Top-scorer
Canada Under-19’s beat Kenya Under-19s by 8 wickets in a 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup warm-up game on Tuesday (Jan 9) in Christchurch, New Zealand. This win improved on Canada U19s last over loss to Kenya in Sydney, New South Wales, last week when Canada, batting first, had just broken the 200-mark with 208 from 49.3 overs.
This week, at the Hagley Oval ground #4, Canada U19s bowled out Kenya U19s for 164 runs (49.1 overs) then made steady progress with the bat to reach a winning 165/2 after 31.3 overs. Opener Emanuel Khokhar stroked 23 runs (26 balls) and captain Arslan Khan made 30 (38 balls) before being caught to leave Canada on 101/2 after 20.1 overs.
Akash Gill, a left-hander, then joined right-handed opener Ravi Sandhu at the crease and they kept the scoreboard ticking along with ones and twos. Ravi Sandhu branched out with a 6 off Aman Ghandi in the 23rd over then produced a trio of boundaries off Aveet Desai in the next over. The first of these boundaries carried Sandhu past 50. Canada’s scoring then ticked along before Sandhu hit a six off Rene Were to end the 31st over. Two singles from the first three balls of the 32nd over carried Canada to victory. Ravi Sandhu garnered 78* from 102 balls, striking 2 sixes and 7 boundaries. Akash Gill scored 21* from 28 balls.
Earlier, Canadian left-arm pacer Rishiv Joshi took 2 early wickets and right-arm seamer Faisal Jamkhandi took a wicket as Kenya was restricted to 22/3 from 7.3 overs. The spin/pace combination of Tiaan Pretorius (off-spin) and Akash Gill (right-arm medium pace) kept the pressure on the Kenyan batsmen. Pretorius had Thomas Ochieng caught at the wicket for 10 to leave Kenya on 45/4 at the start of the 17th over. Aveet Desai (40), Jasraj Kundi (39) and captain Sachin Bhudia (22) helped improve the Kenyan scoring but Canada did a good job to restrict the Kenyans to 164. Kundi was one of three Kenyan batsmen to be run out.
Canada is scheduled to play Ireland U19s in a second warm-up game on Thursday (Jan 11) before the tournament proper begins on Saturday.
Ireland U19s lost a warm-up game to England U19s on Tuesday. Two England batsmen, Harry Brook and Will Jacks, scored an even 100 then retired out against the Irish. Brook and Jacks carried England from 49/2 to 228 after 31.1 overs when Brook retired Jacks retired with England on 274 (39.6 overs). Fin Trenouk pumped 73 runs from 41 balls as England reached 372/8 after 50 overs.
Ireland captain Harry Tector made 104 from 118 balls, adding 67 for the 7th wicket with Joshua Little in Ireland’s 247 all out from 49.4 overs. Little hit 55 from 36 balls after capturing the two early wickets in the England innings and he ended with 3/50 from 9 overs.
Ireland U19s had seen two warm-up games against local opposition in New Zealand washed out without a ball bowled before playing England on Tuesday. Ireland should provide an interesting test for Canada U19s on Thursday as Canada’s group matches conclude with a game against England U19s.
(EN)