CHATTOGRAM: Spinners Ali Asfand and Arafat Minhas shared seven wickets between them as Pakistan U19 beat Bangladesh U19 by 10 wickets on the final day of the solitary four-day match. Chasing a modest 22-run target to win, opening batters Shahzaib Khan (19 not out) and Azan Awais (4 not out) achieved the target in the seventh over.

Earlier, resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 166 for three in 70 overs, Bangladesh U19 lost night-watchman Akanto Sheikh (10, 34b) in the 81st over with Mohammad Ismail uprooting the stumps.

Captain Sharear Sakib who returned undefeated on 47 the previous day, was joined by Zakaria Islam and the pair added 60 runs for the fifth wicket before Zakaria (23, 51b, 3x4s) was clean bowled by left-arm spinner Ali Asfand in the 99th over.

Just before rain arrived, the Bangladesh skipper completed his hundred. After the rain interval, well-settled Sharear was adjudged leg-before wicket to Ali for 106 runs off 235 deliveries, hitting 14 boundaries.

After the departure of Sharear with Bangladesh still trailing by nine runs and four wickets in hand, the Pakistan U19 spinners Ali and Arafat Minhas never allowed Bangladesh to score freely and the hosts were dismissed for 292 in the 126th over with a lead of 21. Left-arm spinner Arafat bagged the last two wickets to fall and ended up with figures of three for 49. Ali took four wickets for 66 runs and ended up with match figures of six for 103 runs.

First-innings centurion Shahzaib Khan was named player of the match for his knock of 174 off 323 deliveries which included 25 fours and four sixes.

Both sides will now compete in the white-ball series, which consists of five one-day matches and one T20. The one-day series will begin from 6 May.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 04 2023

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