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Usman Khan’s 139 Powers Pakistan U19 Past UAE by 9 WicketsSports
Usman Khan smashed an unbeaten 139 as Pakistan Under-19 beat UAE by nine wickets in their Asia Cup opener, chasing 225 with 75 balls to spare.
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Muscat: Defending champions Pakistan Under-19 made a perfect start to their ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup campaign, beating UAE Under-19 by nine wickets in their opening Group A match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Friday.
Usman Khan was the star of the show, smashing an unbeaten 139 off 120 balls, including 21 fours and one six. He reached his century off 98 balls and was named player of the match for a superb innings that carried Pakistan to a comfortable win.
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Chasing 225 for victory, Pakistan finished on 225 for one in 37.3 overs, with 75 balls to spare. Usman shared a 153-run opening stand with Jahangir Bilal, who scored 60 off 87 balls, before Abdul Qadir finished the job with an unbeaten 20.
UAE restricted to 224
Earlier, UAE were bowled out for 224 in 50 overs after being put in to bat. Noorullah Ayobi top-scored for UAE with 70 off 55 balls, but the Pakistan bowlers kept the scoring in check. Mohammad Sayyam was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 37 runs, while wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor took six catches behind the stumps.
The win gives Pakistan early momentum in the defence of their title. The team will next face India Under-19 on Sunday 8 November at Oman Cricket, Ministry Turf 1, in what promises to be the biggest match of the group stage.
Pakistan came into the tournament as defending champions, and Friday’s performance underlined their credentials. A nine-wicket win with more than 12 overs to spare sends a clear message to the other teams in the competition that the champions mean business.
Pakistan won the toss and captain Farhan Yousaf chose to field first, a decision his bowlers justified by keeping UAE to 224. Mohammad Sayyam led the attack with three wickets for 37 runs, while Hasnain Abbas Dar took two for 22, Ali Raza two for 38 and Rizwanullah two for 55. Yayin Kiran Rai made 47 for UAE, and a 62-run stand for the ninth wicket between Noorullah Ayobi and Muhammad Ahmed gave the total some respectability.
Usman’s century was his fourth in Youth ODI cricket, a mark of his consistency at this level. After the match he said he had taken time to settle in while the ball was swinging early on. ‘The feeling is very good to have scored a century in a stage like this,’ he said. ‘In the beginning, it was swinging a bit. So, I looked to take some time and then put away the bad balls. I did well in our domestic tournaments. I am following a good process which is helping me.’
Usman and Abdul Qadir, who made 20 not out off 19 balls, shared an unbeaten 72-run partnership to finish the chase. The match was played at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 2) in Muscat.
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