The captains of teams who will feature in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Queensland, Australia pose for photographs at the Allan Border Field, Brisbane. Sri Lanka’s Sanitha de Mel is third from left in the second row. (Pic from ICC/Matt Roberts)
Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh in the toughest group*
Picking two qualifiers from Group ‘D’ of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2012 seems to be an uphill task as Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh are fully capable and prepared to play in the Super League stage while Namibia can turn out to be the surprise package of the event which will run from 11 to 26 August in Queensland, Australia.
Group ‘D’ matches will be played in Brisbane and on the opening day, Sri Lanka will take on Bangladesh at the Allan Border Field.
Sri Lanka finished fourth in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 after losing a close semi-final to eventual winner Australia by two wickets. Sri Lanka then suffered a four-wicket defeat against the West Indies in the third/fourth position play-off.
Sri Lanka has played in all the previous eight ICC U19 Cricket World Cups and its best finish has been in 2000 in its backyard when it ended up as the losing finalist to Mohammad Kaif’s India. It has twice finished third – in South Africa in 1998 and Bangladesh in 2004 –, lost to New Zealand in the quarter-final in Malaysia in 2008, finished fifth in the inaugural event in 1988 in Australia and ended up sixth when the event was again held in Sri Lanka in 2006. (ICC)
Sri Lanka SQUAD: Sanitha De Mel (captain), Amila Aponso, Nirosha Dickwella, Anuk Fernando, Shehan Fernando, Angelo Jayasinghe, Tharindu Kaushal, Ranitha Liyanaarachchi, Lahiru Madushanka, Chamodh Pathirana, Jason Perera, Pulina Taranga, Kasun Vidura, Pabasara Waduge and Sandun Weerakkody
GROUP ‘D’ SCHEDULE:
Sat 11 Aug – Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Sun 12 Aug – South Africa v Bangladesh, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Mon 13 Aug – Sri Lanka v Namibia, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
Tue 14 Aug – South Africa v Namibia, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane
Wed 15 Aug – Sri Lanka v South Africa, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane
Thu 16 Aug – Bangladesh v Namibia, Peter Burge Oval, Brisbane.
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SOME RESULTS in WARM-UP MATCHES **
Seamer Gurinder Sandhu and batsman Jimmy Peirson starred in Australia‘s 71-run win over Scotland in Brisbane. Australia put up 315 runs after Peirson smashed his way to a 123-ball 128. Scotland stayed in contention during the chase, courtesy Mathew Cross’ 104, but Sandhu’s five-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, finished the contest.
Sandhu’s effort overshadowed Scotland left-arm seamer Aman Bailwal’s 5 for 52; he ran through the Scotland’s middle and lower-order as the last six wickets fell for four runs to eliminate Scotland’s chances of an upset.
In a last-over thriller, captain and opening batsman Chad Bowes‘ 104 not out carried South Africa to a four-wicket win against Bangladesh. When the sixth wicket fell in the last ball of the 49th over, South Africa still needed 10 runs to win. But a nerveless No. 8 Prenelan Subrayen, who smashed a six in the last over, helped them reach home with a ball to spare. For Bangladesh, Al-Amin shone with both bat and ball; he scored a 73-ball 60 and later picked up a couple of crucial wickets.
Naresh Budayair‘s 114 wasn’t enough to help Nepal beat the target of 268 against New Zealand, as the team fell short by 19 runs. In a spirited chase, Nepal was well on course after opener Subash Khakurel, who scored 59, and Budayair added 129 for the second wicket. But only one other batsman made a double-figure score as New Zealand came back into the match by picking wickets regularly. With Budayair’s wicket in the 48th over with 37 runs to win, Nepal lost their chance to inflict an upset.
New Zealand’s innings revolved around captain Will Young, who scored 97, and middle-order batsmen Henry Walsh, who scored a half-century, and wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher. Seamer Saurav Khanal took three wickets.
Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh‘s five for 32 helped India dismiss Afghanistan for 219 to allow India to record a 52-run victory. India’s innings was based on three half-centuries by the top three batsmen – Prashant Chopra, captain Unmukt Chand and Baba Aparajith. Their innings faltered later with the last five wickets falling for 38 runs, as they ended up with 271 for 7.
Afghanistan got off to a positive start with an opening stand of 42 runs, and half-centuries by captain Javed Ahmadi and Shabir Noori seemed to be guiding them towards victory. But a flurry of wickets, similar to the Indian collapse, with seven wickets falling for 56 runs as Harmeet ran through the middle and lower-order, put paid to their hopes.
Zimbabwe collapsed for 89 against England to lose by 131 runs, with only three of their batsmen registering double-digit scores. They were in deep trouble at 31 for five before Campbell Light and Nyasha Mayawo briefly led a recovery with a 29-run stand, but the contest was over by then, with a target of 221 well out of reach. Seamer Brett Hutton took three for 28 in his nine overs; Shozair Ali, captain Adam Ball and Tom Knight were the other wicket-takers.
Hutton also shone with the bat, with 55 off 66 balls, to rescue his side after they were eight down for 167 in the 42nd over.
In a low-scoring match, a six-wicket haul by offspinner Tharindu Kaushal ripped apart Ireland‘s middle-order, allowing Sri Lanka to win by 50 runs. A 55 by Ireland opener Ryan Hunter, which was the highest any batsman had scored in the match, was the only contribution of note. Wickets fell regularly throughout the match but unlike Sri lanka, Ireland couldn’t string small partnerships together. Apart from a 65-run stand for the second wicket there was little the Ireland batsmen could offer.
The highest scorer in Sri Lanka’s innings was 29 by opener Pabasara Waduge, but with four batsmen scoring in the 20s, and 32 extras, they reached 188.
West Indies crushed Namibia under a weight of a commanding total of 328, limiting them to 182 to win by 146 runs, thanks to a century by Sunil Ambris, half-centuries by captain John Campbell and Anthony Alleyne, and contributions from fast bowlers Ronsford Beaton and Marquino Mindley.
For Namibia, No. 3 Jano Coetzee put up a resistance with 89, but four wickets by Beaton and three by Mindley put paid to Namibia’s hopes. Beaton destroyed the top-order, reducing Namibia to 41 for 3, and Mindley took the final few wickets to complete the win.
Pakistan opener Sami Aslam scored a 99-ball 132 to guide them to an eight-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea. Aslam’s century contained 22 fours and three sixes as Pakistan reached the target of 195 in the 33rd over. For Papua New Guinea, opener Lega Siaka, who scored a century in their previous warm-up game against Nepal, top-scored with 46, as middle-order batsmen Dogodo Bau and Nigel Boge struck a 91-run partnership to help them reach 194. Legspinner Usman Qadir took three wickets.
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Under-19 World Cup, August 8, 2012, 9:52 pm … from Island newspaper
India held its nerve to defeat Sri Lanka by 33 runs in a low-scoring ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2012 warm-up match at Wynnum-Manly, on Tuesday. A 98-run fourth-wicket partnership between Vijay Zol (43) and Hanuma Vihari (64), helped India to a modest 191 for eight after Sri Lanka had made early inroads to have their rivals reeling at 32 for three.
Sri Lanka’s new ball pair of Chamod Pathirana (two for 13 from seven overs) and captain Sanitha de Mel (two for 44), performed well, but India was able to post a defendable total on the back of the fourth-wicket stand. India then dismissed Sri Lanka for 158 in the 46th over, after batsman Angelo Jayasinghe had threatened to inspire his side at one point. Jayasinghe finished unbeaten on 64, but his effort was not enough to lift Sri Lanka to victory, as they struggled to overcome the loss of wickets, just when partnerships where threatening to blossom. For India, Punjab paceman Kamal Passi picked up three 34.
Brief Scores: India 191 for eight (H Vihari 64, V Zol 43; C Pathirana 2-13, L Madushanka 2-28, S de Mel 2-44) ……………………..Sri Lanka 158 (A Jayasinghe 64 not out; K Passi 3-34).
* courtesy of Island newspaper
** Courtesy of ESPN/cricinfo