England Under-19 players celebrate after reaching the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2022. (file photo)
England beat Afghanistan by 15 runs to become the first team to reach the final of the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Spinner Rehan Ahmed became the Young Lions’ hero, taking three wickets at a crucial point when his opponents needed just 18 runs from the last 10 balls.
England will now take on the winner of the second semi-final between Australia and India in the final on Saturday – a notable change from the previous tournament in South Africa two years ago when they finished ninth.
For Afghanistan, they will move to the Coolidge Cricket Ground for the third-place playoff. Rain delayed the first of the two Super League semi-finals at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, when England won the toss and elected to bat.
Once both sides were finally able to take the field in Antigua and Barbuda, it was Afghanistan that got off to a strong start. Jacob Bethel, who won the quarter-final against South Africa last week with 88 runs, was dismissed lbw by Naveed Zadran, an early sign that England faced a tough task.
Captain Tom Perst then joined vice-captain Bethel in an early departure, reducing them to 2-56, as the Young Lions struggled to take command with the bat.
George Thomas stabilized the ship with an excellent 50 after a slightly nervous introduction at the crease, only to be defeated by an excellent delivery from Noor Ahmed.
And when William Luxton was clean bowled by Izharulhaq Naveed, Prest’s team was five wickets down with barely 100 runs on the board.
However, rain again came to delay the game by half an hour and led to revised conditions of 47 overs per side.
England’s back-end partnership of 95 runs by George Bell and Alex Horton then managed to bring a different pace to their innings.
Both launched a fierce attack on Afghanistan’s fast bowlers who managed to top the final by 231.
Pre-season interruptions meant Afghanistan had a revised DLS target to match this score and, chasing their maiden ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final, they knew it was time to regain control of the game. A good start is needed.
Opener Nangelia Kharote was unable to provide it when England seamer Josh Boyden took his wicket on the third ball of the innings.
But in place of Kharote, Allah Noor hit a big six and quickly gave his team a platform.
The 18-year-old played a scintillating innings, which included eight fours, as half-swing momentum returned to Afghanistan’s way.
Along with wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq, the pair took their team past 90, with Noor scoring a crucial half-century.
England had a significant breakthrough when wicketkeeper Horton reacted to a loose throw at the striker’s end for Ishaq due to some brilliant fielding.
Noor remained stubborn but eventually went on to 60, with Thomas Aspinwall claiming a crucial wicket.
It had a frantic finish that could have gone either way.
The 44th over changed the game for England when two no-balls gave their opponents eight runs, before Abdul Hadi (37 No) hit a big six to get them to 200 and get close.
But a late flurry from Ahmed and a final over from Boyden propelled England to their first ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final since 1998 in South Africa, when they lifted the trophy.
(ANI report)
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