Qatar & Kuwait recorded their second win in the tournament almost ensuring their entry to the knock-out stage of the ACC U-19 Cup. Qatar thrashed Oman while Kuwait proved win against Afghanistan wasn’t a fluke with win over UAE. Saudi Arabia overcame Maldives challenge.
Kuwait v UAE, Group B
Sibtain Raza earned Kuwait the second win in the tournament, this time against United Arab Emirates (UAE). For anybody who thought win against Afghanistan on the first day was a fluke, this was Kuwait’s answer.
Raza scored 47 to help his team amass 246 in allotted 50 overs and then returned to take three wickets to end UAE’s innings at 203 in 48.4 overs. Kuwait won by 43 runs.
Besides Raza, two other Kuwaiti batsmen scored 40s after UAE decided to field first. Habibullah Iftikar scored 48 off 64 deliveries with four fours and a six while Abdul Rehman got 44 off 42 balls with three fours. M Hmza Arif (36) and opener Umar Saluddin (30) also contributed in Kuwait’s total.
For UAE, Wasin Bari took three in his 6 overs while Pranoav Arora claimed two. UAE captain used nine bowlers to restrict Kuwaiti batsmen but in vain.
Kaizad Jehangir Anklesaria’s laudable innings failed to earn victory for UAE and Kuwait showed exceptional energy to win the match. Ankelsaria remained unbeaten on 70 off 116 balls with 11 fours and a six but he couldn’t accelerate run-rate as the wickets fell frequently on the other end.
Three batsmen were run out while Kuwait used 10 bowlers. Raza bowled exceptionally well giving away just 16 runs in his 10 overs. The only consolation for UAE was that they earned a point for not letting Kuwait win with the bonus point.
Qatar v Oman, Group C
Qatar defeated Oman by 81 runs to prove their superiority in the group. Qatar, helped by Faisal Noor’s fifty, scored 141 runs 42.4 overs and bowled out Oman for only 61 runs to win by massive 81 runs.
Electing to bat, Qatar enjoyed a good start with Kamran Khan (16) and Omar Arshad (14) adding 43 runs. After their departure, Qatar lost wickets frequently with only Noor staying firm at one end. Noor scored 56 off 78 balls with 7 fours and helped his team to reach an average total. Omani bowlers gave away 21 extra runs.
Ali Bilal and Mohd Imran each took three wickets while MRA Balushi took two.
While replying, Oman was blown away by man of the match Kamran Khan. Kamran took four wickets in his 10 overs giving away only 16 runs. Helped by Omar Arshad and Tamoor Sajjad, each of them returned with two wickets, Qatar sent Oman packing for 61.
Topscorer for Oman was Ahmed Balushi (14) and only other two batsmen MRA Balushi (13) and Ali Bilal (10) reached the double figure.
Saudi Arabia v Maldives, Group D
Saudi Arabia defeated Maldives by 143 runs to keep alive the hopes of reaching the quarters. Batting first, Saudis made 272/9 in 50 overs and bowled out South Asian island in 105 in 33.1 overs.
Salman Jabbar and Shuaib Ali each scored half-century for the winners helping their team to reach a commendable total. Jabbar’s 78 was made in 62 balls with five fours and two sixes while Ali’s 48-ball knock produced 52 runs with seven fours.
Ahmed Umar Jamaal spearheaded Maldives bowling taking three wickets while Mohammad Mahafooz and Mihusan Hamid each took two wickets.
Maldives reply started well with openers adding 40 runs but they were slow on scoring. Imran Nasir took five wickets while Ali took three to ensure he would take the man of the match trophy. Maldives were bowled out 143 runs short.
For Maldives, Mihusan Hamid topscored with 29 while a few other batsmen got the start but failed to show the patient required to stay at the crease.
Friday is the rest day.