Monday, 18th January 2010

Rafiq and Root go out at Under-19 World Cup Quarter Final stage

Azeem Rafiq's England Under-19s went out of the World Cup at the hands of West Indies who won the Quarter-Final clash by 18-runs. Azeem now leads his side against India in a battle for fifth place. 

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QUARTER FINAL: WEST INDIES BEAT ENGLAND BY 18 RUNS

England U19s fell 18 runs short of the target set by West Indies in a rain-reduced quarter-final at the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand. A delayed start meant the match was reduced to 36 overs per side. Hoping his bowlers would be able to make use of the seamer friendly conditions, England captain Azeem Rafiq won the toss and elected to bowl first. The skipper was involved as David Payne made a breakthrough in the fourth over, Rafiq catching Trevon Griffith with 15 runs on the board. Payne then bowled John Campbell for ten to reduce West Indies to 32-2.

 

West Indies regrouped after the double setback with Kraigg Brathwaite and skipper Andre Cleary compiling comfortably the game's biggest partnership. The pair put on 103 in less than 20 overs,  Brathwaite chalking up a patient 69 and Creary 52 at a little less than a run a ball.
As often happens after a substantial partnership, both fell in quick succession of each other as England mounted a fightback with Danny Briggs and Ben Stokes to the fore. After Briggs dismissed Brathwaite, Ben Stokes sent back Creary and Shane Dowrich in the space of four deliveries. The duo then struck again in quick succession as West Indies slumped to 148 for seven, their last five wickets falling for just 13 runs.

The returning Payne took two more wickets to finish with 4-19 leaving Nathan Buck to polish off the innings by trapping Nicholson Gordon leg before.

England made a terrible start in their reply with Joe Root and Chris Dent both falling to Holder within four overs. At 20 for two England needed James Vince to lay a platform for a successful chase and the Hampshire batsman looked in the mood by firing off five boundaries. But having reached 20 in just 15 balls, Vince became the first of two wickets for Nelson Bolan who then induced Jos Buttler to edge behind to leave England reeling at 38 for four.

Ateeq Javid and Stokes joined forces with England needing a repeat of their century-plus stand from the win over India just two days before. Unfortunately, the pair could only muster 40 this time with Stokes stumped by Dowrich off Campbell for 24 and Javid edging Jermaine Blackwood behind for 20. At 89-6, much rested on Rafiq who last summer scored a maiden first class century for Yorkshire against Worcestershire. The captain joined forces with Briggs and the pair gradually chipped away at the total to take England within sight of victory.
But England's hopes were dented when Briggs was bowled by Campbell to leave them 119-7 - still 48 adrift with ten overs remaining.

Disaster struck in the 32nd over when the returning Holder blasted out Adam Ball and Rafiq within the space of three deliveries as England were left needing a miracle at 138-9. It did not arrive, Holder castling Payne at the start of the 34th over to book West Indies a semi-final berth.

John Abrahams,ECB Elite Player Development Manager, said: "This was a disappointing end to the tournament after three good performances in the group stages. The players have gelled together as a unit and worked hard during the preparation and competition phases on their own games and for each other. There is no doubt that they have grown as people and cricketers and hopefully they will see proof of that in the coming season."

GROUP MATCH 3: ENGLAND UNDER-19s BEAT INDIA BY 31 RUNS

Rafiq and Root have helped England Under-19s win all three group matches as the team progresses through to the Quarter-Final stage with massive confidence after beating a much fancied Indian side.

GROUP MATCH 2: ENGLAND UNDER-19s BEAT AFGHANISTAN BY 9 WICKETS

Yorkshire's Azeem Rafiq took 2-29 and Joe Root hit 25 as England beat Afghanistan by 9 wickets to ensure their place in the Quarter-Finals.

Hampshire spinner Danny Briggs earned man of the match honours after returning figures of 3-15 as Afghanistan were bowled out for 126. 

Rafiq won the toss and put Afghanistan in to bat and it was not long before the pace of Buck proved too much for their top order. Buck claimed the first three wickets of the match with Javed Ahmadi, Shir Shirzai and Noor-ul-Haq all falling to sharp catches as Afghanistan slumped to 10-3 after eight overs. After a menacing start with the ball Buck then featured in England's fourth wicket, taking a neat catch to dismiss Anwar Anwari off the bowling of Ben Stokes to break up a 41-run stand.

Rafiq then stepped in to claim the next two Afghan wickets, the first being that of Hashmatullah Shaidi, the talented 15-year-old batsman adjudged lbw after scoring a promising 41. New batsman Zakiullah Zaki lasted just four deliveries before being cleverly stumped by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off the bowling of Rafiq. With Afghanistan reeling at 79 for six it was the spin of Briggs that dismantled the Afghan lower-order, the off-spinner taking the next three wickets before having a hand in running out the final batsman in the 48th over.

England's openers wasted no time in setting after the target of 127 for victory with both Yorkshire's Joe Root and Gloucestershire's Dent scoring freely. England suffered a setback when Root was dismissed for 25 after being caught in the gully off the bowling of Ayub Khan. But Hampshire's James Vince continued on from his man-of-the-match performance against Hong Kong by scoring at a run a ball and helping England reach 100 from 127 deliveries. Dent reached his 50 from 64 balls and Vince finished on 47 not out as England convincingly reached Afghanistan's total in the 26th over.

GROUP MATCH 1: ENGLAND UNDER-19s BEAT HONG KONG BY 9 WICKETS

Yorkshire's Joe Root hit a fluent half century as England Under-19s began their World Cup campaign with a comprehensive 9 wicket win over Hong Kong in its first group match of the tournament overnight in Christchurch .

Joe Root in fine form as England take first blood

Azeem Rafiq won the toss and put Hong Kong in to bat under grey skies and cool conditions. Hong Kong set England a potentially challenging target of 186 for victory but this was comfortably accounted for thanks to a 100-run partnership between Yorkshire ’s Joe Root and Hampshire's James Vince. Man of the match Vince scoring an impressive 76 not out from just 61 deliveries as England peeled off the runs with almost 20 overs to spare.

The win was earlier set up by some tight England bowling, particularly from its opening spearheads David Payne (3-24) and Nathan Buck (2-19). Buck claimed the first wicket of the day, bowling Hong Kong opener Shakeel in the ninth over. That brought the Hong Kong captain, James Atkinson, to the crease before Buck claimed the second wicket of the innings two overs later, skittling Alex Smith. Atkinson was the third consecutive Hong Kong batsmen to be clean bowled after Ben Stokes shattered his stumps, leaving the batting side 3 for 32 in the 14th over. The partnership of Irfan Ahmed and Nizakat Khan kept the England bowling attack at bay, yielding 67 runs from 12 overs before the  England skipper, Azeem Rafiq, broke up the partnership after Irfan was adjudged LBW. 

Nizakat continued to find the boundary though, bringing up his 50 from 57 balls with a lofted six off the bowling of Warwickshire's Ateeq Javid. Javid eventually got his revenge when he had Nizakat caught by James Vince but not before the  Hong Kong batsmen had amassed 65 from 69 deliveries. 

England opener Chris Dent was the catalyst for the sixth Hong Kong wicket, displaying a keen sense of awareness on the deep square boundary to run out Ashish Gadhia (3). England proceeded to close out the innings thanks largely to paceman Payne who finished with match figures of 3 for 24 off nine overs as Hong Kong lost their final four wickets for 18 runs. Payne picked up his first wicket of the day knicking off 15-year-old Mark Chapman for a well crafted 29. He quickly followed this up with a second when he dismissed Waqas Barkat for six, leaving Hong Kong  7 for 168. Payne found himself on a hat-trick after Asif Khan was caught behind slashing at the Gloucestershire paceman. The hat-trick didn't eventuate but Chris Dent was again on hand, this time fielding in close, to run out Aizaz Khan as Hong Kong finished all out for 185 in the 49th over.

England began its run chase in impressive fashion with the opening pair of Root and Chris Dent reaching 50 off just 47 balls in 31 minutes. Dent was dismissed for 33 (37 balls) two overs later, caught in the deep by Nizakat off the bowling of  Hong Kong seamer Niaz Ali. Vince immediately upped the tempo upon arriving at the crease, taking England's run rate beyond six runs an over as he and Root steered England to victory, both players making half centuries along the way. Root was the first to reach 50 from 65 balls while Vince matched his batting partner from just 45 deliveries. England reached the target of 186 in the 31st over and now focuses on the second group match against Afghanistan on Monday.