#ICCU19WorldCup: Australia wins it at the death to qualify for final
Pakistan was restricted to 179 all out and in response, Australia limped to 181/9, winning by just one wicket as Pakistan almost pulled a miracle.
Australia qualified for the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup final after weathering a late storm from the Pakistan attack to win their semi-final clash at Willowmoore Park on February 8, by one wicket.
The Aussies will meet India in Sunday’s final but they have their Gods Down Under to thank after pulling a miracle as 15-year old Pakistan paceman, Ali Raza had them on a chokehold in the death overs.
So near yet so far
After some brilliant work on the field and amazing bowling, the Pakistan players, however, only have themselves to blame for letting this one slip, especially because they believed the 180 Australia needed was a really defendable total.
The Aussie openers Harry Dixon and Sam Kostas started the chase steadily, posting 33 in the first power-play before Kostas fell to a Raza jaffer that swung in and went in through the gap the batsman offered, shattering the stumps to give Pakistan a sniff.
Dixon was joined by Hugh Weibgen but the Aussie skipper didn’t stay long at the crease. The duo only added 10 runs before Weibgen fell to a Haroon Arshad full toss, which he looked to drive to the covers but instead it flew to Naveed Khan who dived to his right to take a fine catch.
The wickets kept falling without the Aussies building any meaningful partnerships. Harjas Singh was run out by Arafat Minhas in the 16th over. His batting partner, Dixon, drove a Khan delivery to cover, took off for a single but Singh was ball watching and didn’t move. When he started sprinting, it was too late as he was run-out at the keeper’s end.
Ryan Hicks followed Singh immediately when he was dismissed for a golden duck after inside edging Ubaid Shah onto the stumps, handing Pakistan the advantage.
But that momentum didn’t last long as Dixon and Oliver Peake put on 43 for the sixth wicket with clean strokes around the park before the former was cleaned by Minhas shortly after bringing up his fifty.
This left Peake to keep the scoreboard ticking and together with Tom Campbell (25 off 44), they built a solid 44-run stand for the seventh wicket before Minhas broke the partnership with the wicket of Campbell in the 39th over.
Peake fell one short of a half-century after edging Raza to keeper Saad Baig before the seamer also dismissed Tom Straker and Mahli Beardman to end the innings with four scalps and almost hand his team an incredible victory.
But it wasn’t to be for Pakistan as Rafael Macmillan and Callum Vidler combined to take Australia to 181/9, winning with five balls to spare.
Straker sets new record with brilliant six-fer
Earlier, Aussie paceman Straker took six wickets with a good mix of length as he helped to restrict their opponents to 179 all out. The quick began his feast with the wicket of Shamyl Hussein in the ninth over before dismissing Pakistan captain Baig five overs later.
Straker registered his third with the scalp of Azan Awais who nicked it away to keeper, Hicks before returning to clean the tail with the wickets of Shah, Mohammed Zeeshan and Raza to end with the best bowling figures (6/24) in an U19 World Cup semi-final or final.
Beardman, Macmillan and Vidler and Campbell offered Straker solid support as they all took a wicket each, ensuring Pakistan didn’t build any strong partnerships – besides Arshad and Awais who stitched together an appetizing 54 for the fifth wicket – to restrict their opponents to a chasable 189.
The final starts at 10:00 at Willowmoore Park.
