The New Zealand Under-19s will head into their Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh having taken a win and a loss from their two official warm-up fixtures.
In a match which remarkably featured four stumpings — two per side —spin twins Aniket Parikh and Rachin Ravindra took three wickets each to help the New Zealand Under19s overcome a spirited Afghanistan by 13 runs overnight, in the team’s final official warm-up before the 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup starts in Bangladesh.
Summary: New Zealand U19s 212 in 48.5 overs (Glenn Phillips 68; Zahir Khan 5-30) beat Afghanistan U19s 199 in 47.3 overs (Karim Janat 42; Aniket Parikh 3-34, Rachin Ravindra 3-32) by 13 runs at BKSP-1 in Dhaka
Glenn Phillips has played two seasons for the Aces
New Zealand had been shot out for 212 after electing to bat, opener Glenn Phillips continuing his strong tour by making a vital 68 at better than run-a-ball pace at the top, while Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan claimed a whirlwind five wickets for 30 runs that devastated the middle order.
Phillips’s opening partner Ravindra had a strong allround game, supporting with 33 before he became the first of the stumping victims — and the first of two wickets to fall on 111 — with no other batsman permitted to break 30.
Needing slightly more than four runs per over, Afghanistan started off well in their attempt to overtake the target, opener Karim Janat making 42.
But offspinner Parikh and left-armer Ravindra did not allow the other batsmen to settle down, while seamer Zak Gibson chipped out first drop and captain Isahnulllah Janat cheaply to help the coming cascade of wickets on its way.
It was a nervewracking win, however, Afghanistan seven down but still with hope heading into the last 10 overs.
Two days earlier, Sri Lanka had taken an impressive four-wicket win over the young New Zealanders in a closely matched contest.
In brief:
New Zealand 204/8, 50 overs (Josh Finnie 54, Dale Phillips 48 not out; Asitha Fernando 2-39, Jehan Daniel 2-48, Lahiru Samarakoon 2-31) lost to Sri Lanka 205/6, 36.1 overs (Shammu Ashan 66; Ben Sears 2-43, Nathan Smith 2-39) by four wickets at BKSP-2, Dhaka.
NZU19s captain Josh Finniei is in his second season for the SBs Bank Otago Volts
The 11th edition of the biennial 16-nation World Cup begins on 27 January in Bangladesh and features nine Test-playing nations together with seven Associate and Affiliate Members – Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Nepal, Ireland and Scotland.
India has won the title three times, but New Zealand captain Josh Finnie, playing in his second ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, said his team didn't have to look far for inspiration.
“The BLACKCAPS’ brand of cricket has been a great example of playing with positive intent and representing New Zealand in the best possible way,” said Finnie.
“I think all cricketers growing up in New Zealand have seen that and we’ll endeavor to make that a big part of our game as well.”
Teams have been divided into four pools, with the top two in each advancing to the Super League quarterfinals and the other two qualifying for the Plate championships. New Zealand is in the same pool as Nepal, Ireland and India, with their opening fixture against Nepal on 28 January.
NZU19s schedule
Fiji is competing in the World Cup for the first time.
Other warm-up results:
Sri Lanka beat Nepal by 65 runs at BKSP-2
Canada beat Ireland by four wickets at BKSP-3
India beat Pakistan by five wickets at BKSP-4
Zimbabwe beat Namibia by eight wickets in Chittagong
Bangladesh beat England by 97 runs in Chittagong
Afghanistan beat Ireland by 126 runs at BKSP-3
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 63 runs in Chittagong
India beat Canada by 372 runs at BKSP-4
England beat Namibia by 155 runs in Chittagong
Pakistan beat Nepal by 110 runs at BKSP-1
Scotland beat Fiji by 21 runs in Fatullah
South Africa tied with the West Indies in Fatullah
