DP World ILT20, and has paired up with the sensational Shaheen Shah Afridi at the Desert Vipers. “Bowling with Shaheen is great and I think he is also enjoying it. Bowling is also all about partnerships, and the best part is that we communicate a lot about the conditions and the game in between the overs as well. Shaheen is a good bowler, and it helps to be able to share our experiences with each other.”

Opening further on his thoughts about the dashing young Shaheen Shah Afridi, the former Pakistan bowler said, “He is running in well when he is bowling, Shaheen is running in fast, and his strength is that he bowls brilliantly with the new ball. Shaheen gets the new ball to swing and when he bowls full, he gets chances to pick wickets.”

The Vipers won the game off the final delivery off the game, when Shaheen Afridi slashed hard at a Trent Boult delivery to get his team over the line. Reflecting on that, Amir said, “Shaheen played a very good innings at the end to help us win the game, and he has also been working hard on his batting. I think this was the best game of the DP World ILT20 so far.”

While Amir will hope to continue his good work with the ball in the next half of the DP World ILT20 for the Desert Vipers, the ace pacer said, “There are 18 international players competing with each other in every game, and I think in the coming days it will become one of the toughest leagues, and I am really happy for the UAE local players, as they are performing well, and that is a good thing for UAE cricket.”

West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph and England spinner Tom Hartley hog the limelight in the latest update to the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, reaping the benefits of their outstanding performances over the past week.

Joseph, whose sensational seven-wicket haul in the second innings helped the West Indies score a thrilling eight-run victory over Australia in Brisbane to draw the two-match ICC World Test Championship series 1-1, finds himself in joint-50^th position after moving up 42 places.

The 24-year-old’s tally of 397 rating points is the fifth-best by a West Indies bowler after two Tests, with some past greats ahead of him in that list. Fast bowler Colin Croft (447), left-arm spinner Alf Valentine (443), fast bowler Wes Hall (422) and off-spinner Sonny Ramadhin (407) had more points after their first two Tests.

Hartley too had a remarkable seven-wicket haul in the second innings of the opening Test against India and finished with nine wickets in the match, helping pull off a 28-run win in Hyderabad. The 24-year-old left-arm spinner is in 63^rd position with 332 rating points, the best by any England bowler after his debut Test since left-arm seam bowler John Lever achieved 393 points with a 10-wicket match haul against India in Delhi in December 1976.

Former captain Joe Root’s spin bowling has lifted eight places to 54^th among bowlers after he finished with five wickets in the match, including an important four-wicket haul in the first innings.

Player of the Match Ollie Pope’s second innings knock of 196 has lifted him 20 positions to a career-best 15^th position while his team-mate Ben Duckett has progressed five places to 22^nd position after useful scores of 35 and 47 at the top of the order.

Indian batters KL Rahul (up three places to 51^st) and Yashaswi Jaiswal (up three places to 66^th) have moved up the rankings after scores of 86 and 80, respectively, in the first innings while Jasprit Bumrah has advanced one place to fourth after finishing with six wickets in the match. All-rounder Axar Patel has progressed in both lists – from 51^st to 50^th in batting and from 33^rd to 31^st in bowling.

Joseph was the top gainer for the West Indies after the Brisbane Test but his fellow fast bowlers Kemar Roach (up two places to 17^th) and Alzarri Joseph (up four places to 33^rd) have also made headway after finishing with three and six wickets, respectively, in the match.

Joshua de Silva (up 12 places to 60^th), Kirk McKenzie (up nine places to 76^th) and Kavem Hodge (up 98 places to 81^st) have moved up the batting rankings after some useful knocks