Singapore pull off a Super Over win over Malaysia while Nepal sink Kuwait and UAE outplays Hong Kong

By K.R. Nayar

(For the International Cricket Council website). Click https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/3083983 for detailed coverage of the ICC Under-19 World Cup Asia Qualifiers in Ajman

Ajman.  Singapore and Malaysia lit up the second day’s action in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Asia Qualifier 2023 in Ajman after both teams tied their scores and Singapore pulled off a Super Over win at the Malek Ground 2.

UAE skipper Aayan Afzal Khan leads his team to the pavilion after victory over Hong Kong through a five-wicket spell 

Singapore posted 202 in 50 overs through Sidhanth Srikanth’s 58 and Aryaveer Chaudhary’s 36. Malaysia fought back despite struggling at 116 for 6 at one stage to level the score through Muhammad Azri Azhar’s stubborn unbeaten 39. In the Super Over, Malaysia scored 7 for 1 but Aryaveer Chaudhary, who produced an allround show scoring not only 36 runs but also bagging three wickets for 25 runs, scored an unbeaten 8 to win the match.

Singapore-Malaysia thriller 

In another match, Nepal produced a stupendous show over Kuwait with two of their batters scoring centuries and their bowler Akash Chand bagging six wickets for 43 runs at Malek Ground 1.  The century makers were skipper Dev Khanal who cracked 125 runs off 117 balls studded with nine boundaries and three sixes and opener Arjun Kumal who scored 108 came off 112 balls with 12 boundaries. They helped Nepal post a whopping 343 for 7 in 50 overs. Kuwait were bowled out for a paltry 100 runs through Akash Chand’s deadly spell.

 

Hong Kong team in action 

UAE dominated Hong Kong through another allround show inspired by their skipper Aayan Afzal Khan’s deadly spell. UAE posted 279 for 5 in 50 overs through Dhruv Parashar’s 87 off 102 balls with seven boundaries and one six well backed by opener Aryan Saxena’s 46 runs. Hong Kong were bowled out for 116 in 45.4 overs through Aayan Afzal Khan’s 5 for 17 spell supported by Aamar Badami (2 for 25).

 Singapore-Malaysia Super Over thriller

 Singapore won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Arjun Nagpal got bowled by Muhammad Azri Azhar at the score on 24. Three runs later, skipper Jeevan Santhanam followed caught by Shivnarin Rahul off Muhammad Akram for 3.  At the score on 57, Mahiyu Bhatia got bowled by Shivnarin Rahul for 17. Eight runs later, opener Kabir Zandani too fell caught by Muhammad Syahir off Muhammad Aiman for 19.  This brought in Sidhanth Srikanth and Aaryan Modi, the pair that put on a strong resistance against Nepal in their last match with scores of 44 and 58 runs respectively. In this match the pair added only 33 runs before Aaryan Modi got bowled by Muhammad Aiman Zaquan for 13. Sidhanth Srikanth and Pratham Somani took the score past the 100 run mark but at the score on 106, Pratham fell, run out for 2.

Singapore-Malaysia match lit up the second day's action 

Sidhanth Srikanth and Aryaveer Chaudhary were involved in a 65 runs partnership for the seventh wicket. In the 45th over, Sidhanth fell, caught behind by wicketkeeper Sidharth Karthik off Shivnarin Rahul for 58.

Aryaveer Chaudhary took the score to 180 before falling leg before to Shivnarin Rahul for 36. Thiyanesh Venkatesan, through an unbeaten 12, ensured a total of 202 in 50 overs.

Chasing the target, Malaysian openers put on 33 runs in 9.2 overs before Mohammad Hairil Harisan got bowled by Jeevan Santhanam for 21. Muhammad Akram Abd Malek, who joined opener and skipper Siharth Karthik Rajaratnam, took the score to 78 in 22.6 overs before Sidharth got caught by Thiyanesh off Aryaveer Chaudhary for 36.

Muhammad Akram too followed bowled by Jeevan Santhanam for 21. When Malaysia were one short of the 100 run mark, Siddharth Neelakantan got caught behind by wicketkeeper Pratham off Aryaveer Chaudhary for 1. Muhammad Aalif Shamsul Bahrik too got caught behind off Adwitya Bhargava for 21. Thus half the side was back in the pavilion for 112.

Four runs later, Shivnari Rahul got out to Aryaveer Chaudhary caught by Thiyanesh for 2. A stubborn partnershi  followed between Mohammad Hariz Afnan and Muhammad Azri Azhar. They put on 36 runs for the seventh wicket before Mohammad Hariz got run out for 21.

With 45 runs needed in 8.3 balls, Hamzah Panggi joined a free stroking Muhammad Azri Azhar but got run out for 16 after taking the score to 176. Muhammad Aiman Zaquan provided support to Muhammad Azri Azhar and Malaysia inched towards the target.

When only 10 runs were needed in the last four overs, Muhammad Aiman got run out for 4. This brought in last man Muhammad Syahir Syamael to the crease with pressure at its peak. When one run was needed to win, Adwitya clean bowled Muhammad Syahir Syamael to tie the scores.

In the Super Over, Malaysia scored seven runs losing the wicket of Muhammad Azir Azhar to Aryaveer. In response, Malaysia scored 11 for no loss with Aryaveer scoring eight runs and winning in three deliveries.

Player of the Match Aryaveer Chaudhary said: “It was an electrifying match and a dream match for me. I am so thrilled that I could contribute to my country’s win and that was the most rewarding thing.”

Brief scores:

Singapore bt Malaysia by Super Over

Singapore 202 in 50 overs (Sidhanth Srikanth 58, Aryaveer Chaudhary 36, Shivnarin Rahul Rajaratnam 3 for 42, Muhammad Aiman Zaquan 2 for 34) Malaysia 202 in 47.5 overs (Mohammad Hairil Harisan 21, Muhammmad Akram Abd Malek 21, Muhammad Aalif Shamsul Bahrin 21, Muhammad Azri Azhar 39n.o, Adwitya Bhargava 2 for 43, Aryaveer Chaudhary 3 for 25, Jeevan Santhanam 2 for 46)

Super Over: Malaysia 7 for 1, Singapore 11 for no loss

Player of the Match:  Aryaveer Chaudhary

Nepal’s spectacular show over Kuwait

 Nepal won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Deepak Bohara fell for 13 clean bowled by Arsh Sahil after he had added 40 runs with opener Arjun Kumal in 8.5 overs. Five runs later, one-drop Aakash Tirpathi got run out for 2. Skipper Dev Khanal joined Arjun Kumal and put on a huge partnership. Arjun raced to his century in 100 in 107 balls with 11 boundaries and the score went past the 200-run mark. At the score on 215, Arjun Kumal’s fine knock came to an end, caught by Henry off Jay Maheshkumar Mehta for 108.

Nepal celebrate their success 

Bishal Bikram joined Dev Khannal and accelerated the run flow. They took the score to 263 in 41.3 overs before Bishal got out caught by Ethan Sanjay off Henry Thomas for 23. Dipak Bohara too chipped in with 19 runs before getting out to Henry Thomas, caught by Yusuf Sadiq. Dev Khannal, along with Dipak Prasad, took the score past the 300-run mark and at the score on 330 in 48.2 overs, he got out for 125. His superb knock ended when Gautam Mohandas had him caught off Haiber Ali. Eleven runs after Subash Bhandari got out caught by Saud Mohamed off Arsh Sahil for 2, Dipak Prasad, through an unbeaten 20, help edrecord a total of 343 for 7 in 50 overs.

Kuwait’s began their chase confidently with openers Het Kishorebhai Hinsu and skipper Jude Christopher Saldhana scoring 34 runs in 5.4 overs. The first to go was Het Kishorebhai for 16, caught by Dev Kanal off Akash Chand for 16. At the score on 46, Hemant Dhami took the prize wicket of Jude Christopher Saldhana for 26, caught by Deepak off Hemant. This was followed by a double blow from Akash Chand who had Saud Mohamed Sadath and Jay Maheshkumar Mehta, both getting caught behind by wicketkeeper Dipak Prasad for 8 and 3 runs respectively.

With half the side out for 56 in 11.4 overs, wickets continued to fall. Henry Thomas got out to Akash Chand, caught by Deepak for 3 while Yusuf Sadiq Basha got caught and bowled by Dipesh Khandel for 19. Dipesh also went on to dismiss Ethan Sanjay Cherian for 7 caught by Hemant.

Akash Chand receives the Player of the Match award from Match Referee Wendell Labrooy and yours truly 

Akash Chand picked his fifth wicket when he clean bowled Talha Hassan for 6.  He ended up with a haul of 6 for 43 when he also clean bowled Arsh Sahil Kazmi for 5 to bowl out Kuwait for 100 in 30.5 overs.

Player of the Match Akash Chand said: “Though I have produced such a spell in domestic cricket, it is special to bag six wickets in an international match. It is an amazing feeling.”

Skipper Dev Khanal ,who scored 125 to lead the way to victory, said: “Conditions were tough conditions when I went out to bat… we were 55 for 2. Credit goes to Arjun Kumal for creating such a partnership with me. I have no words to describe Akash Chand’s spell. Simply superb.”

Brief scores:

Nepal bt Kuwait by 243 runs. Nepal 343 for 7 in 50 overs (Arjun Kumal 108, Dev Khanal 125, Bishal Bikram 23, Dipak Prasad Dumre 20n.o, Arsh Sahil Kazmi 2 for 42, Henry Thomas 2 for 66) Kuwait 100 in 30.5 overs (Jude Christopher Saldhana 26, Hemant Dhami 2 for 25, Akash Chand 6 for 43, Dipesh Kandel 2 for 19)

Player of the Match: Akash Chand

UAE skipper Aayan Afzal Khan’s five wicket spell destroys Hong Kong

UAE won the toss and elected to bat. They lost opener Aryansh Sharma for 19, caught by Parth off Paraspreet Singh for 19. He had added 32 runs in 5.6 overs along with opener Aryan Saxena. This was followed by another big partnership between Dhruv Parashar and Aryan Saxena. They put on 55 runs for the second wicket before Aryan Saxena fell trapped leg before by Paraspreet Singh for 46. His knock off 66 balls had five boundaries.

Skipper Aayan Afzal Khan joined Dhruv Parashar and steered the score past the 100-run mark. At the score on 105 and the half way mark, Aayan Afzal fell caught by Mohammad Aliyaan off Parth Bhagwat for 15. Ethan Carl D’Souza and Dhruv swelled the total to 192 in 40.2 overs when Shiv Mathur removed Ethan caught by Parth for 27. Ammar Badami also provided good support to Dhruv and took the score 238 in 45.5 overs when Dhruv got caught behind by wicketkeeper Ansh Rupesh off Daniel Morgan for 87.  

Ammar Badami continued to score along with Maroof Merchant and ensured a total of 279 for 5 in 50 overs. Badami remained unbeaten on 27 while Maroof was unconquered on 21.

Hong Kong got off to bad start losing opener Jayden Botfield, clean bowled by Omid Rahman for 7 in the fifth over.  Ansh Rupesh Doshi became UAE skipper Aayan Afzal Khan’s first victim getting trapped leg before for 14. Meanwhile, Parth Bhagwat got out for a duck, caught by Dhruv off Ammar Badami for a duck. Aayan Afzal Khan made it tougher for Hong Kong by having Abdul Samad Khan caught by Maroof Merchant for 5.

When Aayan Afzal had Mohammad Aliyaan Zahir clean bowled for 4, half the Hong Kong side was back in the pavilion for 47 in 15.1 overs. Ammar Badami picked his second victim by having Shiv Mathu caught by Dhruv Parashar for 12.

Muhammad Mudassar Khan, the hero of Hong Kong’s thrilling win over Kuwait through an unbeaten knock of 62 in their first match, and skipper Ahan Trivedi could not create a big partnership. Dhruv Parashar had Mudassar caught by Harit for 9. At the score on 83, Trivedi too fell caught by substitute Deepak Gajraj off Aayan Afzal Khan for 16.  

Daniel Morgan Mapp and Dash Vora took the score past the 100 mark, but at the score on 104, Daniel became Aayan Afzal Khan’s fifth victim. Dash Vora delayed UAE’s win by scoring 12 runs before being caught by Aryansh off Aryan Saxena. Paraspreet Singh remained unbeaten on 5 as Hong Kong got bowled out for 116 in 45.4 overs.

UAE skipper Aayan Afzal Khan, who won the player of the match, said: “Very pleased with my performance in today’s match and also the way the team played. It was a very big win and a huge margin. This win gives us more confidence for the coming matches and it will help us win this tournament.”

Brief scores:

UAE bt Hong Kong by 163 runs.   UAE 279 for 5 in 50 overs (Aryan Saxena 46, Dhruv Parashar 87, Ethan Carl D’Souza 27, Ammar Badami 27n.o, Maroof Merchant 21n.o) Hong Kong 116 in 45.4 overs (Aayan Afzal Khan 5 for 17, Aamar Badami 2 for 25)

Player of the Match: Aayan Afzal Khan