​India, Sri Lanka set for exciting semi-final - #U19CWC

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• ·       India coach Rahul Dravid: "Need to bring A game to the party"

·       Sri Lanka coach Roger Wijesuriya: "We have nothing to fear"

Rahul Dravid-coached India will rely on its all-round strengths to put it across buoyant Sri Lanka in the first semi-final of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 in Mirpur on Tuesday.

The power-packed Indians breezed through Group D with an all-win record against New Zealand, Nepal and Ireland, before crushing Namibia by 197 runs in the quarter-final.

Sri Lanka bounced back after a 23-run defeat to Pakistan in the last Group B match to stun a strong England side by six wickets in the quarter-final.

The in-form India side is rated as favourite, having won a tri-series in Sri Lanka last December, which also featured England, but Dravid refused to take victory for granted.

"We know what to expect from them," said Dravid. "They have a couple of seamers and a lot of good spinners. They bowl a lot of spin. Having said that, they also know what to expect from us.

"It should be a good contest. We have been playing very good cricket of late and the lead-up to the tournament was good.

"We need to play well, irrespective of whether we bat or bowl first. If we play good cricket and bring our A game to the party, we will give ourselves a good chance to win."

India's batting has been led by aggressive left-handed opener Rishabh Pant, who followed a 18-ball half-century against Nepal with 111 off 96 balls in the quarter-final.

Sarfaraz Khan has shored up the middle-order with three half-centuries in four matches.

Seamer Avesh Khan, with nine wickets in the tournament, and left-arm spinner Mahipal Lomror (seven) have led a steady Indian attack that has bowled out the rivals in three of the four matches. Ireland's 189 all out has been the highest total against India so far.

Sri Lanka coach Roger Wijesuriya said his side's impressive win over England left him optimistic about the semi-final.

"India is a strong side, a good all-round side," said Wijesuriya. "We know their strengths. I know Indians play spin well but spin bowling is our strength and we will stick to that.

"If we play the way we did against England, there is no reason why we can't turn the semi-final in our favour.

"Our batsmen did not do well against Pakistan, but they showed up against England to back our bowlers and fielders. The batting has improved which is a good sign.

"We will take on the Indians with a lot of confidence. We have nothing to fear. It should be a very good game."

The winner will meet either host Bangladesh or the West Indies in the final on 14 February.

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India will feature in its seventh semi-final, having won the tournament thrice. Sri Lanka, looking for their maiden title, will be appearing in its third semi-final.

When the tournament was last held in Bangladesh in 2004, Pakistan won the title defeating the West Indies in the final. India finished third and Sri Lanka was fifth.

​West Indies stuns Pakistan by five wickets to enter semi-finals

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West Indies stuns Pakistan by five wickets to enter semi-finals

Umaid's brilliant 113 goes in vain as half-centuries by Hetmyer and Imlach help the Windies chase down Pakistan's 227 with 10 overs to spare

·       West Indies squares off against host Bangladesh in second semi-final on Thursday

·       India meets Sri Lanka in Tuesday's first semi-final on Tuesday

Hetmyer and Imlach

Skipper Shimron Hetmyer and Tevin Imlach hit half-centuries as the West Indies upset Pakistan by five wickets to cruise into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Monday.

Hetmyer scored 52 and Imlach made 54 to ensure a gallant 113 by Umaid Masood went in vain as the West Indies surpassed Pakistan's 227 for six with 10 overs to spare in Fatullah.

The West Indies take on host Bangladesh in the second semi-final in Mirpur on Thursday. India plays Sri Lanka in the first semi-final at the same venue on Tuesday.

Pakistan's defeat prevented an all-Asian semi-final despite Umaid's man of the match-winning performance, but the West Indies played better all-round cricket to emerge deserved winner.

Umaid came to the crease in the 15^th over with Pakistan struggling at 40 for four and rebuilt the innings in the company of Salman Fayyaz after half the side was back in the hut by the 21^st over.

Umaid, who had scored 13 not out and 10 in previous matches in the tournament, hit 15 boundaries and two sixes before he was out in the final over.

Salman remained unbeaten on a defiant half-century, which included three hits to the fence and a six.

The revival came after a two-wicket burst by seamer Chemar Holder and fiery fast bowling by Alzarri Joseph, who conceded just 28 runs in his 10 overs.

Once Joseph's spell finished in the 36^th over, Pakistan added a further 109 runs to set the West Indies a challenging target.

The Caribbean flair was evident as the West Indies raced to 100 for one by the 16^th over.

Hetmyer and Imlach put on 77 for the second wicket to take the score to 122 for one, before two needless run outs saw the total slip to 147 for four.

Shamar Springer was the fifth batsman to fall for 37 when 38 runs were still needed for victory, but Jyd Goolie (26 not out) and Keemo Paul (24 not out) saw their side home.

"This is a wonderful result for us," said Hetmyer. "It feels good to be through to the semi-finals.

"We just stuck to our plans and executed what we had worked on at practice. It was probably a good toss to lose because our bowlers did very well to take those early wickets."

Pakistan's captain Zeeshan Malik congratulated the West Indies, but felt his team should have defended its score.

"Our plan had been to get around 235 because we had the bowlers who were capable of defending it," he said. "I thought we put up a good score despite the poor start.

"But I must give credit to the West Indies batsmen for playing so aggressively and chasing down the target."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe upset the tournament's defending champion South Africa by eight wickets to enter the Plate Championship final for teams that finished outside the top eight.

Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava grabbed four for 10 in nine overs as South Africa was shot out for 91, a modest target that Zimbabwe overtook in 22 overs after an unbeaten 34 from Jeremy Ives.

Zimbabwe will take on the winner of the other semi-final between Afghanistan and New Zealand in the final on 12 February.

In a play-off for minor placings, Scotland defeated Fiji by 76 runs in another Plate match in Cox's Bazar.

Scores in brief:
Super League quarter-final: West Indies beat Pakistan by five wickets in Fatullah
Pakistan 227-6, 50 overs (Umaid Masood 113, Salman Fayyaz 58 not out; Chemar Holder 2-26)
West Indies 229-5, 40 overs (Tevin Imlach 54, Shimron Hetmyer 52, Shamar Springer 37)

Plate Championship semi-final: Zimbabwe beat South Africa by eight wickets in Cox's Bazar
South Africa 91 all out, 39.5 overs (Rivaldo Moonsamy 32; Richard Ngarava 4-10, Rugare Magarira 2-11)
Zimbabwe 94-2, 22 overs (Jeremy Ives 34 not out, Ryan Murray 26 not out)

Plate Championship play-off (13^th place): Scotland beat Fiji by 76 runs in Cox's Bazar
Scotland 225 all out, 48.1 overs (Finlay McCreath 60, Owais Shah 39; Cakacaka Tikoisuva 4-46)
Fiji 149 all out, 42.2 overs (Peni Vuniwaqa 80; Cameron Sloman 3-30, Finlay McCreath 3-48)

Forthcoming matches
9 Feb - India v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (Super League semi-final)
9 Feb - New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox's Bazar (Plate Championship semi-final)
9 Feb – Nepal v Pakistan, Fatullah (5^th place play/off semi-final)
10 Feb – England v Namibia, Fatullah (5^th place play/off semi-final)
10 Feb – Ireland v Scotland, Cox's Bazar (13^th/14^th place play/off)
11 Feb - Bangladesh v West Indies, Mirpur (Super League semi-final)
11 Feb – 7^th place play/off, Fatullah (teams TBC)
11 Feb – Canada v Fiji, Cox's Bazar (15^th /16^th place play/off)

Sri Lanka spins out England and cruises into Semi Final to face India but Fernando misses century

Fernando misses century as Sri Lanka sets up semi-final date with India

·       England bowled out for 184 after Hasaranga's three for 34

·       Pakistan plays the West Indies in last quarter-final in Fatullah on Monday

Avishka Fernando hit 95 off 96 balls after Wanidu Hasanranga grabbed three wickets as Sri Lanka entered the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 with an impressive six-wicket win over England in Mirpur on Sunday.

In an excellent all-round performance, Sri Lanka dismissed the strong England batting for 184 and then surpassed the modest target in the 36^th over.

Sri Lanka will take on India in the first semi-final in Mirpur on Tuesday. The second semi-final on Thursday will feature host Bangladesh against the winner of Monday's Pakistan-West Indies match.

This is only the third time Sri Lanka has reached the semi-final of this tournament since its inception in 1988. In the home event in 2000, it reached the final where it lost to Mohammad Kaif's India, while in 2010 in New Zealand, Sri Lanka reached the last four and finished in fourth position.

England failed to match its earlier run-feast in Group C where it raked up totals of 371 for three against Fiji, 282 for seven against the West Indies and 288 for four against Zimbabwe.

Callum Taylor top-scored with 42 after England won the toss and elected to bat, but the rest of the batting fell apart against the sustained pressure applied by the Sri Lanka bowlers.

Leg-spinner Hasaranga finished with three wickets for 34 runs after seamer Asitha Fernando had wrecked the start with two dismissals.

Sri Lanka made a breezy start to its reply, racing to 51 for no loss in eight overs before the lunch break, with Fernando contributing 35 of those runs.

Kaveen Bandara helped Fernando put on 76 for the first wicket by the 14^th over when he was run out for 22.

Fernando hit 11 boundaries and a six to steer Sri Lanka towards an emphatic win before he was caught behind off Saqib Mahmood when just 14 runs were needed for victory in 17 overs.

Skipper Charith Asalanka, who put on 69 for the third wicket with Fernando, fell for 34 soon after, but Sri Lanka cruised home easily.

Asalanka said he was delighted to see his team bounce back after losing to Pakistan in the last league match.

"We had not batted well against Pakistan, so it was important to settle down and build big scores, which is what Avishka was able to do today," he said.

"But the bowlers won us the game today. We bowled well and fielded very well too. But the plus point is that we have improved our batting."

Asalanka said Sri Lanka will test India with spin in the semi-final.

"We know India players are good facing spin, but spin is our strength and we will stick to that," he said. "We are confident of doing well in the semi-final."

England captain Brad Taylor said he was disappointed to lose after his team did so well in the league stage.

"I genuinely believe we had an off-day," said Taylor. "You have days when it does not come off. I think Sri Lanka played very well, but on another day, we would back ourselves.

"We expected Sri Lanka to rely on spin, but the batsmen did not stay long enough to build partnerships. We had come here to win the tournament, so obviously we are very disappointed."

In the Plate Championship play-off in Cox's Bazar, Ireland defeated Canada by six wickets to ensure it does not finish amongst the bottom two in the 16-nation tournament.

Rory Anders took four for 21 as Ireland bowled Canada out for 139 and then coasted home in the 35^th over with Jack Tector and Stephen Doheny scoring 33 runs each. Gary McClintock remained unbeaten on 31.

Scores in brief:

Super League quarter-final: Sri Lanka beats England by six wickets in Mirpur
England 184 all out, 49.2 overs (Callum Taylor 42, Ben Green 26; Wanidu Hasaranga 3-34, Asitha Fernando 2-16)
Sri Lanka 186-4, 35.4 overs (Avishka Fernando 95, Charith Asalanka 34)

Plate Championship play-off: Ireland beats Canada by six wickets in Cox's Bazar
Canada 139 all out, 48.2 overs (Arslan Khan 47; Rory Anders 4-21)
Ireland 142-4, 34.3 overs (Jack Tector 33, Stephen Doheny 33, Gary McClintock 31 not out)

Forthcoming Super League quarter-finals:
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah

Semi-final line-up:
9 Feb – India v England, Mirpur
11 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan/West Indies, Mirpur

Plate Championship (play/offs):
8 Feb - South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cox's Bazar; Scotland v Fiji, Cox's Bazar
9 Feb - New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox's Bazar

Rishabh Pant and Anmolpreet Singh steer impressive India into semi-finals - #U19CWC

Rishabh Pant and Anmolpreet Singh steer impressive India into semi-finals

·       Pant hits 14 fours and two sixes in a 96-ball 111, Singh scores 41 and takes three for 27

·       Rahul Dravid: "At some stages, I still feel we have not played a perfect game, but this was our best all-round performance"

·       "Before the game started, we spoke about the dangers of being complacent and we wanted to get a win," says former India captain

·       England takes on Sri Lanka on Sunday in Mirpur, Pakistan faces West Indies in Fatullah on Monday

Wicketkeeper/batsman Rishabh Pant hit 111 off 96 balls as power-packed India demolished Namibia by 197 runs in Fatullah on Saturday to cruise into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

All-rounder Anmolpreet Singh scored 41 and took three for 27 in his first appearance in the tournament as India piled up 349 for six after electing to bat, and then bowled the African side out for 152 in 39 overs. The match was produced by ICC TV and aired around the world by 15 broadcasters.

Three-time champion India, coached by batting great Rahul Dravid, will take on the winner of Sunday's quarter-final between strong contenders England and Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Mirpur on 9 February.

The second semi-final between host Bangladesh and the winner between Pakistan and the West Indies on Monday will be played in Mirpur on 11 February.

Dravid said his team had started to play almost perfect cricket. "I think we have played some good cricket right through the tournament. At some stages, I still feel we have not played a perfect game, but this was our best all-round performance.

"We had a few hiccups earlier on in the batting but it is nice to see that we have recovered and we are playing well. We're playing good cricket, focusing on the processes and not worrying too much about the results and things are going well."

Dravid said he had reminded his boys not to be over-confident or complacent. "When you come into knock-out stage, you can't take any team for granted. Namibia put in some very good performances to get here. Before the game started, we spoke about the dangers of being complacent and we wanted to get a win.

"The focus was to win and not about anything else. I am glad that we were able to put on a commanding performance and qualify for the semi-finals."

Pant, the left-handed opener who had scored the fastest 50 in under-19 internationals off 18 balls against Nepal, smashed 14 boundaries and two sixes during his whirlwind 111.

Pant added 103 for the second wicket with Anmolpreet after captain Ishan Kishan had been caught and bowled by Fritz Coetzee for six in the third over.

That set the stage for an Indian assault with former school-mates Sarfaraz Khan and Armaan Jaffar scoring aggressive half-centuries.

Sarfaraz hit a run-a-ball 76 and Armaan made 64 off 55 balls before a late blitz by Mahipal Lomror lifted India to the mammoth total.

Left-handed Lomror took 24 runs in the final over bowled by Coetzee, which included three sixes, as he returned unbeaten on 41 off 21 balls.

Namibia made an impressive start with openers SJ Loftie-Eaton (22) and Niko Davin (33) putting on 59 for the first wicket by the 10^th over.

Skipper Zane Green made 27 to lift Namibia to 80 for one, but the rest of the batting caved in as left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar supported his off-break partner Anmolpreet with three wickets for 25 runs.

"We set a good target with Pant leading the way and then fielded and bowled well today," said India captain Kishan.

"It was nice to move into the semi-finals with such a good win. Namibia had a good start, but we needed to stay patient and once the first wicket fell, we applied pressure on their batsmen."

Asked whether India would prefer to face England or the West Indies in the semi-final, Kishan said: "We can fare well against either team. We just need to play to our strengths and do the basics right."

Namibia coach Rangarirai Manyande, whose side upset defending champion South Africa in the league, rued the inability to grab the opportunities that came their way.

"The Indians batted quite nicely," said Manyande. "They batted very aggressively and did not give us a chance. Unfortunately, we could not grab our opportunity once we were 80 for one and that put us on the backfoot.

"We need to improve a lot. We were a little bit tired in the field and when the Indian spinners came on, we were unable to capitalize on the good start we got.

"But the boys are hungry for one more win which can help us finish in the top six."

Scores in brief:

Super League quarter-final: India beat Namibia by 197 runs in Fatullah
India 349-6, 50 overs (Rishabh Pant 111, Sarfaraz Khan 76, Armaan Jaffer 64, Anmolpreet Singh 41, Mahipal Lomror 41 not out; Fritz Coetzee 3-78)
Namibia 152 all out, 39 overs (Niko Davin 33, Zane Green 27, SJ Lofie-Eaton 22; Mayank Dagar 3-25, Anmolpreet Singh 3-27)

Forthcoming Super League quarter-finals:
7 Feb - England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
8 Feb – Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah

Semi-final line-up:
9 Feb – India v England/Sri Lanka, Mirpur
11 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan/West Indies, Mirpur

Plate Championship (play/offs):
7 Feb - Ireland v Canada, Cox's Bazar
8 Feb - South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cox's Bazar; Scotland v Fiji, Cox's Bazar
9 Feb - New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox's Bazar

Hosts into Semis : Mehidy and Zakir carry Bangladesh to its first-ever semi-final #U19CWC

Mehidy and Zakir carry Bangladesh to its first-ever semi-final

·       Both batsmen hit half-centuries while adding 117 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket partnership

·       Bangladesh awaits winner of the Pakistan-West Indies quarter-final

·       Afghanistan and Zimbabwe make Plate Championship semi-finals

Host Bangladesh defeated a valiant Nepal by six wickets after a tense run-chase to storm into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016 on Friday, giving the nation its maiden appearance in the last four of a world event.

Skipper Mehidy Hasan and Zakir Hasan hit unbeaten half-centuries as Bangladesh recovered from early setbacks to surpass Nepal's 211 for nine with 10 balls to spare in Mirpur. 

Bangladesh faces the winner of Monday's quarter-final between Pakistan and the West Indies in the second semi-final at Mirpur on 11 February. The first semi-final on 9 February in Mirpur will feature the winners of quarter-final matches between India-Namibia and England-Sri Lanka.

Nepal's captain Raju Rijal hit 72 (80b, 8x4, 1x6) after winning the toss and electing to bat, but four run-outs in the innings, including that of the captain himself, set his team back.

Nepal slipped to 178 for seven in 43 overs but useful contributions in the end from Dipendra Airee and Prem Tamang, who made 22 apiece, lifted it past the 200-run mark.

Right-arm seamer Mohammad Saifuddin was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh, giving away just four runs in the final over to return with figures of two for 38.

Bangladesh, mentored by former Australia international Stuart Law, was made to fight hard for runs as Nepal's bowlers conceded just 21 runs in the first 10 overs.

The home team was reduced to 98 for four in the 29^th over when Mehidy joined Zakir to add a match-winning partnership of 117 for the unbroken fifth wicket.

Left-handed Zakir, who scored an unbeaten 75 from 103 balls, ended the match by lofting Airee for a six over long-on. He also hit five fours. Mehidy returned undefeated on 55 from 65 balls which also included three fours.

"It is so exciting to be part of the first Bangladesh team to enter the semi-final of a World Cup," a jubilant Mehidy said, adding: "I think Nepal played a very good game. They did their best with both bat and ball. They are a very good side that we have beaten today.

"Zakir played so well and kept supporting me. He told me that we should try to take singles and twos because the boundaries were not easy to get. That worked well for us.

"We look forward to the semi-final. Hopefully we will raise our game and do our best to enter the final."

Nepal's Rijal rued his side's inability to put up a bigger total.

"The four run-outs and the loss of five wickets in the middle overs cost us at least 25-30 runs. If we had got those runs we would have fought till the end.

"But I am proud of the way the team has played in the tournament. Our aim is to finish with a good placing."

In the Plate Championship quarter-finals, Afghanistan trumped Fiji by 226 runs after opener Karim Janat smashed 156 off 132 balls with 12 boundaries and six sixes.

Afghanistan piled up 340 for nine after being sent into bat and Fiji was shot out for 114 in reply. Nijat Masood claimed three wickets for six runs in six overs and Rashid Khan took three for 16.

A fine all-round performance by Jeremy Ives helped Zimbabwe defeat Canada by six wickets in another Plate quarter-final in Cox's Bazar.

Ives claimed three for 30 as Canada were restricted to 186 for eight after electing to bat. Amish Taploo top-scored with 37.

Ives then returned unbeaten on 43 after Zimbabwe cruised home in the 32^nd over, with Shaun Snyder making 56.

Scores in brief:

Super League quarter-final: Bangladesh beat Nepal by six wickets in Mirpur
Nepal 211-9, 50 overs (Raju Rijal 72, Dipendra Airee 22, Prem Tamang 22 not out; Mohammad Saifuddin 2-38)
Bangladesh 215-4, 48.2 overs (Zakir Hasan 75 not out, Mehidy Hasan 55 not out; Sunil Dhamala 2-33)

Plate quarter-final: Afghanistan beat Fiji by 226 runs in Cox's Bazar
Afghanistan 340-9, 50 overs (Karim Janat 156, Perwez Malakzai 74, Peni Vuniwaqa 3-41)
Fiji 114 all out, 31.2 overs (Nijat Masood 3-6, Rashid Khan 3-16, Zahir Khan 2-45)

Plate quarter-final: Zimbabwe beat Canada by six wickets in Cox's Bazar
Canada 186-8, 50 overs (Amish Taploo 37, Abraash Khan 32, Arslan Khan 31, Jeremy Ives 3-30)
Zimbabwe 190-4, 31.4 overs (Shaun Snyder 56, Jeremy Ives 43 not out; Bhavindu Adhihetty 2-23, Shlok Patel 2-62)

Saturday's match (Super League quarter-final)
India v Namibia, Fatullah

Plate Championship (play/offs):
7 Feb - Ireland v Canada, Cox's Bazar
8 Feb - South Africa v Zimbabwe, Cox's Bazar; Scotland v Fiji, Cox's Bazar
9 Feb - New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox's Bazar

Sri Lanka's spin wonder Kamindu Mendis bowl right and left-arm deliveries in the same over

Sri Lanka's spin wonder Kamindu Mendis bowl right and left-arm deliveries in the same over

Have You Seen Ever Seen Like This Before Kamindu Mendis?

#U19CWC - New Zealand, South Africa enter Plate semi-finals

New Zealand, South Africa enter Plate semi-finals

·         Kiwis beat Scotland after Phillips slams 89 off 40

·         South Africa defeats Ireland as Verreynne hits 77

New Zealand and South Africa put aside the disappointment of not qualifying for the Super League of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup by making winning starts in the Plate Championship which decides the 9-16 positions.

New Zealand bounced back from its defeats to India and Nepal in Group D to brush aside Scotland by seven wickets in Cox's Bazar on Thursday.
South Africa, the defending champion who failed to finish among the top two in Group A, breezed past Ireland by eight wickets in another quarter-final in Cox's Bazar.

Scotland was restricted to 181 for nine after electing to bat with left-arm seamer Ross ter Braak claiming three for 34. Owais Shah top-scored for the Scots with 32.
New Zealand made short work of the target as Glenn Phillips smashed 89 in an opening stand of 98 with Daniel Stanley from just 11.4 overs. The 40-ball blitz from Phillips contained 11 boundaries and six sixes.

Skipper Josh Finnie, who remained unbeaten on 30 as New Zealand won in 27 overs, said it was a good start for his team in the Plate championship.
"It's nice to get off to a good start," he said, "We bowled pretty well and picked up wickets at the right time.
"Then Glenn smashed a quick-fire 89 chasing a small target, which was a good way to go about it. Hopefully, we will continue the same way and get through to the final."
Scotland captain Neil Flack conceded New Zealand played better and deserved to win, but his team too could take some positives from the game.

"We showed we can bat 50 overs against a good side," he said. "We need to keep developing and make sure we finish the tournament on a high."
South Africa kept Ireland down to 185 for seven despite an unbeaten 77 by Lorcan Tucker. Willem Ludick and Dayyaan Giliem claimed two wickets each.
Kyle Verreynne hit 77, adding 104 for the first wicket with Liam Smith (49), as South Africa coasted home with four overs to spare. Wiaan Mulder remained unbeaten on 43.
"I think we did well to restrict Ireland to 185 considering it had won the toss and chosen to bat," said South African captain Tony de Zorzi.

"The Irish bowlers tied our batsmen down in the first 10 overs but then Kyle and Liam opened up to put on a century stand and make it easy for us to chase the score.
"We want to represent our country with some pride, so are very keen to do well in our remaining matches."

South Africa await the winner of Friday's match between Zimbabwe and Canada in the Plate semi-final on Monday. New Zealand take on either Afghanistan or Fiji on Tuesday.

Scores in brief:
Plate quarter-final: South Africa beat Ireland by eight wickets in Cox's Bazar
Ireland 185-7, 50 overs (Lorcan Tucker 77 not out; Willem Ludick 2-43, Dayyaan Giliem 2-22)
South Africa 187-2, 46 overs (Kyle Verreynne 77, Liam Smith 49, Wiaan Mulder 43)
Plate quarter-final: New Zealand beat Scotland by seven wickets in Cox's Bazar
Scotland 181-9, 50 overs (Owais Shah 32, Jack Waller 24; Ross ter Braak 3-34, Nathan Smith 2-37)
New Zealand 185-3, 27 overs (Glenn Phillips 89, Josh Finnie 30 not out, Finn Allen 31 not out; Haris Aslam 2-37)
Friday's matches (Plate Championship only)
Zimbabwe v Canada in Cox's Bazar; Afghanistan v Fiji in Cox's Bazar

ICC U19 CWC : Pakistan tops Group B after beating Sri Lanka #U19CWC

Pakistan tops Group B after beating Sri Lanka

·         Hasan Mohsin stars with 86 and two wickets in 23-run win

·         Pakistan meet the West Indies in fourth quarter-final on 8 February

·         Namibia face India in second quarter-final in Fatullah on Saturday

·         Sri Lanka take on England on 7 February

Pakistan rode on a fine all-round performance by Hasan Mohsin to defeat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the last league match and top Group B in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.
Mohsin top-scored with 86 and then rattled Sri Lanka with two early wickets as Pakistan fought back after being dismissed for 212 to bowl its rival out for 189 in Mirpur.

Pakistan will take on the West Indies in the fourth quarter-final in Fatullah on 8 February. Sri Lanka, which finished second in the group, meets England on 7 February in Mirpur.
Pakistan's total was built around Mohsin's attractive run-a-ball innings which was studded with eight hits to the fence and a six.

Pakistan was struggling at 96-4 after being sent in to bat on a hazy morning when Mohsin stepped in to stem the rot with a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket with Salman Fayyaz (33).
Mohsin, who was on 61 at the fall of the seventh wicket, smashed 23 runs in the 47th over bowled by seamer Asitha Fernando which included five runs for an overthrow.

Moshin was bowled in the next over, trying to reverse sweep left-arm spinner Damitha Silva, who finished with two wickets for 41 runs.
Thilan Nimesh and Wanidu Hasaranga also claimed two wickets each, but ambidextrous 17-year-old Kamindu Mendis caught the eye with his rare talent to bowl both right-arm off-breaks and left-arm spin.

Mendis gave away 21 runs in four wicketless overs.

Mohsin, who was later named man of the match, stung early in Sri Lanka's reply, grabbing the first two wickets by the sixth over with his medium-pace bowling.
Sri Lanka was reduced to 63-4 before Mendis, who bats left-handed, scored 68 and Vishad Randika made 46 while adding 84 for the fifth wicket.

Pakistan kept the pressure on the batsmen to clinch victory in the 47th over as leg-spinner Shadab Khan finished with three for 31 runs. Sameen Gul, Mohsin and Ahmad Shafiq shared six wickets between them.

Pakistan captain Zeeshan Malik said defeating Sri Lanka had lifted the team's morale for the quarter-final against the West Indies.

"I think we played very good cricket today, both with the bat and ball," he said. "Mohsin was very good but all the bowlers did well.

"We look forward to our quarter-final and hopefully we will go beyond that as well."

Sri Lanka's captain Charith Asalanka blamed the defeat on the batsmen's inability to string partnerships, but said his team did not fear England.

"The batting went wrong today," he said. "The top order batsmen couldn't score runs and form partnerships. Mendis and Randika had a good stand but we couldn't do our job in the end.

"England is a good side. We played each other in December. But I think the conditions will support us. Our spinners are in good form, so I think this will be an advantage for us."

  

Scores in brief:

   Group B - Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 23 runs in Mirpur
   Pakistan 212 all, 48.4 overs (Hasan Mohsin 86, Salman Fayyaz 33; Damitha Silva 2-41, Thilan Nimesh 2-38, Wanidu Hasaranga 2-30)
   Sri Lanka 189 all out, 46.4 overs (Kamindu Mendis 68, Vishad Randika 46; Shadab Khan 3-31, Sameen Gul 2-29, Hasan Mohsin 2-28, Ahmad Shafiq 2-23)

Thursday's matches:
    4 Feb - South Africa v Ireland; New Zealand v Scotland, Cox's Bazaar
Quarter-finals (Super League)
  5 Feb - Bangladesh v Nepal, Mirpur
  6 Feb - India v Namibia, Fatullah
  7 Feb - England v Sri Lanka, Mirpur
  8 Feb - Pakistan v West Indies, Fatullah
Quarter-finals (Plate Championship):
 5 Feb - Afghanistan v Fiji; Canada v Zimbabwe, Cox's Bazaar


Points table

Group A

Team	Played	Won	Lost	NNR	Points
Bangladesh	3	3	0	+2.15	6
Namibia	3	2	1	+0.03	4
South Africa	3	1	2	-0.02	2
Scotland	3	0	3	-2.35	0

Group B

Team	Played	Won	Lost	NNR	Points
Pakistan	3	3	0	+0.97	6
Sri Lanka	3	2	1	+1.37	4
Afghanistan	3	1	2	-0.06	2
Canada	3	0	3	-2.64	0

Group C

Team	Played	Won	Lost	NNR	Points
England	3	3	0	+3.26	6
West Indies	3	2	1	+1.35	4
Zimbabwe	3	1	2	-0.03	2
Fiji	3	0	3	-5.15	0

Group D

Team	Played	Won	Lost	NNR	Points
India	3	3	0	+2.58	6
Nepal	3	2	1	+0.03	4
New Zealand	3	1	2	-0.81	2
Ireland	3	0	3	-1.70	0

●      Top two sides from each group will progress to the Super League stage while the bottom two sides will feature in the Plate Championship