Spinners dominate in Pakistan U19 10-wicket win

Monitoring Desk

Chattogram: Spinners Ali Asfand and Arafat Minhas shared seven wickets between them as Pakistan U19 beat Bangladesh U19 by 10 wickets on the final day of the solitary four-day match at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday.

Chasing a modest 22-run target to win, opening batters Shahzaib Khan (19 not out) and Azan Awais (4 not out) achieved the target in the seventh over.

Earlier, resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 166 for three in 70 overs, Bangladesh U19 lost night-watchman Akanto Sheikh (10, 34b) in the 81st over with Mohammad Ismail uprooting the stumps. Captain Sharear Sakib who returned undefeated on 47 the previous day, was joined by Zakaria Islam and the pair added 60 runs for the fifth wicket before Zakaria (23, 51b, 3x4s) was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Ali Asfand in the 99th over.

Just before rain arrived, the Bangladesh skipper completed his hundred. After the rain interval, well-settled Sharear was adjudged leg-before wicket to Ali for 106 runs off 235 deliveries, hitting 14 boundaries.

After the departure of Sharear with Bangladesh still trailing by nine runs and four wickets in hand, the Pakistan spinners Ali and Arafat Minhas never allowed Bangladesh to score freely and the hosts were dismissed for 292 in the 126th over with a lead of 21.

Left-arm spinner Arafat bagged the last two wickets to fall and ended up with figures of three for 49. Ali took four wickets for 66 runs and ended up with match figures of six for 103 runs.

First-innings centurion Shahzaib Khan was named player of the match for his knock of 174 off 323 deliveries which included 25 fours and four sixes. Both sides will now compete in the white-ball series, which consists of five one-day matches and one T20. The one-day series will begin from 6 May.

Scores in brief:

Pakistan U19 beat Bangladesh U19 by 10 wickets

Bangladesh U19 149 all out, 59 overs (Sheikh Parvaiz Jibon 56, Sharear Sakib 48; Amir Hassan 4-29, Mohammad Ismail 3-41, Ali Asfand 2-37) and 292 all out, 125.1 overs (Sharear Sakib 106, Ashikur Rahman Shibli 79; Ali Asfand 4-66, Arafat Minhas 3-49, Mohammad Ismail 2-68)

Pakistan U19 420 all out, 128.1 overs (Shahzaib Khan 174, Obaid Shahid 67, Ali Asfand 40, Azan Awais 40, Shamyl Hussain 38; Wasi Siddiquee 5-86, Iqbal Hussain Emon 4-81) and 23-0, 6.3 overs (Shahzaib Khan 19 not out, Azan Awais 4 not out)
Player of the match – Shahzaib Khan (Pakistan U19).