UAE slump to 54 all out as Afghanistan seal big Under-19 Asia Cup victory

National team fall to another heavy defeat while Pakistan beat India in last-ball thriller

Afghanistan players celebrate after bowling out the UAE in the Under-19 Asia Cup at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday, December 25, 2021. ACC

The UAE fell to a 140-run defeat against a strong Afghanistan side in the Under-19 Asia Cup at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday.

They hosts were bowled out for just 54 in 14.4 overs in reply to Afghanistan’s 194-9 to suffer a second Group A defeat in a row after India had thrashed them by 154 runs in their opening game.

Afghan opening bowlers Bilal Sami (3-12) and Khalel Ahmad (3-23) ripped through the UAE top order and the run out of Punya Mehra for a duck left the hosts reeling at 17-7.

Leg spinner Izharulhaq Naveed then mopped-up the UAE tail by grabbing the last two wickets in successive deliveries.

Afghanistan, who were shot out for 52 against Pakistan in their first game, had been in an another spot of bother early on when the UAE reduced them to 26-3 after being put into bat.

Sailles Jaishankar struck twice and Ali Naseer claimed one in-between but the game soon turned in Afghanistan's favour.

Allah Noor, who went on to score an unbeaten 100, then shared an 85-run stand with Ijaz Ahmad (30) to get their innings back on track.

Noor hit 11 fours and a six in his 123-ball stay at the crease. He added a further 64 for the seventh wicket with Naveed, who chipped in a useful 24 off 54 balls after they lost three wickets for four runs to spinner Nilansh Keswani, the pick of the UAE bowlers with 3-23 off his ten overs.

On the adjoining pitch, Pakistan clinched a thrilling last-ball win over India to go on top of Group A.

Pakistan, after dismissing India for 237 in 49 overs, needed 18 from 12 balls with three wickets remaining, following the run out of top scorer Muhammad Shehzad for 81 in the final ball of the 47th over.

Ahmed Khan smashed a six and a four in the second last over to bring the target down to eight from six.

Ravi Kumar coming in for the final over struck from his very first delivery to remove new batsman Zeeshan Zameer. Ahmed, joined by Ali Afsand, took a single each in the next two deliveries.

Ahmed then took two runs each in the next two, and with two more needed for the win from the last ball, he smashed a four for a match-winning 29 not out and lead Pakistan to victory by two wickets.

In Group B, Mahfijul Islam blasted a magnificent 112 as Bangladesh trounced Kuwait by 227 runs to make it two wins from two.

Islam’s 119-ball knock contained a 12 fours and four sixes as his team posted 291 all out in 49.2 overs.

Kuwait in reply were skittled out for 64 with captain and opener Meet Bhavsar scoring 43, while Ripon Mondol took 3-10 for Bangladesh.