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Virat Kohli, in his second match as captain, smacked an 83-ball 102 to power India to a tall score against West Indies, but he said more than his innings, India earning a bonus point was more satisfying

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2013Virat Kohli, in his second match as captain, smacked an 83-ball 102 to power India to a tall score against West Indies, but he said that earning a bonus point was more satisfying than his innings.India were in a difficult position in the tri-series before the start of the match because they had lost their first two games – the second against Sri Lanka being one of their heaviest defeats – and needed to win this match to keep their chances afloat. India’s much-vaunted batting line-up had struggled for fluency at Sabina Park, but at Queen’s Park Oval the openers responded with a 123-run opening stand to set an ideal platform. Kohli, despite limited support from other middle-order batsmen, ensured it wasn’t wasted.”We got a good start. It’s a bit of a tricky situation if you go in after a good start,” Kohli said. “You don’t know whether to play yourself in or go after the bowlers. To get a hundred in my second game as captain, I am pretty happy. I was getting good starts, but hitting that one shot straight to the fielder, so I was waiting for this big innings. But more than the hundred, I am happy we won with a bonus point.”Darren Sammy credited Kohli for lifting India’s score beyond 300, but said that West Indies’ bowlers could have bowled better. The fast bowlers were expensive and even Sunil Narine wasn’t able to control the flow of runs, giving away 35 in his five overs.”We have to give credit to Kohli and the Indians for the way they played. We did not bowl as well as we know we can,” Sammy said. “That is one area where we went wrong today. India played really well. They knew they had to come hard at us, to get a win and stay in the tournament, and they did just that.”Chasing 312, West Indies lost Chris Gayle early to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who struck again in his next over to dismiss Darren Bravo. A rain disruption added to West Indies’ woes as the target was readjusted to 274 off 39 overs, but none of the West Indian batsmen stayed long enough to put up a challenge.”The way Kohli played just goes to show what can happen when a set batsman stays in to the end of the innings,” Sammy said. “We had two very good innings in Jamaica when Chris [Gayle] got a hundred against Sri Lanka and [Johnson] Charles got 90 against India to win those two matches for us, but we did not get any real big partnerships going today.”West Indies are still placed at the top of the table with nine points and need to win their next match against Sri Lanka to confirm their entry into the final.”We are still very much in the tournament. Today we lost but there is need to panic,” Sammy said. “We are still at the top of the points table and we have all to play for when we face Sri Lanka on Sunday. We still believe we can win this tournament. We will regroup and look to bounce back when we meet Sri Lanka on Sunday and look to move into the final.”

Gurinder Sandhu has been voted the Australian Cricketers’ Association Player of the Month for March

Brydon Coverdale12-Apr-2013Gurinder Sandhu began the 2012-13 season with a state rookie contract for the first time and modest goals in mind. By the end of the summer he had represented Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI, played all three formats domestically, and won the Steve Waugh Medal as the best New South Wales player of the domestic campaign. That would be enough to satisfy anyone in their debut season.But there is one final honour heading Sandhu’s way: he has been voted the Australian Cricketers’ Association Player of the Month for March. It has been an incredibly rapid rise for Sandhu, a 19-year-old fast bowler who first emerged in the BBL in December while playing for the Sydney Thunder. Last year he was part of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup team; over the coming year a call-up to the senior side is not out of the realms of possibility.”At the start of the season I would have been happy just playing a couple of Ryobi Cup games,” Sandhu told ESPNcricinfo. “I played four of them and then a couple of Shield games at the end of the season and that topped it off even better. The Australia A games came out of nowhere, a bit like the Prime Minister’s XI game. I just ran with it all and tried to do my thing.”And Sandhu’s thing is to take wickets. In six one-day games – including two for Australia A against the England Lions – he has collected 18 wickets at 14.22 and in his two Sheffield Shield appearances he has managed 14 victims at 11.85. At 194 centimetres, Sandhu uses his height to gain bounce and he has shown that he can swing the ball both ways.”I like to keep the batsman guessing,” he said. But Sandhu knows there is plenty of room for improvement. He and another young New South Wales fast bowler, Chris Tremain, recently travelled to Perth for some sessions with Dennis Lillee and Sandhu said Lillee had helped him with some technical issues, including a tweak to the way he positions his front arm.Of course, Sandhu is of a generation that has only heard of Lillee’s exploits rather than witnessing them first hand. The men he wants to emulate are much more modern. Although he hopes to bowl in a similar style to Glenn McGrath, hitting a consistent spot and nibbling the ball around a fraction, Sandhu also sees Andrew Flintoff as another role model.”He’s a pretty big guy as well and I’m trying to work on my batting to become a bowling allrounder,” Sandhu said. “Maybe one day.”An innings of 45 against South Australia in his second Shield match showed that there is some batting potential there, although he is yet to score a half-century in first-grade cricket for Fairfield-Liverpool in Sydney. He is not the only Sandhu to have played at the top level for that club: his younger brother Harmon Sandhu made his first-grade debut this summer.”He filled in for me when I played the couple of Shield games,” Sandhu said of Harmon, who is also a fast bowler. “He played two games before the end of the season. He’s not as quick yet, he’s only 16 at the moment. Hopefully maybe this year we might play a couple of games together.”The Sandhu brothers were born in Australia after their parents Iqbal and Mukhtyar, originally from Punjab in India, moved to Sydney in the 1980s. Iqbal’s job as a taxi driver allowed him to ferry the boys around to all their junior cricket matches, a commitment that has paid off handsomely given his son’s success this season.And while Sandhu dreams of one day earning a baggy green, his ambitions for the coming year – which should feature a stint at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane and a trip to the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai – are more grounded.”Hopefully I can cement my spot in the New South Wales team in the Ryobi Cup and the Sheffield Shield and then any higher honours are a bonus, like any more Australia A games,” Sandhu said. “One day if I could play for Australia it would be pretty nice.”Sandhu received 23.5% of the votes for the ACA’s Player of the Month award for March, ahead of Michael Hussey on 21.6% and Ryan Harris with 11.8%.

Paul Collingwood, Durham’s captain, has undergone surgery on a ruptured tendon in his right thumb but is expected to be fit for the start of the Championship season in April

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2013Paul Collingwood, Durham’s captain, has undergone surgery on a ruptured tendon in his right thumb but is expected to be fit for the start of the Championship season in April.The injury was sustained over the winter, although it was not operated on immediately, to allow the swelling time to settle down. Collingwood broke the same hand last season, causing him to miss the entire Friends Life t20, but he returned to lead Durham to four successive Championship wins and steer the club away from relegation.A club statement said: “Paul will have 10 days of complete rest and spend three weeks in a protective splint before commencing a rehabilitation programme which should see him fit for the start of the 2013 season.”Durham begin their first four-day match of the 2013 season against Somerset on April 10, with Collingwood due to commence his first full season as captain after succeeding Phil Mustard last July.

Melbourne Renegades, unfashionable and unfancied before the tournament began, won their third straight game, beating Hobart Hurricanes by seven wickets at Docklands Stadium

Alex Malcolm in Melbourne19-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMelbourne Renegades, unfashionable and unfancied before the tournament began, won their third straight game, beating Hobart Hurricanes by seven wickets at Docklands Stadium.They stuck to the formula of winning the toss and bowling. All 11 matches in this tournament so far have been won by the chasing team. But their attack is proving extremely effective as they strangled the Hurricanes on a surface that looked relatively good for batting.There is a touch of Moneyball about the Renegades. They have the all-time leading wicket-taker in international cricket, Muttiah Muralitharan, and the Man of the Match from the 2012 World Twenty20 final, Marlon Samuels, as marquee men. But there are two journeymen in Nathan Rimmington and Aaron O’Brien, who happen to be in the top five leading wicket-takers in Australian domestic T20 history, as well as the seamer Darren Pattinson (who played one Test for England) to round off a well-balanced bowling unit.The Hurricanes started steadily. Pattinson erred by dropping short to Ricky Ponting twice in the second over and paid for it by giving away two boundaries. But Rimmington’s late swing removed Tim Paine to start a rot that would prove fatal for the visitors. The dangerous Travis Birt nearly hit the roof when he launched Samuels but it landed in the doctor-safe hands of Daniel Harris.Ponting threatened to unleash when he lofted an imperious cover drive into the stands off Pattinson. But Ponting lost his off stump off an uncharacteristic reverse-sweep off Muralitharan and the Hurricanes began to slide. They lost 4 for 16 in 28 torturous deliveries, with Muralitharan striking twice, O’Brien and Rimmington once apiece.Owais Shah was unbeaten in that period but he did not help his team’s cause, scoring a boundary-less 14 from 29 balls before becoming Samuels’ third victim in the 18th over. Xavier Doherty and Doug Bollinger scored 15 from the last 10 balls to ensure the Hurricanes went past three figures and didn’t get bowled out.Aaron Finch continued to prove himself as one of the star players in Australian domestic limited-overs cricket, making light work of the chase with an unbeaten 46 from 40 balls. He went after Bollinger, but because it hit a beam supporting the roof, outside the boundary line, and bounced back onto the field it was ruled a dead ball. That denied him a fifty.Finch lost Harris early in the chase, but had the support of Samuels in maximising the Powerplay overs. Samuels smoked 21 from just nine deliveries before chopping Michael Hogan onto his stumps via his pads. Ben Rohrer made a crafty 18, and Tom Cooper made an easy unbeaten 10 to see the chase home with his captain Finch with 40 balls to spare.The Hurricanes, last year’s semi-finalists, have now lost two in a row and need to recover against Sydney Thunder on Sunday in Hobart. The Renegades will be gunning for four straight wins when they host Brisbane Heat on Saturday.

A decision on Pakistan’s participation in the Women’s World Cup is likely to be taken on Friday, with the addition of a second venue in India the most likely solution

Amol Karhadkar and Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2013A decision on Pakistan’s participation in the Women’s World Cup is likely to be taken on Friday, with the addition of a second venue in India the most likely solution. There has been uncertainty over India’s willingness to host Pakistan in Mumbai – as of now the sole venue – following recent political tensions and the threats of a regional party to disrupt the tournament; staging Pakistan’s matches in another city in the same country could bypass that problem.Both the BCCI, the hosting country, and the ICC were tight-lipped amid growing media speculation about whether Pakistan would play the tournament but late in the day the organisers confirmed that the tournament – from January 28 to February 14 – would be played in India.”The World Cup will happen in India. It will take place at two venues. As for the Pakistan team, the BCCI and ICC are trying to work on an alternate venue. It will be finalised tomorrow,” a BCCI official told ESPNcricnfo.The ICC, too, dismissed reports that Pakistan would not be playing in the tournament. “A decision should be taken by the weekend, latest. We are working with the BCCI about the logistics,” an ICC spokesperson said.According to the existing schedule, all matches will be played in four venues across Mumbai: Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, the Bandra-Kurla Complex Cricket ground and the Middle Income Group ground, Pakistan, in Group B, are scheduled to play their league matches against Australia (January 31), New Zealand (February 3) and South Africa (February 5).However with the Shiv Sena remaining adamant about disallowing Pakistan to play in Mumbai, the organisers have been forced to go hunting for an additional venue. Though Kolkata and Bangalore have been reported by the media as being open to hosting Pakistan, officials from both associations denied any knowledge. “We have no information,” Jagmohan Dalmiya, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president, said. A Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official, too, said that he was unaware about any such development.Meanwhile, the England squad lands in Mumbai tomorrow morning before heading to Pune where they will hold a preparatory camp.

The preview of the first semi-final of the World T20 between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran03-Oct-2012Match factsOctober 4, 2012
Start time 1900 (1330 GMT)Raza Hasan has been Pakistan’s unexpected trump card•AFPBig Picture
Pakistan didn’t know until late on Tuesday night whether they’d have to keep their hotel reservations in Colombo for a few more days. But when South Africa’s Robin Peterson gloved a ball for a single to take the score to 122 against India, a roar went around the Premadasa. It sounded as though Sri Lanka were playing, but the noise was from a legion of Pakistan fans who were celebrating their team’s progress to the semi-finals on net run rate, at India’s expense. There wasn’t much separating the two sides, but Pakistan were better placed because they got their tactics right and won big against Australia earlier in the evening.Spin has been Pakistan’s strength in this tournament and their captain Mohammad Hafeez used his resources astutely. If that meant giving a rookie spinner the new ball and making the most experienced fast bowler wait till the 18th over, then so be it. The plan was to suffocate the Australians with turn on a sluggish pitch and it worked to such an extent that even Shane Watson had a rare, bad outing. The fielders made Australia’s qualifying target of 112 seem distant. As a result, Pakistan play their fourth World Twenty20 semi-final tomorrow, but unlike on Tuesday, they will not have the lion’s share of the support.Sri Lanka are familiar opponents for Pakistan. The hosts were the more dominant side when Pakistan visited in June-July. Sri Lanka looked a more settled side in the Super Eights, making heavy weather of the chase against New Zealand (which culminated in a Super Over victory) and trouncing West Indies and England. The return of Ajantha Mendis has given their spin attack more bite and the seamers, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara don’t offer respite.It’s ironic though that the semi-final is Sri Lanka’s first game in Colombo during this World Twenty20. They love playing at the Premadasa and the pitch – not as quick as the ones Pakistan played on in June – should suit their spinners. Sri Lanka haven’t had a world title since 1996. They are two games away from breaking the drought, at home.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLW
Pakistan WLWWWWatch out for Spin v spin: Opening with spin has become the norm for Pakistan. Will Hafeez adopt the same tactic against Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, who are fluent players of slow bowling? Hafeez, Hasan and Saeed Ajmal conceded only 53 in 12 overs and took all seven wickets that fell against Australia. The two Mendises – Ajantha and Jeevan – have played vital roles for Sri Lanka as well, and they also possess a largely unknown quantity in Akila Dananjaya.Something’s got to give for Shahid Afridi. He has looked a shadow of his old self with the ball, while as a batsman he remains unreliable. His three wickets in the tournament are at odds with his reputation for running through line-ups. Afridi still gets the odd delivery to grip and beat the bat, but Pakistan need more from him. His star value may not have diminished, but his wicket-taking and match-winning ability has.Team news Mohammad Hafeez didn’t drop any hints of team changes. Pakistan wouldn’t want to disturb their winning combination.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Raza Hasan.Mahela Jayawardene stopped short of saying he would captain again after Sri Lanka’s smart play-safe approach against England. He didn’t hint at team changes either.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Jeevan Mendis, 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Ajantha MendisStats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost all four Twenty20 matches they’ve played at the Premadasa.Of the 11 matches at the Premadasa in this tournament, only one has been won by the team winning the toss – by Australia against South Africa.Quotes
“We may not have won too many finals but getting there itself shows that we have played consistent cricket.”

“T20 is all about giving surprises every time you play. We are trying to do that, and most of the time, we are getting some success in that. I have no idea what it will be [tomorrow], but you never know.”

Despite a push that took the game into the last hour, Somerset couldn’t force a win over Nottinghamshire

Alex Winter at Taunton10-Aug-2012
ScorecardJames Taylor made 46 as Nottinghamshire made sure of a draw at Taunton•Getty ImagesDespite a push that took the game into the last hour, Somerset couldn’t force a win over Nottinghamshire. The game was hindered badly by the weather and, with the ECB launching more consumer research into the domestic game, attention among members turned to the makeup of the fixture list in the future.A healthy crowd was in to enjoy the sunshine, highlighting Somerset’s good membership and the support for Championship cricket. The county also boast a big following for Twenty20 and the balance between all the competitions gives the chief executive, Guy Lavender, plenty to ponder for his wishes of the schedule.”We’re lucky here; we’re extremely well attended for County Championship cricket,” Lavender told ESPNcricinfo as Notts batted out for a draw on the final afternoon. “We’ve got a very strong membership base and we attach importance to the Championship as the premier competition. But there are different views about it around the country so there are certain things we have to do to make the structure more sustainable.”Number one: the fixture list has to be easy to understand; number two, it has to be interesting; and number three, it has to be at a time where people can come and watch the games. If we just descend into ‘how many matches’ or ‘how many counties’, it misses the point. You don’t need detailed debates, we’ve got to say, ‘What works? What type of structure is attractive to the customer?’ That is what drives the game.”When the counties decided more T20 would drive the game there was a general downward trend in overall profit. Somerset were one of few that thrived. They can make more matches work and saw takings fall back this season with the reduction in games.”We’d like to see the number of T20 games increase,” said Lavender, who wasn’t pleased to see the Morgan Report rejected. “As a club we have the capacity to increase the number of fixtures and not only make them pay but make them good experiences for the supporters. We would have a preference for matches to be spread out across the course of the season because it provides the best opportunity for more people to come and watch. If you schedule T20 at the right time – as with CB40 – then people will turn up. It’s not rocket science.”But finding regularity in the calendar is hampered by broadcasting demands, with Sky keen to screen a match every night of the week – reducing the capacity for T20 to be staged on a regular evening and the scope for matches to be spread out.”Of course there are broadcast demands but I don’t think that drives all of the decision-making about the schedule,” Lavender said. “If we want cricket to thrive then we have to give people the best opportunity to come and watch and I think there is recognition from the ECB and Sky that that needs to happen.”With the Gloucestershire T20, because of the rivalry and locality, that match will sell out whenever it is played but others won’t. So we need to provide something that, perhaps as a not-as-keen follower of Somerset, you can go to every other Friday. It creates regularity and it fits into the way people live their lives and I think that’s really important. And that holds true for other formats of the game.”The problem is every county is looking at the structure of the game through their own lens and it’s the responsibility of the ECB to work for the greater good of the game.”That greater good is being worked out through further consumer research. What it should find – given the backlash the proposed cuts received from players and supporters – is that the County Championship is just fine; and at Taunton both teams lost ground to Warwickshire in the title race that has four more rounds to produce another thrilling climax.Nottinghamshire will be the happier of the teams from this draw. They keep Somerset at arm’s length and survived what could have been a tricky afternoon on a pitch that began to show signs of invariable bounce and some turn. Pete Trego was also getting some deliveries to tail into the right-hander – it was an inswinger that ended James Taylor’s attractive 46. He also had Michael Lumb superbly caught one-handed by Jos Buttler – keeping wicket in place of Craig Kieswetter and suggesting Somerset have enough depth to stay the distance in search of a first County Championship success.They have hung on to the title race despite a host of injuries, their squad so depleted they had to cancel a second-XI match earlier this season. But they now have the chance to make another run for a maiden title and three of their remaining four matches are at Taunton, against Sussex, Surrey and Worcestershire.

Duronto Rajshahi have finished top of the Bangladesh Premier League table after winning what ended up being a tense match against Dhaka Gladiators in Mirpur

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2012
ScorecardMohammad Sami took lots of wickets for very little runs•BPL T20Duronto Rajshahi have finished top of the Bangladesh Premier League table after winning what ended up being a tense match against Dhaka Gladiators in Mirpur. Dhaka also qualify as they have a better run-rate than Chittagong Kings. Mohammad Sami had remarkable figures of 5 for 6 as Dhaka were shot out for 116, but Rajshahi stuttered in the chase and needed captain Mushfiqur Rahim to score 40 not out as they won in the final over.Sami had ripped through the Dhaka line-up, causing them to collapse from 59 for 2 to 116 all out in 18.2 overs. All of Sami’s wickets were either lbw or bowled.The chase looked a simple one, but Rajshahi slipped to 80 for 6. Mushfiqur stitched together a 32-run partnership with Soumya Sarkar to get Rajshahi close. Sarkar’s dismissal in the 19th over meant the match was pushed into the final over. Sami, who had been the star with the ball, came in and scored 3 off 3 balls with the bat to help Mushfiqur get Rajshahi over the line.

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor is almost ready to return to competitive cricket, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man who broke his forearm

Sharda Ugra13-Apr-2012New Zealand captain Ross Taylor is almost ready to return to competitive cricket, standing shoulder to shoulder with the man who broke his forearm. Taylor said he is “probably 95% fit” two days ahead of Delhi Daredevils’ fourth match of IPL V, against Mumbai Indians on Monday. Daredevils is his third team in his fifth IPL season, and he will now share a dressing room with Morne Morkel, the bowler who broke his arm on the fourth day of the Wellington Test between New Zealand and South Africa.Taylor, whose left arm is free of a cast but still strapped, said his current level of fitness was what he had worked towards. “I said I’d be available for the game on the 16th,” he said. “Whether I’m picked or not is obviously up to the coaches, but obviously I’m doing everything I can possible to try and play.”After being hit by Morkel, Taylor had surgery on his broken arm the day after, and had rushed back to the ground in case New Zealand needed him to bat as they battled for a draw. He had the stitches from the surgery removed last week, before arriving in Delhi late on Wednesday. “They [the doctors] were happy with the way things were going,” he said. “It [the arm] has improved every day since I’ve been here and I’m sure it will continue to improve over the next few days as well.”Surgery, he said, helped speed up his recovery. “I think the operation helped. I don’t think I would have been able to be here if it hadn’t been for the operation. The body is a funny thing. I was fortunate that I recovered quicker than perhaps I, or other people, thought [I could].”In his 60-odd hours in Delhi, Taylor has been chatting with his newest IPL team-mates, including Morkel. “I’ve played for Rajashtan Royals and Royal Challenger Bangalore, and now Delhi. So I’ve only got a few more teams to go and I think I’ll have played for everybody,” he joked. When asked whether he agreed with the IPL rule that restricted the number of foreign players in the playing XI to four, Taylor said, “You would rather that four or five internationals vie for one spot rather than [there be] four automatic selections.” Taylor has played 34 IPL matches over four seasons, including 22 for Royal Challengers between 2008 and 2010, and 12 for Royals in 2011.So what is his preferred batting slot in a Twenty20 game? “My preference is to be picked in the side and I’ll bat wherever the coach and the captain want me to bat,” he said. “At Rajasthan, I was the designated finisher, so No. 4 or 5 is probably my spot.”Taylor pointed out that while the IPL teams were sprinkled with New Zealand players, only Daredevils had two – allrounder Doug Bracewell, apart from Taylor. “All New Zealanders will be [rooting] for Delhi now,” he said, before adding on a more serious note that the IPL had not really caught on in his home country because of the lack of live television coverage, as well as the difference in time zones. There were, he said, a lot of people in New Zealand who didn’t know anything about the tournament.”You can only [judge] from what you see. Reading things [about a match] on the internet, and seeing the scoreboard … you don’t get an indication that someone getting 20 off eight balls can be better than 20 scored off 30,” he said. “Last year the IPL wasn’t live [in New Zealand] and I don’t think even the highlights were [on television]. The time slots are a little bit different, it’s little bit tough to watch. The games are live now. I think every year the New Zealand cricket public will grasp it a little more. I’m sure in two years’ time, if it is live, the New Zealand public will have a better perception of it. Once it comes live on TV, the New Zealand public will get in behind it.”What do his fellow countrymen ask him the most about the IPL? “They ask me, ‘Is it as mad as it looks?'”The IPL he said would help the New Zealand players prepare ahead the World Twenty20, which is scheduled for September in Sri Lanka. “The IPL will help us look at different tactics for sure. Spin also becomes a lot more [important] in subcontinent. We are quite a young side, but I’m sure Dougie and a lot of our other guys will get a lot of experience being here. The balance of our side [in the World Twenty20] will be very similar to what happens over here as well.”

Pakistan Under-19 inflicted a sixth straight defeat on Zimbabwe Under-19 at the Stellenbosch University Ground

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2012
Scorecard
Pakistan Under-19 inflicted a sixth straight defeat on Zimbabwe Under-19 at the Stellenbosch University Ground. Zimbabwe, after choosing to bat, appeared to be in a comfortable situation at 73 for 1 in the 19th over. Luke Masasire (65) and Kevin Kasuza were involved in a 59-run second-wicket stand but things fell apart after the pair was separated. In a collapse, Zimbabwe lost 9 wickets for 65 runs and were bowled out for 138 in 40.5 overs. Seamer Zia-ul-Haq grabbed three wickets and was supported by Usman Qadir and Mohammad Nawaz, who took two each. Opener Faraz Ali top-scored with 68 in the chase and Pakistan sealed victory with 22 overs to spare and seven wickets in hand.