U-19 World Cup: Canada, England outplay opponents

QUEENSTOWN: Skipper Harry Brook’s century helped England pip Bangladesh to the top of Group C points table with a crushing seven-wicket win in their ICC Under-19 World Cup encounter on Thursday.

Set to chase 176 for a victory, England overhauled the target in under 30 overs, courtesy the attacking, unbeaten hundred and Euan Woods’s all-round show (3 for 26 and 48 not out).A spectacular top-order collapse had Bangladesh reeling at 27 for 4 before Afif Hossain (63) and Animul Islam (31) revived hopes. The duo put on 94-run stand for the fifth wicket to take the team past the 100-run mark. However, the pair was dismissed in quick succession triggering fears of another collapse. Mahidul Islam Ankon (20) and later Hasan Mahmud (23) offered brief resistance to take their side to a respectable total. Ethan Bamber (3 for 19) and Woods (3 for 26) were pick of the bowlers, bagging three wickets each.

England, too, got off to a shaky start by losing three top-order men for just 49 runs on the board. That’s when skipper Harry Brook (102 not out) and Woods combined to ensure England suffered no further setbacks in the mediocre chase. Brook hit as many as 13 boundaries and three sixes in his 84-ball assault. Woods too was brisk in his 57-ball knock, hitting four boundaries. Brook became only the second English skipper to raise a ton in U19 World Cup as he hit the winning runs in the 30th over of the chase. The win means England are all but through to next round.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 175 in 49.2 overs (Afif Hossain 63; Ethan Bamber 3-19, Euan Woods 3-26) lost to England 177/3 in 29.3 overs (Harry Brook 102*, Euan Woods 48*).Canada beat Namibia: Akash Gill’s all-round display helped Canada pick up their first win of the tournament as they beat Namibia by four wickets in Lincoln. Chasing 194 for victory, skipper Arslan Khan, Gill and Kevin Singh all hit fifties as Canada overhauled the target with eight overs to spare. Canada didn’t get off to an ideal start with the bat, losing both their openers for 20 runs, but the 110-run partnership for the third wicket between Arslan and Gill helped the team piece their chase together. The duo scored at a fair pace, taking team past the 100-run mark in the 23rd over. Gill fell soon after his fifty, but Arslan combined with Kevin Singh for another 50-plus stand that ensured Canada didn’t face much trouble. Kevin played the aggressor in that partnership and assumed charge after losing his captain on 72. He brought up his fifty off what turned out to be the final delivery of the chase, with his ninth boundary in the 53-ball knock.

Earlier, opting to bat, Namibia got off to a solid start but couldn’t post an imposing total. Barring two half-century partnerships, wickets fell at regular intervals as Namibia collapsed to 193 with four more overs to go in their innings. All top-five in the top-order got starts but neither could convert it into a match-defining knock.

Brief scores: Namibia 193 in 46 overs (Lohandre Louwrens 38, Eben van Wyk 32; Akash Gill 4-43, Rommel Shahzad 2-27) lost to Canada 197/6 in 42 overs (Arslan Khan 72, Akash Gill 52, Kevin Singh 50, Petrus Burger 2-29).