DUBAI – Pakistan cruise to a 180-run victory over Japan in their final Group-A match of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Player of the match Huzaifa claimed five of the last six wickets to fall, finishing with exceptional bowling figures of 6.3-3-8-5 as Japan were bowled out for 63 in reply to Pakistan’s total of 243-6.
After securing a third straight win and going unbeaten in the group stage, Pakistan will now take on Bangladesh in the semi-final on Friday at the same venue.
Pakistan made four changes to their team from the previous match against UAE and opted for a rejigged batting order after winning the toss and deciding to bat first. A nervy start saw Pakistan amass 34 runs in the first PowerPlay for the loss of two wickets before they were reduced to 100-5 at the halfway mark of the innings.
Shahzaib Khan, who scored hundreds in the opening two encounters of the U19 Asia Cup, partnered with Mohammad Riazullah to rescue the team with an 82-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Shahzaib (45) was dismissed in the 44th over before Riazullah (66 not out) and Ahmed Hussain (30 not out) accelerated towards the end to register an unbroken 61-run partnership of 37 deliveries.
Nihar Parmar took two wickets for Japan while four other bowlers chipped in with a wicket each.
Chasing a competitive target of 244, Japan failed to find a stable partnership and stumbled with regular wickets. The 19 runs added for the first wicket between Hugo Kelly and Parmar turned out to be the highest stand of the innings.
Parmar was the only player to enter double figures with 25 off 60 balls with three fours. Huzaifa was the chief architect of Japan’s batting collapse, rattling the stumps of four batters and trapping one leg-before wicket.
In addition to Huzaifa’s five-fer, fast bowler Mohammad Ahmed and leg-spinner Ahmed Hussain bagged two wickets each to bundle out Japan for 63 in 28.3 overs.
