Afghanistan continued their dream start to the Under-19 World Cup. After toppling South Africa and West Indies, they hammered Tanzania, bowling them out for 85 and chasing the target down with nine wickets and 224 balls to spare. Seamer Nooristani Omarzai bagged 5 for 9 as Tanzania collapsed to a total that would have been even smaller without Afghanistan conceding 25 extras.

Tanzania laboured to just 14 runs in the powerplay, playing out two maidens and losing two wickets. To add to their trouble, Rehaan Ahtif retired hurt in the 16th over. Augustino Mwamele and captain Laksh Bakrania added 35 for the fourth wicket, but that was as good as it got for Tanzania. From 66 for 3 in the 29th over, they lost 7 for 19 in the next 7.1 overs.

During that collapse, offspinner Uzairullah Niazai took two wickets, including that of Bakrania. Only three Tanzania batters got into double figures.

They lost Khalid Ahmadzai for 14 in the fifth over, but had knocked off 27 runs by the end of that over. Faisal Shinozada, who arrived after Ahmadzai departed, ensured the game was all but done by the end of the first powerplay. He was on 34 off 23 balls at that stage, including six fours. Shinozada finished unbeaten on 55 off 34 balls, with nine fours and a six. As a result of the win, Afghanistan ended the group stage as table toppers.

Brief scores:
Afghanistan Under 19s  88 for 1 in 12.4 overs (Faisal Shinozada 55*; Khalidy  Juma 1-32) beat Tanzania Under 19s  85 in 36 overs  (Nooristani Omarzai 5-09, Uzairullah Niazai 2-9) by nine wickets

[Cricinfo]

In Harare on Wednesday, Ben Mayes scored 191 off just 117 balls – an England record in Youth ODIs, and just one short of the highest individual score in Under 19 World Cups. England posted 404, and in reply, Scotland struggled and crawled their way to 152 in 44.5 overs. With the 252 run win, England rounded off the group stage with three wins in as many games, while Scotland ended with two defeats and a washout.

Mayes added 188 for the second wicket with Joseph Moores, with the stand taking only 129 deliveries. That set England up for a huge score after Scotland asked them to bat first. England scored 75 in the first powerplay, with Mayes the more aggressive of the two batters. He got to fifty off 33 balls in the 13th over, and as his innings progressed particularly enjoyed playing the reverse sweep past and over short third.

The partnership ended when Moores, on 81, found the deep midwicket fielder off Finlay Jones in the 25th over. By then, Mayes had reached his century off just 65 balls. Dropped on 118 by Finlay Carter, Mayes went on to magnify Scotland’s misery. In all, he cracked 18 fours and eight sixes in his innings.

Scotland hardly got going in the chase. They didn’t lose any wickets in the first powerplay, but only scored 33. From 38 without loss, they suffered a collapse of 4 for 14, and it was a matter of time before England wrapped up victory. Carter was Scotland’s top scorer with 34, while Caleb Falconer, Manny Lumsden and Ralphie Albert shared seven wickets for England.

Abhishek Sharma’s power-packed 84 off 35 balls at the top and Rinku Singh’s 44 not out off 20 towards the end set up India’s comprehensive 48-run win over New Zealand in the first of the five-match T20I series. The victory margin would have been even bigger had India not dropped two straightforward catches and fluffed a run-out chance.

After New Zealand opted to bowl, India came out with an ultra-aggressive approach. Each of India’s top five batters opened their accounts with a boundary. But it was Abhishek who carried on for the longest and hurt New Zealand the most, hitting five fours and eight sixes during his stay. Rinku’s innings ensured India finished with a dew-proof total.

In response, New Zealand lost their first two wickets with a solitary run on the board. Glenn Phillips kept their hopes alive with his 78 off 40 balls, which included four fours and six sixes. But once he was dismissed, an India win was hardly in doubt.