UAE win by eight wickets over Singapore while Nepal trounce Hong Kong by nine wickets and Malaysia outscore Kuwait by five wickets

By K.R. Nayar

(For the International Cricket Council website). Click https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/3086649 for detailed coverage of the ICC Under-19 World Cup Asia Qualifiers in Ajman

 

Ajman. UAE’s Dhruv Parashar produced a brilliant around show to ensure UAE an eight-wicket win over Singapore at the Malek Ground -1 in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Asia Qualifier 2023 in Ajman. In another match, Nepal’s skipper Aakash Tirpathi and Hemant Dhami sparkled in a nine-wicket win over Hong Kong in Malek Ground-2.  Malaysia outplayed Kuwait by five wickets at the Eden Gardens Oval through their skipper Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam’s half century.

 

Nepal celebrates during their nine-wicket win over Hong Kong 

UAE restricted Singapore to a paltry 101 runs in 37.4 overs through Dhruv Parashar’s five wicket spell giving away just 23 runs. Chasing the score, Dhruv Parashar then backed opener Aryansh Sharma, who cracked 50 runs off 32 balls with 10 boundaries. Dhruv Parashar then remained unbeaten on 37 off 30 balls with six boundaries to win the match in just 13.2 overs.

 

UAE on way to their eight-wicket win over Singapore  

Nepal’s win over Hong Kong by nine wickets was crafted by Hemant Dhami who bagged three wickets for 19 runs to restrict Hong Kong to 120 in 46.3 overs. Skipper Aakash Tirpathi then cracked an unbeaten 64 off 72 balls with five boundaries and four sixes to win the match by nine wickets in 22.1 overs.

 

Malaysia down Kuwait by five wickets 

Malaysia defeated Kuwait by five wickets after Kuwait were restricted to 141 in 33.2 overs despite skipper Jude Christopher Saldhana’s knock of 47 off 36 balls with eight boundaries. Malaysia won in 39.2 overs through their skipper Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam’s 50 off 95 balls with four boundaries.

 

Dhruv Parashar’s allround show in UAE’s eight wicket win

 

Singapore won the toss and elected to bat.  UAE’s Ammar Badami ran out opener Arjun Rampal for 1 in the third over. Opener Kabir Zandani and Jeevan Santhanam took the score to 48 in 18.3 overs when Jeevan Santhanam got out caught by Harsh off Dhruv Parashar for 15.  Two runs later, Kabir Zandani fell caught by Harsh off skipper Aayan Afzal Khan for 23. Wickets continued to fall regularly with next man Abhuday Chahajer falling six runs later, run out by substitute Ethan, for 7. Half the side was back in the pavilion at the score on 59 in 24.1 overs when Mahiyu Bhatia got stumped by Aryansh off Dhruv Parashar for a duck. Dhur Parashar picked his third wicket by having Rahil Khan caught by Aryan for 1.

 

UAE... another moment of triumph 

Consistent batter Sidhanth Srikanth got caught by Harshit off Dhur Parashar for 16 when Singapore were nine short of the 100 run mark. At the score on 94, Aryaveer Chaudhary got out caught by Ammar Badami off Harit Harish Shetty for 3. Thiyanesh Venkatesan also got out caught by Dhruv Parashar off Aayan Afzal Khan for 5. When Pranav Nitin Maheshwari, who fought hard to score 17 runs, got caught by Aayan Afzal Khan off to give Dhruv Parashar for his fifth wicket, Singapore got bowled out for 101 in 37. 4 overs.

 

Chasing the moderate total, UAE lost opener Aryan Saxena at the score on 12 after he had scored nine runs and got out caught by Mahiyu off Adwitya Bhargava. Dhruv Parsahar, fresh from his five wicket spell, joined Aryansh Sharma for a strong partnership. Aryansh Sharma raced to his half century in 32 balls with 10 boundaries before becoming Adwitya Bhargava’s second victim by getting caught by Thiyanesh. 
Dhruv Parashar took the team to the target by remaining unbeaten on 37 off 30 balls with six boundaries and a six, with Maroof Merchant unbeaten on 3 and win the match in 13.2 overs.

 

Dhruv Parashar who bagged the Player of the Match award through his fine allround show said: “I am very happy at having contributed to my team’s victory. Every match is important for us and we want to prove as a very strong team winning all our matches. I am happy I am contributing with the bat and ball and want to give my best in the coming matches too.”

 

UAE skipper Aayan Khan said: “We want to win over all the teams with a huge margin. Our plan is to dominate all our opponents and we are happy that we are doing it and can thus go on to qualify for the World Cup.”

 

Brief scores:

UAE bt Singapore by 8 wkts.  Singapore 101 in 37.4 overs (Kabir Zandani 23, Aayan Afzal Khan 2 for 19, Dhruv Parashar 5 for 23) UAE 102 for 2 in 13.2 overs (Aryansh Sharma 50, Dhruv Parashar 37n.o, Adwitya Bhargava 2 for 23)
Player of the Match:  Dhruv Parashar

 

Nepal’s big win over Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong won the toss and elected to bat. In the third over, Hong lost their opener Aarez Dar caught behind by wicketkeeper Dipak Parsad for 2. Opener Ansh Rupesh Doshi too followed, run out by Dipesh for 8 in the seventh over. Next to go was one-drop Shiv Mathur caught by Arjun off Hemant Dhami for 8 at the score on 21. Hong Kong lost their fourth wicket at the score on 36 in 11.2 overs when Abdul Samad Khan got bowled by Subash Bhandari for 1.

 

Nepal's deadly bowling attack 

Parth Bhagwat kept the scoreboard moving and with Mohammad Aliyaan Zahir and took the score to 83 by putting on a 47 runs partnership for the fifth wicket when Mohammad Aliyaan Zahir got out leg before to Subash Bhandari for 29. Soon Parth Bhagwat got out, caught by Dipak Prasad off Dipesh Kandel for 36. After this partnership, wickets fell quickly with skipper Ahan Trivedi getting run out for 11 and Muhammad Mudassar Khan getting caught by Aaksah off Akash Chand for 6.

 

Darsh Vora and Daniel Morgan Mapp fell within a span of two runs when Hemant Dhami clean bowleld Vora for 7 and Daniel Morgan got clean bowled by Akash Chand for 5. This ended the Hong Kong innings for 120 in 46.3 overs.

 

Nepal openers put on 28 runs in 5.2 overs before Arjun Kumal fell caught behind by wicketkeeper Ansh Rupesh off Daniel Morgan for 16. Opener Aakash Tirpathi and Uttam Rangu Thapa steered their team to the target in 22.1 overs with Tirpathi remaining unbeaten on 64 and Uttaam Rangu Thapa unconquered on 39.

 

Hemant Dhami, who bagged 3 for 19, was adjudged Player of the Match, said: “I got a bit of movement early and utilised it well to pick those wickets. There was also a bit of moisture and so I kept bowling at the right areas. I am very happy to win the Player of the Match award.”

 

Nepal skipper Aakash Tirpathi, commenting on the big win, said: “I am so happy that the boys are showing their skills in all departments of the game be it bowling, batting or fielding. This is what we want and we will take one match at a time and keep winning.”

 

Brief scores 
Nepal bt Hong Kong by 9 wkts.  Hong Kong 120 in 46.3 overs (Parth Bhagwat 36, Mohammad Aliyaan Zahir 29, Hemant Dhami 3 for 19, Akash Chand 2 for 43, Subash Bhandari 2 for 10) Nepal 126 for 1 in 22.1 overs (Aakash Tirpathi 64n.o, Uttaam Rangu Thapa 39n.o) 
Player of the Match: Hemant Dhami

 

Malaysia Captain Sidharth Karthik’s half century downs Kuwait

Kuwait won the toss and elected to bat, but got off to a disastrous start. Opener Ehtan Sanjay Cherian fell leg before to Muhammad Akram to the third ball of the first over for a duck. One-drop Saud Mohamed Sadath got caught by Muhammad Azri Azhar off Muhammad Akram for 6 to the last ball of the first over for 6.

 

Kuwait openers goes out to bat 

Skipper Jude Christopher Saldhana ,undaunted by the fall of wickets, went for his strokes and with Yusuf Sadiq Basha took the score to 53 in 5.2 overs but Yusuf Sadiq Basha got caught by Muhammad Aalif for 4 off Muhammad Azri Azhar.

 

Gautham Mohandas Poolakkal joined his skipper Jude Christopher but Muhammad Azri Azhar ended Jude Christopher Saldhana’s fine knock of 47 by getting him caught by  Muhammad Aalif. Henry Thomas and Gautham took the score past the 100 run mark but at the score on 104, Henry departed caught by Mohammad Hairil off Shivnarin Rahul Rajatnam for 18. This was followed by Muhammad Aqif Farooq getting run out to Shivnarin Rahul Rajatnam for 2. More batters fell quickly when Haiber Ali got out leg before to Muhammad Syahir Syamael for 3 and Janath Jeewanga Herath Liyanage getting caught by Muhammad Azir Azhar off Muhammad Syahir Syamael for a duck.

 

Kuwait’s innings ended at 141 in 33.2 overs when Talha Hassan got caught behind by wicketkeeper Sidharth Karthik off Muhammad Syahir Syamael for a duck and Gautham Mohandas Poolakkal, who battled hard to score 41, got out to Shivnarin Rahul Rajatnam for 41. His knock off 75 balls had three boundaries.

 

Chasing the target, Malaysia lost opener Mohammad Hairil Harisan very early, caught behind by wicketkeeper Jude Christopher off Talha Hassan for a duck. One-drop Muhammad Akram and opener Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam steered the total past the 50-run mark by the 12th over. They put on a 75 runs partnership for the second wicket before Gautham Mohandas provided the breakthrough getting Muhammad Akram caught by Muhammad Aqif for 37.

 

Muhammad Aalif Shamsul Bahrin joined Sidharth and took the score to 93 when Henry Thomas clean bowled Muhammad Aalif for 10. Siddharth Neelakantan and Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam carried the team closer to the target when Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam, on completing his half century, got caught by Gautam Mohandsa off Saud Mohamed for 50. When nine runs were needed to win the match in 11.5 overs, Mohammad Harz Afnan got bowled by Haiber Ali for a duck. Siddharth Neelakantan through an unbeaten 20 and Muhammad Syahir Syamael though an unbeaten 9 won the match in 39.2 overs.

 

Brief scores

Malaysia bt Kuwait by 5 wkts.  Kuwait 141 in 33.2 overs (Jude Christopher Saldhana 47, Gautam Mohandas Poolakkal 41, Muhammad Akram 2 for 37, Muhammad Azri Azhar 2 for 36, Muhammad Syahir Syamael 3 for 22, Shivnarin Rahul Rajatnam 2 for 24) Malaysia 145 for 5 in 39.2 overs (Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam 50, Muhammad Akram 37, Siddharth Neelakantan  20n.o) 
Player of the Match: Sidharth Karthik Rajaratnam