An unbeaten half-century by Sameer Minhas and a three-wicket haul from Ali Raza guided Pakistan to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the U-19 World Cup on Thursday as the side sealed a spot in the Super Six stage.
At the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, Pakistan opt to field first and struck early to put Zimbabwe on the back foot.
Wicket-keeper Hamza Zahoor pulled off a sharp diving catch to his right to dismiss Kian Blignaut off Ali’s bowling before captain Farhan Yousaf produced a brilliant effort in the field, diving to his right to remove Zimbabwe’s top-scorer Nathaniel Hlabangana, who made 59 off 85 balls with seven fours and a six.
Ali, who had taken four wickets in the previous match against Scotland, once again led the attack, finishing with figures of three for 16 in eight overs. He accounted for Kupakwashe Muradzi, Blignaut and later Brandon Senzere.
Fast bowlers Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam claimed two wickets apiece, while left-arm spinner Momin Qamar also chipped in with two as Zimbabwe were bundled out for 128 in 35.5 overs.
Pakistan chased down the modest target in 26.2 overs with little trouble. Sameer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 off 75 balls, striking six fours and three sixes. He shared a 49-run stand for the second wicket with Usman Khan, who scored a brisk 26.
Ahmed Hussain remained not out on 24 as Pakistan reached the target with 142 balls to spare.
“After getting out early in my previous innings, my focus today was to spend time at the crease, keep things simple and trust my basics,” Sameer said after the match. “Our fielding and bowling were very encouraging and a big positive for us.
“The Super Six stage will be challenging with quality teams and two crucial matches. Our aim will be to win with a healthy net run-rate, which will be vital heading into the semi-finals.
